Video: Second child dies in Texas after measles diagnosis.
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) — An unvaccinated child has been diagnosed with measles in Chaves County, according to the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH). This marks the third county in the state to report measles cases, with total cases rising to 56.
Chaves County houses Roswell in the Southeastern portion of New Mexico. It borders Lea and Eddy counties, where the remainder of the measles cases are concentrated. All but three of the cases are specifically in Lea County.
“A new case in a new county – and cases in now 22 U.S. states – is a reminder that measles is a highly contagious virus,” NMDOH Chief Medical Officer Dr. Miranda Durham said in a press release. “It also underscores how the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine is the best way to prevent measles.”
The Chaves County Public Health Office in Roswell at 200 East Chisum Street offers free daily walk-in vaccinations during regular business hours. Vaccination rates in the southeast, and the state as a whole, have seen an increase, with 16,455 New Mexico residents getting vaccinated between Feb. 1 and April 3. Out of those vaccinations, 3,269 were in the southeast part of the state. This time last year, 8,842 measles vaccinations had been given, with 1,508 in southeastern New Mexico.
Someone with measles can be infectious from four days before rash onset through four days after it appears. Symptoms typically begin with a cough, runny nose, and eye redness, then progress to a fever and rash. The rash starts at the head before spreading to the body. NMDOH says vaccines are extremely effective against measles — one dose is 93%, and two doses 97%.
For more vaccination information, you can call (575) 624-6050. If you’re experiencing a fever or rash, you’re asked to call your doctor. The NMDOH helpline can be reached at 1-833-796-8773.