A West Texas hospital has reported that newborn babies were potentially exposed to measles amid an ongoing outbreak in the region, causing concerns for the infants' health and safety.
The fast-spreading measles outbreak is affecting more and more people across Texas and has now endangered infants as young as three days old. These babies are now receiving antibody injections to help their bodies fight against the virus.
Newborn Babies Potentially Exposed to Measles
Staff at the West Texas hospital are reportedly scrambling with damage control efforts after new mothers, newborn babies, and their families were exposed to measles. The hospital in question is the University Medical Center Children's Hospital in Lubbock.
A woman reportedly gave birth at the hospital while she was infected with measles and doctors did not immediately realize the situation until the mother was admitted and was in labor. It was also reported that other people were unknowingly exposed to the virus, which is considered one of the most contagious in the world, according to MSN.
For context, measles can cause a variety of serious health complications in infected individuals, which is especially true for children younger than five years old. Medical staff at the University of Medical Center Children's Hospital started implementing emergency masking policies and gave babies injections of immunoglobulin.
This is an antibody that helps infants' fragile immune systems become strong enough to fight off infections, such as measles. A study from 2021 found that therapy was found to be highly effective in protecting exposed newborns.
Growing Measles Outbreaks
Chad Curry, training chief for the University Medical Center EMS, said that the babies exposed to the virus did not ask for this to happen. Public health officials are now casting a wide net to try and contact every individual who may have been exposed to the pregnant woman who was believed to have been infected with measles, NBC News reported.
The situation comes as Katherine Wells, director of public health for Lubbock's health department, said last week that she felt the outbreak was starting to come under control. At the same time, it seemed like the number of cases seemed to have peaked. She said that the latest issue makes her feel like they are back to square one.
Measles outbreaks in West Texas and New Mexico have also gone up to nearly 300 cases, with two unvaccinated people dying from measles-related causes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that as of Friday, Mar. 14, 2025, confirmed measles cases surpassed 2024, as per the Associated Press.
