SEMINOLE MEASLES

There’s an unusual health scare in far west Texas right now. The disease that’s spreading, the measles, was thought to have been a thing of the past. The CDC declared it eliminated from the United States in 2000. But health officials have now confirmed some 80 cases in Gaines County and they expect the number to rise. This part of Texas is home to a large Mennonite population. And a lot of those folks shun vaccinations, making them vulnerable to the disease, which is highly contagious. Gaines County had the highest unvaccinated rate in Texas this school year at 18 percent, according to state health data. Some health officials worry that the politicization of vaccines has led even more parents to forgo vaccinating their young children, leading to outbreaks like this one. And this community travels far and wide for work. So the disease is spreading all around the state (and to New Mexico).