Mexico: Measles cases in Chihuahua top 1,000
Health officials in Chihuahua state, in northern Mexico bordering the US states of New Mexico and Texas, where large measles outbreaks are ongoing, report ever increasing numbers of cases.
Through May 10 this year, officials report 1,056 confirmed cases, including one fatality.
Officials, health workers and local leaders say the numbers are likely underestimated.
Half the cases (50%) are reported from the city of Cuauhtémoc; which is home to a large Mennonite population, where a high rate of vaccine hesitancy occurs.
Misinformation about vaccines are large obstacles in this community.
Chihuahua’s outbreak far outpaces the relatively small number of cases seen in other Mexican states this year.
Mexico considered measles eliminated in 1998. But its vaccination rate against the virus was around 76% as of 2023, according to the World Health Organization — a dip from previous years and well below the 95% rate experts say is needed to prevent outbreaks.