Newborns at University Medical Center Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, Texas, were exposed to measles after a woman, unknowingly infected with the virus, gave birth on Wednesday. The exposure occurred before hospital staff realized she had measles, putting other families, including newborns and new mothers, at risk.
To contain the spread, hospital staff implemented emergency masking protocols, and newborns are receiving immunoglobulin injections, which help strengthen their immune systems against the virus. A 2021 study showed that immunoglobulin therapy is effective in preventing illness in newborns after exposure to measles.
Chad Curry, the hospital’s training chief, emphasized the importance of the treatment, stating, “The babies didn’t ask for the exposure,” and that the therapy is critical to protect them. However, it’s not yet clear how many newborns were exposed or when the new mother tested positive for the virus. Public health officials are now working to trace those who may have been exposed.
Measles is extremely contagious, spreading through the air and surviving on surfaces for up to two hours. The outbreak, which initially seemed to be under control, has now spread beyond New Mexico and Texas into Oklahoma, with two confirmed cases. As of Friday, West Texas had reported 259 measles cases, most of them in children and teenagers.
Tragically, a 6-year-old girl and an adult in New Mexico have died from measles, both unvaccinated. The number of measles cases now exceeds those reported in 2024.
Curry, who has administered immunoglobulin injections to several newborns, emphasized that while the shots provide short-term protection, babies will still need their routine measles vaccinations once they are old enough.
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