Early MMR Vaccinations Spiked in Texas

Following a record-setting measles outbreak in Texas in 2025, local and national health agencies recommended administering an early dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to vulnerable children.

In the months following these recommendations, a measurable spike in MMR vaccinations occurred in Texas.

Published in JAMA Network Open on November 14, 2025, a Research Letter reported an 11.5-fold increase in early measles vaccination rates in Texas.

This analysis of health records revealed that 20% of the 2,094 first doses of the MMR vaccine were administered to toddlers at health clinics. In contrast, only 0.7% of first doses given in Texas from 2020 through January 2025 were administered early.

In an Invited Commentary, researchers stated, "Our study underscores the important role clinicians play in both communicating with parents in real time and how maintaining regular preventive care schedules can serve as an essential mechanism for timely vaccine uptake during a public health crisis."

This measles outbreak, which included 18,762 cases, ended on August 18,  2025, when the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) issued a statement.

DSHS Commissioner Jennifer A. Shuford, MD, MPH, commented in a press release, "I also want to recognize the many health care professionals who identified and treated cases of a virus that most providers had never seen in person before this outbreak."

In Texas, pharmacists vaccinate children aged 13 and under with a prescription from their doctor. They can vaccinate children 14 and up without a prescription.

Nationally, including in Texas, pharmacies account for about 48% of all adult flu vaccinations and over 70% of updated COVID-19 and RSV vaccinations, making them the dominant nonmedical site for immunizations.

As of late 2025, childhood MMR vaccinations in Texas exceeded 90%.

From an affordability perspective, DSHS offers several low-cost vaccination programs, such as the Texas Vaccines for Children, which ensures that all Texas children, regardless of their parents' ability to pay, have access to recommended vaccines.