The measles outbreak in rural Texas has exposed how hospital buildings are ill-equipped. Meanwhile, long distances between providers makes testing people and transporting samples difficult.

Summary

Rural Texas is struggling to contain its worst measles outbreak in 30 years due to crumbling public health infrastructure, hospital shortages, and limited medical staff.

The outbreak, concentrated in unvaccinated communities, has sickened nearly 200 people and caused one child’s death.

Local health officials rely on makeshift solutions and long-distance testing while facing slow state and federal support.

Funding from pandemic-era grants helped some areas, but overall investment remains low, leaving rural communities vulnerable to future outbreaks.

Experts warn proactive vaccination efforts should have started earlier.

  • aramis87@fedia.io
    15·
    6 hours ago

    Texas has been extremely proud of their rugged individualism and independence. They actively work at handicapping their government at all levels: they hate the feds; their state legislature meets for 140 days every two years; and they actively restrict the ability of more-local governments to respond to health crises.

    On the public health front, they underfund public health and health infrastructure; they’ve actively refused Medicaid expansion; they banned mask and vaccine mandates during covid; and they have extremely easy childhood vaccine exemptions. On the provider front, they have an almost complete abortion ban with vague laws on ‘allowable’ abortions that they mostly refuse to clarify, that allows them to charge people with murder, and offers a bounty for turning in anyone who’s helped with an abortion, all of which has driven away providers who care about women and children’s health.

    For me, it’s like the Texas ice storms: despite repeated warnings, they’ve been extremely proud of all the conditions that lead to this situation, and they’re going to actively avoid changing anything once the situation passes. You can’t fix stupid, and I’m tired of trying.

    Thoughts and prayers to the victims, and what are you planning for dinner?

    • ATDA@lemmy.world
      1·
      3 hours ago

      Plus they somehow don’t believe in climate change, but ride on the line of needing controlled brown outs basically every summer amidst ever heavier power usage and climbing bills. THEN they think they want to be the crypto capitol of the world on top of that.

      They’re the governmental equivalent of driving your car as the temp gauge rises and touches the red but that’s okay we’re only sputtering a little bit!

      The increases in insurance and energy breaks even with states that take income tax at this point for us. So we’re packing up. If I’m going to live pay check to pay check might as well do it somewhere that isn’t run by corpo religious fascists…