On Wednesday, a woman gave birth at University Medical Center Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, Texas, during a rapidly growing measles outbreak. It wasn’t until she was admitted and already in active labor that doctors realized she was infected with the virus.
By then, other families—including newborns and new mothers—had already been exposed to measles, one of the most contagious viruses in the world.
In response, hospital staff implemented emergency masking protocols to contain the spread. Newborns are also receiving immunoglobulin injections, an antibody treatment to help their immune system fight against the virus.
A 2021 study found that immunoglobulin therapy is highly effective at preventing illness in newborns after viral exposure.
Hospital training chief Chad Curry emphasized the importance of this treatment, stating, “The babies didn’t ask for the [measles] exposure,” and that the therapy is the only way “to protect them.”
Neither Curry nor hospital representatives have confirmed exactly how many newborns were exposed.
It’s still unclear when the new mother tested positive for measles. Now, public health officials are working to track down everyone who may have been exposed to the virus.
Measles is highly contagious—not only can the virus linger in the air, but it can also survive on surfaces for up to two hours.
This latest development is a major setback in the fight against the growing outbreak.
Just last week, Director of Public Health Katherine Wells had expressed cautious optimism, saying the outbreak seemed “to be controlled” as case numbers appeared to have peaked. Medical offices had also implemented strict precautions to prevent measles-infected patients from coming into contact with others.
But the exposure at the hospital has pushed efforts back to square one.
This week, the outbreak spread beyond New Mexico and Texas, reaching Oklahoma, where two cases have been confirmed. New Mexico has reported 35 cases so far.
West Texas remains the epicenter of the outbreak. As of Friday, 259 measles cases had been reported, more than 200 of them in children and teenagers.
Tragically, a 6-year-old girl died from the infection, and in New Mexico, an adult also died from measles, though officials are still investigating the case. Neither had been vaccinated.
The total number of measles cases has now surpassed the figures reported in 2024.
Curry, who has administered multiple immunoglobulin injections to newborns over the past week, stressed that these babies will still need to receive their measles vaccinations once they’re old enough. He explained that while the immunoglobulin shots provide short-term protection, they do not offer lasting immunity.
