It seems like fewer hospitalizations and deaths from preventable diseases are a good thing. Conversely, a spike in easily prevented illnesses should be regarded as alarming and sad. Yet it’s unclear whether top political leaders agree with those statements.
Here are a few numbers to ponder:
Cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, in Texas doubled from 2024 to 2025. There were 1,907 cases in 2024 — the highest figure in a decade. From January through November of 2025, the state had confirmed even more cases — 3,762.
In Dallas County, the number of whooping cough cases rose from 164 in 2024 to 217 in 2025. About 10% of patients had to be hospitalized.
Texas saw one confirmed case of measles in 2024 and three in 2023. Last year, an outbreak in West Texas led to 762 cases, almost 100 hospitalizations, and two deaths. The Gaines County outbreak also spread to other states. Dallas County had its first confirmed case of measles since 2019.
Opinion
Asked early last year about the Texas outbreak and fatalities, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., responded: “It’s not unusual. We have measles outbreaks every year.”
No, we don’t, at least not on that scale. It was unlike any Texas has experienced in three decades.
But the state is likely to endure higher disease tolls because vaccination rates are trending down and the scrum of misinformation and disinformation around vaccines only grows more confusing. It’s especially worrisome because so much of the bad information about vaccines emanates from Kennedy.
To reach herd immunity for measles, the point at which it is hard for the virus to infect new victims, about 95% of the population must have been vaccinated or had measles. Herd immunity protects those who cannot receive the vaccine, such as young babies or people with weakened immune systems.
The percentage of Dallas County kindergartners vaccinated against measles was barely 90% at the start of the 2024-25 school year. That was lower than the statewide rate of 93% and down from 94% the previous academic year. The state agency that compiles these statistics notes that they don’t include homeschooled children or those who attended unaccredited private schools.
Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Philip Huang said the misinformation and distrust have affected local vaccination rates. Unexpected federal funding cuts also forced the county to cancel some community vaccination events.
But the drop in vaccination rates has been sharpest among Latino families, which may reflect an additional problem, he said. Community outreach workers reported that they heard families were staying home because of fears about ICE raids.
Public health workers are exhausted and concerned. We are alarmed and sad. The state’s top political leaders are silent.
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