HHS Secretary RFK Jr. visits New Mexico and receives mixed reviews among both state parties- 九色网 News,
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited a conservative charter school in Gallup on Wednesday where he spoke to students and educators on the importance of healthy eating, exercise and access to quality healthcare.
In response, the Republican Party of New Mexico expressed their gratitude for his visit in a press release. Stating his visit quote 鈥渉ighlights his deep commitment to addressing the healthcare and wellness needs of our tribal communities.鈥�
But Chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico, Jessica Velasquez told Source New Mexico that it鈥檚 ironic that Kennedy visited the Navajo Nation which was quote 鈥渞avaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, almost more than any other community in our country.鈥�
Velasquez said Kennedy shouldn鈥檛 be trusted and giving him a platform is deadly for people in rural and tribal communities.
In May of 2020, the Navajo Nation reported one of the highest per capita of COVID-19 infection rates in the United States.
Velasques also pointed to the measles outbreak in southeastern New Mexico and west Texas, with nearly 60 cases in New Mexico.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham in response to the secretary鈥檚 remarks over the weekend where he endorsed the measles vaccine, she said that she hopes Kennedy and his team are immune and that they don鈥檛 expose it to anyone in New Mexico because it would be quote 鈥渢he worst public-facing engagement of a health secretary in anyone鈥檚 lifetime.鈥�
Gov Lujan Grisham signs electric grid, solar power and cannabis-enforcement bills into law-
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed 41 more bills into law Tuesday, including several to boost New Mexico鈥檚 ability to install solar panels in small communities and allow utilities to seek rate changes for technology to improve electricity transmission.
She has until April 11 to sign or veto legislation.
establishes a $20 million dollar fund to provide grants for solar energy and battery storage for tribal, rural and low-income schools, municipalities and counties.
鈥淭his fund is an investment in our infrastructure, our economy, and our future,鈥� Sen. Harold Pope (D-Albuquerque) one of the bill鈥檚 sponsors, said in a statement. 鈥淚t fills crucial funding gaps for rural and underserved areas, ensuring that all communities 鈥� no matter their zip code 鈥� can implement solar projects that cut energy costs, lower emissions, and enhance our resilience during fires, blackouts, and intense storms. I鈥檓 proud that we passed it.鈥�
will allow larger electric utilities to incorporate advanced grid technology projects into their grid modernization plans, and incorporate those plans into the ratemaking process before the Public Regulation Commission.
Co-sponsor Kristina Ortez (D-Taos) told Source the alternative: building more transmission lines can be 鈥�100 times to 1,000 times more expensive鈥� than using technologies that boost lines capacity to carry more electricity, and state law allows electricity companies to pass on those costs to customers.
鈥淎dvanced grid technologies are way cheaper for ratepayers,鈥� Ortez said. 鈥淭hese utilities now have incentives to try to make their existing lines more efficient rather than building a whole new one.鈥�
HB93 is limited to investor-owned utilities, such as Public Service Company of New Mexico Xcel Energy and El Paso Electric, and does not impact smaller electric cooperatives, she noted.
The governor also signed : , which establishes a new enforcement division under the state鈥檚 Regulation and Licensing Bureau to ; , which proposes changes to the public school funding formula to generate more money for low-income, English-language learning students and students in seventh through 12th grades; and, which requires that members of university governing boards on ethics, student services and best practices.
related to water treatment for ongoing climate impacts, addressing so-called 鈥渇orever chemicals鈥� contamination and pollution control.
Here鈥檚 a full list of the bills the governor signed:
Health:
- House Bill 56: Medicaid Reimbursements for Birth Centers
- House Bill: Prohibit Discrimination Against 340B Entities
- House Bill 117: Death Certificate by Physician Assistant
- House Bill 171: Pharmacy Custodial Care Facilities
- House Bill 178: Nursing Practice Changes
- Senate Bill 120: No Behavioral Health Cost Sharing
- Senate Bill 122: Expand Prescription Drug Donation Program
- Senate Bill 249: Health Care Provider Gross Receipts
Energy and environment:
- House Bill 93: Advanced Grid Technology Plans
- House Bill 128: NMFA Local Solar Access Fund
- House Bill 137: Strategic Water Supply Act
- House Bill 140: 鈥楬azardous Waste Constituent鈥� Definition
- House Bill 212: Per- & Poly-Flouroalkyl Protection Act
- House Bill 240: Drinking Water System Grants & Loans
- House Bill 295: Tax On Property Owned by NM RETA
- Senate Bill 21: Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Act
Economic development:
- House Bill 19: Trade Ports Development Act
- House Bill 368: High Wage Jobs Tax Credit 鈥楾hreshold Job鈥�
- House Bill 456: Architect & Engineering Services & Construction
Education:
- House Bill 63: Public School Funding Formula Changes
- House Bill 69: Loan Forgiveness Multiplier Act
- House Bill 89: Graduate Scholarship Act Changes
- House Bill 336: Certain Retirees Returning to Work
- Senate Bill 19: Boards Of Regents Training Requirements
- Senate Bill 146: Educational Opportunity for Military Children
This and that:
- House Bill 10: RLD Cannabis Enforcement
- House Bill 24: Community Governance Attorneys Changes
- House Bill 113: Animal Welfare Program and Trust Fund
- House Bill 158: Military Base Planning & Impact Act
- House Bill 296: Public Accountant Licensure Requirements
- House Bill 398: HMO & Contract Provider Exam Time Lines
- House Bill 468: Retiring of State Flags
- Senate Bill 88: Medicaid Trust Fund & State Supported Fund
- Senate Bill 92: Horse Racing & Jockey Insurance Fund
- Senate Bill 126: Increase Rural Service Fund Allocations
- Senate Bill 159: Independent Theater Beer & Wine Licenses
- Senate Bill 221: Additional Unfair Insurance Claims Practice
- Senate Bill 267: Housing Application Fees
- Senate Bill 280: NMMI In Capital Outlay Act
- Senate Bill 290: Raise Marriage License Fees
- Senate Bill 357: Essential Services Development Act
Governor suggests special session not imminent, but says juvenile gun crime still a concern-
SANTA FE 鈥� Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Tuesday she still plans to push lawmakers to overhaul New Mexico鈥檚 juvenile crime laws, but indicated a special session on the issue is not imminent.
During a news conference at the state Capitol, the governor said she鈥檇 held talks with Democratic leaders in the House and Senate and planned to continue negotiations.
Those talks have occurred since Lujan Grisham said on March 22, the final day of this year鈥檚 60-day legislative session, that after no bills dealing with juvenile crime or firearm restrictions were sent to her desk for final approval.
鈥淚鈥檓 still feeling like that鈥檚 really necessary, particularly after the devastating tragedy in Las Cruces,鈥� Lujan Grisham said Tuesday, referring to that left three people dead and many others injured.
She also said more sleep and coffee since the session鈥檚 end have led to more measured thinking on the issues, but added, 鈥淚鈥檓 as concerned as I was then.鈥�
Specifically, Lujan Grisham said she would like to see a legislative interim committee that studies crime and court-related issues begin work shortly on a possible fix to New Mexico鈥檚 juvenile offender laws. Such interim committees typically do not start meeting until several months after the end of a legislative session.
Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, who also attended Tuesday鈥檚 news conference at the Governor鈥檚 Office, said he largely agreed with the governor鈥檚 assessment of the situation.
But he cautioned against calling a special session before lawmakers and the Governor鈥檚 Office can reach an agreement on the issues in question.
鈥淲e鈥檝e certainly got a road map for how to do it and how not to do it,鈥� Wirth said, referring to that ended with the Democratic-controlled Legislature adjourning without taking action on the governor鈥檚 crime-related agenda.
However, last year鈥檚 special session did prompt lawmakers to start work on a bill dealing with mental competency in court cases that was approved during this year鈥檚 session and subsequently signed into law in February.
Wirth said the same methodical blueprint could be repeated this year, while acknowledging that legislators have not updated New Mexico鈥檚 children鈥檚 code for juvenile offenders in years.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 something that does need to be worked through, and I appreciate certainly the governor鈥檚 passion and desire to move this forward,鈥� Wirth said.
While New Mexico鈥檚 overall violent crime and property crime rates have decreased in recent years, juvenile crime rates have gone up.
There was a 57% increase in cases involving juvenile criminal defendants from 2022 to 2023, according to data from the Bernalillo County District Attorney鈥檚 Office.
Several recent cases have prompted public outrage, including the Las Cruces shooting and the arrest of three juvenile suspects 鈥� including an 11-year-old boy 鈥� in connection with the May 2024 death of 63-year-old Scott Habermehl in Northeast Albuquerque.
Habermehl was biking to work when he was struck by a stolen vehicle. The three boys arrested in the case in which they discussed intentionally hitting Habermehl.
During Tuesday鈥檚 news conference, Lujan Grisham specifically cited incidents of juvenile offenders who have proceeded to commit other violent crimes after being released.
鈥淚 have an obligation to the rest of New Mexico that that cannot knowingly be done,鈥� she said.
The governor, who is barred under the state Constitution from seeking a third consecutive term next year, also said the state鈥檚 current juvenile code does not adequately address the recent uptick in gun-related crime among youthful offenders.
鈥淲e do not have a body of law that takes these issues into consideration,鈥� Lujan Grisham said.
As deadline nears, governor signs bills aimed at expanding, protecting NM water supply - Dan Boyd,
With a bill signing deadline rapidly approaching, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Tuesday ratified bills aimed at boosting and protecting New Mexico鈥檚 water supply.
The measures were among 41 bills signed during the day by the governor, who faces a Friday deadline to act on legislation approved during this year鈥檚 60-day session.
Lujan Grisham held a news conference to tout the water-related legislation, including a bill authorizing the state to purchase treated brackish water in order to bolster its overall freshwater reserves.
That bill, , is a key part of the governor鈥檚 50-year water plan for New Mexico, which sits on huge underground reserves of brackish water that must be treated before it can be used.
In its initial form, the Strategic Water Supply Act would have also authorized the state to purchase treated produced water from oil and natural gas operations, but that provision from legislators and environmental groups. Oil and gas operators also had concerns about a proposed produced water fee.
During Tuesday鈥檚 news conference, Lujan Grisham said opposition to purchasing produced water has softened over the last several years but acknowledged there鈥檚 still ample opposition.
鈥淐learly I have some work to do with the legislators and the advocates,鈥� the governor said.
Rep. Susan Herrera, D-Embudo, called the bill signings a 鈥渉uge new day for New Mexico,鈥� which has long grappled with how to use limited surface water resources.
鈥淭his has been an amazing year for water legislation,鈥� Herrera added.
A total of $40 million was appropriated by lawmakers in a separate bill still awaiting the governor鈥檚 signature for brackish water projects, along with $19 million to improve aquifer mapping around New Mexico.
Meanwhile, Lujan Grisham also signed a bill giving New Mexico greater control over regulating streams, rivers and other surface water in the state, along with two measures aimed at bolstering protections against toxic chemicals that in plants and wildlife around Holloman Lake near White Sands National Park.
鈥淭his is a real turning point, I think, for taking back control of our water, of what consumer products are coming into homes and teaching people how to treat New Mexico and its environment,鈥� state Environment Secretary James Kenney said during Tuesday鈥檚 news conference.
Meanwhile, the signing of the 41 bills comes a day after Lujan Grisham signed 60 other bills in a flurry of action.
A total of 68 bills are still awaiting the governor鈥檚 signature with the clock ticking toward Friday鈥檚 bill signing deadline, including a $10.8 billion spending plan for the budget year that starts in July and a measure requiring lobbyists to disclose more information about their activities at the Roundhouse.
Any bills not signed by the governor before the deadline are automatically vetoed under what鈥檚 known as a pocket veto.
Ahead of RFK Jr鈥檚 planned NM visit, Gallup charter school announces 鈥榮pecial guest鈥� - Patrick Lohamann,
Even though U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been unwilling to say where in New Mexico he will visit this week during a Southwest tour, a conservative charter school in Gallup announced Monday that a 鈥渟pecial guest鈥� in the 鈥渘ational spotlight鈥� who appreciates the school鈥檚 approach to nutrition and physical fitness will be visiting Wednesday.
Juliane Hillock, principal at Ho虂zho虂 Academy in Gallup, sent a letter Monday to staff and students that explains how the visit came about and expresses her hope that 鈥渢his level of exposure will generate good will and support the work we are doing to benefit our students.鈥� The letter obtained by Source New Mexico also notes that the school has been asked not to reveal the visitor鈥檚 identity.
The academy is a publicly funded charter school with 667 students in grades K-11, affiliated with the Hillsdale network of charter schools and flagship university, Hillsdale College, in southern Michigan. The schools鈥� curricula emphasize the 鈥渃entrality of the Western tradition in the study of history, literature, philosophy and the fine arts.鈥� Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas called Hillsdale College a 鈥�.鈥�
According to Hillock鈥檚 letter, a woman with local ties who works in President Donald Trump鈥檚 orbit made the connection between the 鈥渟pecial guest鈥� and her hometown. That woman, , was born and raised in the Gallup area, graduated from the University of New Mexico medical school and now serves as the deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council.
Overton knows some Ho虂zho虂 parents and is familiar with the school鈥檚 approach to nutrition and physical fitness, Hillock wrote.
Overton 鈥渉eard about the work we are doing in our (physical education) program modeled after the John F. Kennedy President鈥檚 Council on Physical Fitness,鈥� Hillock wrote, 鈥渁s well as how we have strived to offer the most nutritious meals for students, so she graciously offered to make this connection for us.鈥�
Robert F. Kennedy鈥檚 visit to Gallup comes as at least one Indian Health Service building in the Navajo Nation border town is on a proposed by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
It also comes as prominent Indigenous leaders, including New Mexico gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland, criticize Kennedy for deep cuts to services Indigenous patients rely on and for reassigning doctors to Indian Country who don鈥檛 have any background working with Native populations.
It鈥檚 not clear whether Kennedy will visit any Indian Health Service locations in New Mexico or elsewhere. A told Source New Mexico on Tuesday all his events here would be closed to the press, though his announced schedule includes visits to health centers, discussions with tribal leaders and a noon visit on Wednesday to a 鈥淧re-K to 11th grade charter school that integrates healthy eating and physical fitness into its daily student life.鈥�
Kennedy鈥檚 visit seemed inappropriate to Eirena Begay, the parent of two children who attend or have attended Ho虂zho虂. In an interview Monday evening with Source New Mexico, she noted how important the COVID-19 vaccines were to stemming the tide of virus-related deaths among Navajo people.
The Navajo Nation was, at one point, the national epicenter for the virus, where it caused at least . So Begay deeply disagrees with Kennedy鈥檚.
鈥淚 definitely am not supportive of his views. I know that the vaccine is what saved us during a pandemic,鈥� she said.
Her son, Colin Campbell, 16, said he ultimately left Ho虂zho虂 because it felt like the teachers were trying to push him to go to Hillsdale College and because he thought he had more coursework options at another school.
He took classes like Latin and history at Ho虂zho虂, he said. He recalls that his history teacher wore a Make America Great Again hat all day once at school, but said he really liked his math teacher.
He said the PE class, which is modeled after RFK Jr.鈥檚 uncle鈥檚 program and is a reason for his visit, was more intense than those at public schools. In the early 1960s, a council John F. Kennedy convened created nationwide curriculum to encourage physical fitness, and later became the .
The academy lays out its philosophy on physical fitness in a on its website, suggesting that high rates of obesity and diabetes made Native Americans more susceptible to the COVID-19 virus.
The other thing that made PE at Ho虂zho虂 different, Campbell said, was the shorts.
鈥淚t was kind of like a more active PE, I guess, more harder,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he only thing that I thought about it was the little, like, hierarchy of shorts.鈥�
Different physical feats earned points, he said, and the more points a student received, the better the shorts got. The best colors are gold, he said, and the worst is gray.
As for the food, he said the school took efforts to make it both tasty and nutritious, with mixed results. The pizza, for example, had carrots under the tomato sauce and cheese.
鈥淭he food鈥檚 bad, because I guess they try to make it healthy,鈥� he said.
Hillock did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday morning about Kennedy鈥檚 visit or to respond to Campbell鈥檚 opinion on the food, among other questions. A spokesperson for RFK also did not respond to a request for comment.
New Mexico governor mobilizes National Guard to tackle crime emergency in Albuquerque - By Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in New Mexico's largest city, saying that a significant increase in crime in Albuquerque warrants the help of the New Mexico National Guard.
She signed an executive order, clearing the way for several dozen troops to be deployed along the historic Route 66 corridor starting in mid-May. The order also frees up state funds for the National Guard to use as part of the effort.
Training for 60 to 70 troops already is underway, the governor's office said.
Governors typically call up the National Guard to help with natural disasters like wildfires, earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes. Governors in recent years also have ordered troops to address illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border. In New York last year, the National Guard helped patrol the subway system following a series of high-profile crimes.
In New Mexico, Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina called it a crucial time for the National Guard to provide support that gives police officers more time to patrol the streets for crime.
Medina and Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller pointed to a large chart during a news conference, saying nearly every category of crime has come down since the beginning of the year because of the work already being done by the police force.
The National Guard will not be engaging with the public, they said, but rather taking on duties that drain the time of sworn officers, like directing traffic. The troops can help secure crime scenes, distribute food and supplies to the homeless population throughout the corridor, transport prisoners, provide courthouse security and run drone operations used for locating suspects or assessing incidents, officials said.
Watchdog groups have concerns that militarizing civilian law enforcement will lead to civil rights violations.
Daniel Williams, policy advocate at the ACLU of New Mexico, called the governor's action a show of force, not a solution.
"New Mexico already has one of the highest per capita rates of people killed by police in the nation," Williams said. "History has shown that military collaboration with local law enforcement often leads to increased civil rights violations, racial profiling, and criminalization of vulnerable populations, particularly those experiencing homelessness and poverty."
It's not the first time Lujan Grisham has tried to leverage state resources to address high crime rates in Albuquerque. In 2021, the two-term Democrat temporarily assigned state police officers to the area to help local authorities tackle vehicle thefts, drug trafficking, aggressive driving and the apprehension of violent criminals with felony warrants.
The year before, then-President Donald Trump sent federal agents, including Homeland Security officers, to Albuquerque as part of an effort to contain violent crime. He also targeted Chicago and other U.S. cities with the surge in resources.
Lujan Grisham's latest emergency declaration follows a March 31 request by Albuquerque's police chief, who pointed to the fentanyl epidemic and an increase in violent juvenile crime. Medina wrote that progress has been made in reducing shootings and aggravated assaults along what is known as Central Avenue but that more resources are needed.
The New Mexico Legislature adjourned last month, drawing much criticism from law enforcement leaders, prosecutors and even the governor for failing to adequately bolster public safety in Albuquerque and other New Mexico communities.
Statistics released by the Albuquerque police department in February showed an 11% decrease in aggravated assaults in 2024 compared to the prior year, while homicides decreased for a second straight year.
New Mexico eliminates parole fees - Austin Fisher,
Starting on June 20, New Mexicans who are on supervised release from prison will no longer have to pay parole fees under a new law Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed on Monday.
The Fines and Fees Justice Center, a criminal justice advocacy group, praised Lujan Grisham鈥檚 enactment of in a news release on Tuesday morning, calling the new law a 鈥渟mart on crime initiative鈥� to lift unnecessary financial barriers that stop people from returning home.
The group said that parole supervision fees can prevent people from successfully reintegrating into their communities when they get out, racking up large debts for the families of people on supervision across the U.S.
Under the old law, New Mexico charged between $25 and $150 per month, with a yearly cap of $1,800, and incarcerated people could not get out on parole until they paid the fees.
About 2,400 New Mexicans were out on parole in 2023, to the Prison Policy Initiative.
鈥淓very dollar spent on a parole fee could have been a dollar put towards food, childcare or supporting local businesses,鈥� New Mexico State Director Monica Ault said in a statement. 鈥淓nding these fees isn鈥檛 just the right thing to do 鈥� it鈥檚 smart fiscal policy that can reinvigorate local economies.鈥�
Sen. Antonio 鈥淢oe鈥� Maestas (D-Albuquerque), who sponsored SB375, said Tuesday that ending parole fees 鈥渓ifts a huge financial burden off people who have already paid their debt, giving them a real chance to prioritize their families and rebuild their lives.鈥�
鈥淔amily is everything to New Mexicans,鈥� Maestas said in a statement. 鈥淭his law is the next step in our push to make our communities strong, safe, and prosperous for all.鈥�
New Mexico Corrections Department Cabinet Secretary Alisha Tafoya and her staff wrote the bill, the Fines and Fees Justice Center said.
鈥淲e believe that alleviating this financial burden will reduce recidivism by removing barriers for individuals transitioning from prison facilities to communities,鈥� Tafoya Lucero said in a statement. 鈥淭his change allows them to, instead, direct their financial resources toward essential needs like housing and transportation, which are key elements for stability and avoiding criminal activity.鈥�
The Fines and Fees Justice Center noted on Tuesday that New Mexico joins dozens of state and local governments in eliminating harmful criminal legal system fees, including the state of Maryland, which certain supervision fees last October while the governor there erased more than $13 million in outstanding court debt.
The US has three measles-related deaths and hundreds of cases. Here's what to know 鈥� Devi Shastri, Associated Press
Texas surpassed 500 measles cases Tuesday, just days after a third person died from a measles-related illness.
The U.S. has more than double the number of measles cases it saw in all of 2024. Texas is reporting the majority of them with 505. The cases include two young elementary school-aged children who were not vaccinated and died from measles-related illnesses near the epicenter of the outbreak in rural Texas, which led Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to visit the community on Sunday.
Other states with active outbreaks 鈥� defined as three or more cases 鈥� include New Mexico, Kansas, Ohio and Oklahoma. The virus has been spreading in undervaccinated communities. The third person who died was an adult in New Mexico who was not vaccinated.
The multi-state outbreak confirms health experts' fears that the virus will take hold in other U.S. communities with low vaccination rates and that the spread could stretch on for a year. The World Health Organization has said cases in Mexico are linked to the Texas outbreak.
Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.
Here's what else you need to know about measles in the U.S.
HOW MANY MEASLES CASES ARE THERE IN TEXAS AND NEW MEXICO?
Texas' outbreak began in late January. State health officials said Tuesday there were 24 new cases of measles since Friday, bringing the total to 505 across 21 counties 鈥� most of them in West Texas. The state also logged one new hospitalization, for a total of 57 throughout the outbreak.
Sixty-five percent of Texas' cases are in Gaines County, population 22,892, where the virus stated spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county now has logged 328 cases since late January 鈥� just over 1% of the county's residents.
Thursday's death in Texas was an 8-year-old child, according to Kennedy. Health officials in Texas said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of "what the child's doctor described as measles pulmonary failure." A child died of measles in Texas in late February 鈥� Kennedy said age 6.
New Mexico announced two new cases Tuesday, bringing the state's total to 56. State health officials say the cases are linked to Texas' outbreak based on genetic testing. Most are in Lea County, where two people have been hospitalized, two are in Eddy County and Chaves County was new to the list Tuesday with one case.
New Mexico reported its first measles-related death in an adult on March 6.
HOW MANY CASES ARE THERE IN KANSAS?
Kansas has 24 cases in six counties in the southwest part of the state as of Wednesday. Kiowa and Stevens counties have six cases each, while Grant, Morton, Haskell and Gray counties have five or fewer.
The state's first reported case, identified in Stevens County on March 13, is linked to the Texas and New Mexico outbreaks based on genetic testing, a state health department spokesperson said. But health officials have not determined how the person was exposed.
HOW MANY CASES ARE THERE IN OKLAHOMA?
Cases in Oklahoma remained steady Tuesday: eight confirmed and two probable cases. The first two probable cases were "associated" with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks, the state health department said.
A state health department spokesperson said measles exposures were confirmed in Tulsa and Rogers counties, but wouldn't say which counties had cases.
HOW MANY CASES ARE THERE IN OHIO?
Ohio reported one new measles case Thursday in west-central Allen County. Last week, there were 10 in Ashtabula County in the northeast corner of the state. The first case was in an unvaccinated adult who had interacted with someone who had traveled internationally.
In central Ohio, Knox County officials reported two new measles cases in international visitors, for three cases in international visitors total. Those cases are not included in the state's official count because they are not in Ohio residents. A measles outbreak in central Ohio sickened 85 in 2022.
WHERE ELSE IS MEASLES SHOWING UP IN THE U.S.?
Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an outbreak as three or more related cases. The agency counted six clusters that qualified as outbreaks in 2025 as of Friday.
In the U.S., cases and outbreaks are generally traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. It can then spread, especially in communities with low vaccination rates. In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles. So far in 2025, the CDC's count is 607.
DO YOU NEED AN MMR BOOSTER?
The best way to avoid measles is to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.
People at high risk for infection who got the shots many years ago may want to consider getting a booster if they live in an area with an outbreak, said Scott Weaver with the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. Those may include family members living with someone who has measles or those especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases because of underlying medical conditions.
Adults with "presumptive evidence of immunity" generally don't need measles shots now, the CDC said. Criteria include written documentation of adequate vaccination earlier in life, lab confirmation of past infection or being born before 1957, when most people were likely to be infected naturally.
A doctor can order a lab test called an MMR titer to check your levels of measles antibodies, but health experts don't always recommend this route and insurance coverage can vary.
Getting another MMR shot is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says.
People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don't need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective measles vaccine made from "killed" virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. That also includes people who don't know which type they got.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF MEASLES?
Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.
The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.
Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.
HOW CAN YOU TREAT MEASLES?
There's no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.
Why do vaccination rates matter?
In communities with high vaccination rates 鈥� above 95% 鈥� diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called "herd immunity."
But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.
The U.S. saw a rise in measles cases in 2024, including an outbreak in Chicago that sickened more than 60.
___
AP Science Writer Laura Ungar contributed to this report.