(Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

New Mexico health officials on Wednesday reported the first measles case in Curry County, afflicting an infant, and warned of possible exposures last week at a social services office and Walmart.

Additionally, three more measles cases emerged in Lea County, bringing New Mexico’s case total to 71.

Health officials have now diagnosed measles in five counties: Chaves, Curry, Doña Ana, Eddy and Lea.

“Seeing measles in a new county underscores the need to remain vigilant and get vaccinated,” NMDOH Chief Medical Officer Dr. Miranda Durham said in a statement. “It also serves as a reminder the measles outbreak in New Mexico isn’t over. We urge New Mexicans to make sure their vaccination records are up to date.”

Between Feb.1 and May 3, 23,706 New Mexicans received a vaccine, nearly double the 2024 rate of 12,985 during the same time frame. Two doses of the vaccine can provide 97% protection against measles infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Measles, a highly contagious respiratory virus spread through contact with droplets from an infected person talking, coughs or sneezes. Symptoms can take one to three weeks to appear, and people can spread measles before showing a fever, red eyes, cough, headache or the spotty red rash.

Health officials said people at the following locations may be exposed to measles:

April 30, from 10:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., at the WIC Agency, 1216 Cameo St. in Clovis.
April 30, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. at Walmart, 3728 N. Prince Street in Clovis.
May 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Firehouse Subs, 3734 N. Grimes Street., Suite. A in Hobbs.
May 4 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Bob’s Thriftway, 904 Avenue D in Lovington.

The current United States measles outbreak is the worst in 30 years, with cases reported in 30 of the 50 states and in Canada and Mexico.

Across New Mexico, school nurses say they remain on alert for measles cases, while working to build trust with parents about vaccinations.

After the outbreak first began in mid-February, one of the first things Desiree Smith, a school nurse in Portales for the past 15 years, did was reach out to parents of unvaccinated children.

“We wanted to let them know the process if their child was exposed, or has the measles,” Smith said, noting that the latest guidance from NMDOH is for unvaccinated children to not attend school for 21 days from the last exposure. She said depending on the district, plans would need to be in place for remote learning during that period.

“We did have a couple of parents who had their children vaccinated after I explained the dangers of measles, obviously, the exposure time and time away from the classroom,” she said.

School nurses in New Mexico are responsible for reviewing students’ vaccine records, which are required by state law to be up to date. New Mexico, unlike other states, does not allow for “personal or philosophical exemptions,” but does allow for religious or medical exemptions, which must be updated every year.

Smith, who is also the director of the New Mexico School Nurse Association, said educational health providers are both potential first responders to an outbreak and play a crucial role in addressing the falling vaccine rates furthering spread.

“Since COVID we have had we have seen a lot more vaccine hesitancy,” Smith said.

According to NMDOH data, New Mexico exemption rates are rising. Taos County has the highest exemption percentage at 3.35%, followed by De Baca County at 2.96% of students and Harding County in third at 2.70%.

New Mexico school vaccine exemption rates by county during 2023-2024 school year. (Courtesy of NMDOH)

Smith said she and other school nurses received guidance from the state health department in February to reach out to parents with exemptions, and alert them about the measles outbreak. Smith, who also sits on the board of the National Association of School Nurses, said the larger goal is to keep kids healthy enough for school.

“As school nurses, we just want what is best for the children, we’re trying to make sure they are safe, healthy and ready to learn and that time out of the classroom is minimized as much as possible,” she said. “Vaccination is one of the best ways to do that.”

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This post was originally authored and published by Danielle Prokop from via RSS Feed. to get your news feed on Nationwide Report®.