The current measles outbreak has gripped US states like Texas and New Mexico leaving people worried whether it would become a new pandemic. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services as of February 21, 90 cases were diagnosed in the last month in the South Plains area, with at least 77 of them were reported in children and teens under 17.

Measles is highly contagious and can be deadly. The outbreak, which started spreading in late January, has resulted in multiple hospitalizations, with at least nine confirmed cases and three probable cases as of early February. Health officials caution that at least one in five infected individuals will have to be hospitalized, highlighting the severity of the situation.

Misinformation surrounding vaccines and with the new Trump administration anti-vaccine campaigs, has causing parents to hesitate or refuse vaccination.

Furthermore, the country down under Australia is also witnessing a surge in measles cases as health officials in Sydney have issued an urgent alert, urging residents to watch for measles symptoms after an infected individual visited several places in Sydney over the last seven days.

Authorities report that the traveller had returned from South East Asia where there are ongoing outbreaks of measles.

What Are The Symptoms Measles?

Key symptoms of measles include fever, a runny nose, sore eyes, and a cough. Typically, a red, blotchy rash appears three to four days later, spreading from the head down to the body. Symptoms can manifest between 7 and 18 days after exposure.

Anyone who experiences these symptoms after potential exposure should immediately contact their doctor or emergency department. It is crucial to call ahead before visiting to avoid potentially exposing others in the waiting room. Dr. Selvey also highlighted that ongoing measles outbreaks are occurring in various parts of the world, making awareness and prompt action essential.

Why It Is Important To Get Vaccinated?

According to CDC everyone should get the MMR vaccine. It protects you from measles, mumps, and rubella. Getting vaccinated helps stop these diseases from spreading. There are two safe MMR vaccines available. They work the same way, so it doesn't matter which one you get. Kids can also get a shot that protects against chickenpox too, but this is only for children.

Who Should Get Vaccinated?

Kids Need Two Shots

All children should get two MMR shots. The first shot should be given when they are between 12 and 15 months old. The second shot should be given when they are between 4 and 6 years old. If needed, the second shot can be given earlier, but it must be at least 28 days after the first shot.

College Students Need to Be Protected

Students going to college or other schools after high school, need two shots if they are not already immune. The shots must be at least 28 days apart.

Adults Need at Least One Shot

Most adults need at least one MMR shot. Some adults need two shots, especially those who work in healthcare, travel a lot, or go to college. These people should get two shots, with 28 days between them.

Travelers Need to Be Extra Careful

Anyone traveling to other countries should make sure they are protected. Babies 6 to 11 months old should get one shot before traveling. Kids 12 months and older, teens, and adults need two shots, with 28 days between them.

Healthcare Workers Must Be Immune

People who work in healthcare should have proof that they are immune to measles, mumps, and rubella. If they are not immune, they need two MMR shots, spaced 28 days apart.

Women Thinking About Having Babies

Women who might get pregnant should talk to their doctor about the MMR vaccine. It's safe to get the shot while breastfeeding.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is asking parents across the country to ensure their children have received both doses of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine as cases continue to surge for the first time in three decades.

As of December 30, three people have died and 2,065 Americans have been found suffering from the life-threatening illness. Officials say this is the largest outbreak since 2,126 cases were last reported in 1992 and warn that the case count will continue to grow through January.

While the initial outbreak was reported in a small religious community in Texas, the disease quickly spread throughout the country and is currently affecting children and teenagers in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming, according to the CDC.

The federal agency also noted that out of the cases reported, 865 patients were between the ages of five to 19 while 650 were over the age of 20. Apart from this, 537 people were below the age of five while the ages of the remaining 13 were unknown.

Only three percent of the cases have received their first dose of the MMR vaccine while merely four percent completed both doses. It remains unclear whether 93 percent of people have received any doses of the vaccine.

Dr Linda Bell, South Carolina’s state epidemiologist, noted at a press briefing last week that one of the primary reasons for the rampant spread of the disease have been family gatherings during this holiday season and cross-country travel.

Measles: The World's Most Infectious Disease

Measles is a highly contagious illness that can cause widespread rashes and flu-like symptoms such as high fever, cough, red spots, bloodshot eyes, muscle pain and headaches. If left untreated, the disease can lead to life-threatening complications like brain inflammation and pneumonia.

The virus is spread through direct contact with infectious droplets or through the air that can linger in the air for up to two hours. Patients with a measles infection are contagious from four days before the rash through four days after the rash appears.

Without immunity from a vaccine or prior infection, about 9 in 10 people exposed to measles will be infected. About one in five unvaccinated people are hospitalized and three in 1,000 people who contract the disease are expected to die.

READ MORE: US Measles Cases Surge Past 2,000, Putting Elimination Status At Risk

Falling Vaccination Rates of Measles

Despite being deadly, the illness can be prevented through vaccination. The CDC says a single dose of the MMR vaccine is about 93 percent effective at preventing measles, while two doses increase protection to 97 percent.

However, immunization coverage has seen a stark decline in the last few years. While the nationwide MMR vaccination rate is 92.5 percent, merely 79.6 percent of of kindergartners were vaccinated for the 2023-2024 school year.

Additionally, only 84.3 percent of school children were vaccinated in Alaska while Hawaii, Ohio , Georgia, Oklahoma and Arizona saw a vaccination rate of about 89 percent, CDC data shows.

According to a John Hopkins University study, 2025 was noted to be the worst year for MMR immunization coverage as the nationwide average saw a decline of 2.67 percent of vaccination rates among US children since the 2020.

James Colgrove, a professor at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health told The Washington Post, "The most dangerous deadly diseases will come back and it won’t only be kids who suffer. It’ll be adults in the community who are immune-compromised, who are elderly. It’ll be infants."

A Yemeni molecular biologist Hashem Al-Ghaili, shared a post on his Instagram page that states that the new K-variant flu, also known as the super flu is spreading fast "with dangerous fevers and lung damage". On his post, he wrote: "Health experts say there‘s a new flu strain causing sudden high fevers and deep respiratory distress."

He further noted: "Public health officials are sounding the alarm over a potent new influenza strain that behaves differently than previous seasonal variants. Rather than just causing typical fatigue, this aggressive strain is designed to trick the human immune system into a state of hyper-reactivity. This overreaction often manifests as sudden, intense fever spikes and significant inflammation deep within the lung tissue. Unlike standard flu symptoms that may develop gradually, these severe respiratory complications are appearing with alarming speed, making early detection and prevention more critical than ever before."

To this, he also provided a solution, stating that medical professionals are now emphasizing on the importance of fortifying "body's natural defenses through foundational wellness habits". These habits include prioritizing deep sleep, consistent hydration, and adequate vitamin D intake that can help regulate immune responses and mitigate the risk of severe inflammation.

Read: UK ‘Super Flu’ May Be Behind Sudden Bile Vomiting; Doctors Flag New Symptom

What Is The K-Variant Flu And How Does It Impact Your Lungs?

H3N2's mutation or the influenza A's subclade K is now the new aggressive virus that has swept the United States and the United Kingdom with flu cases. This is the culprit in rising flu cases, globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) on its website said that K variant marks "a notable evolution in influenza A (H3N2) viruses". Some are also questioning the effectiveness of this season's influenza vaccine against the strain.

The flu virus is highly contagious and spreads easily in crowded places, especially during the colder months.

In some cases, the infection can progress to the lungs, which could lead to complications like bronchitis or pneumonia. Yale Medicine too notes that this virus could attack the respiratory system, including throat, nose, and lungs.

What Are The Common Symptoms This Season For The Flu?

K variant causes more intense flu symptoms, they include:

• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny nose

Are The Old Vaccines Effective Against This New Variant?

"The vaccine remains the most effective means to prevent disease. We still want to encourage people to get the vaccine," said Professor Antonia Ho, Professor and Honorary Consultant in Infectious Diseases at the University of Glasgow. Experts have stressed enough on the immunity that one can receive from the vaccine that that these flu jab remain the best defense against the flu, even though the current strain circulated may have drifted away from the strain included in this year's jab.

Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also show that vaccines is performing as expect, despite the emergence of subclade K.

SMA-1. a rare disease, known as the spinal muscular atrophy type 1 or the Werdnig-Hoffmann disease is when the muscle weakness appears at birth or within the first six months. This rare condition prevents infants from sitting unassisted and causing severe breathing, swallowing, and sucking difficulties, leading to a poor prognosis without aggressive support. This condition has impacted the twin babies of the former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson. Her twin babies may never be able to walk. However, she said that her babies will "fight all the odds" after they were being diagnosed with such a rare genetic condition.

Also Read: 'Eat Ice-cream' Says Dr Ezekiel Emanuel, Along With Other Simple Tricks To Live A Long And Healthy Life

Nelson, 34, and her fiancé, Zion Foster welcomed their twins, Ocean Jade and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster in May, when they were both born prematurely. In an emotional Instagram video, posted on Sunday, Nelson revealed the diagnosis her twin babies had.

“We were told that they’re probably never going to be able to walk; they probably will never regain their neck strength, so they will be disabled, and so the best thing we can do right now is to get them treatment, and then just hope for the best,” she said.

“Thankfully, the girls have had their treatment, which you know, I’m so grateful for because if they don’t have it, they will die," she further said.

Nelson's babies were diagnosed four months of, what she said, "gruelling" hospital appointments, and so she wanted to raise awareness of the condition and the signs one should look out for because "time is of the essence" with the condition.

“I just think that I can raise as much awareness about this as possible, and the signs, then, you know, something good has to come out of this,” said Nelson.

Read: SMA Type 1: What This Health Condition Could Mean For Jesy Nelson’s Babies’ Mobility

Jesy Nelson Twins: What Are The Signs of SMA-1?

Nelson said that there could be some common signs to look out for, which includes floppiness, inability to hold yourself up without support, a "frog-like" positioning of the legs without much movement, and rapid breathing in the tummy.

"If anyone is watching this video and they think they see these signs in their child, then please, please take your child to the doctor, to the hospital, because time is of the essence, and your child will need treatment. And the quicker you get this, the better their life will be," she added.

What Are The Other Types Of SMA?

There are five recognized subtypes of SMA, classified by the age symptoms appear, severity, and expected life span:

SMA Type 0 (congenital SMA): This extremely rare form appears before birth, with reduced fetal movement. Newborns often show severe muscle weakness and usually experience respiratory failure, with death occurring at birth or within the first month.

SMA Type 1 (severe SMA): This accounts for roughly 60% of SMA cases and is also called Werdnig-Hoffman disease. Symptoms start within the first six months, including weak head control and low muscle tone (hypotonia). Infants may struggle to swallow and breathe, and without respiratory support, life expectancy is typically under two years.

SMA Type 2 (intermediate SMA): Also called Dubowitz disease, symptoms appear between six and 18 months. Muscle weakness worsens over time, usually affecting the legs more than the arms. Children may sit but cannot walk. Around 70% survive into their mid-20s, with respiratory complications being the main cause of death.

SMA Type 3 (mild): Known as Kugelbert-Welander disease, this type appears after 18 months. Weakness primarily affects the legs, making walking difficult, but breathing issues are rare, and life expectancy is generally unaffected.

SMA Type 4 (adult): The mildest form, it appears after age 21. Muscle weakness progresses slowly, and most people remain mobile, with normal life expectancy.