While Mexico has long been the most popular international vacation destination for American travelers, many Mexicans also regularly come to the U.S. for everything from visiting family to tourism.
According to statistics from the U.S. and Mexican governments, more than 14 million Mexican tourists entered the U.S. in 2024 while more than 40 million Americans vacationed south of the border during the same period.
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But with a measles outbreak in Texas quickly spreading to both neighboring and distant states, the Mexican government has issued an advisory for citizens who may be traveling there.
Background on measles vaccine and outbreak
The vaccine against the highly contagious respiratory disease was introduced in 1963 and rolled out by schools over the following decades, and the disease was declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000.Â
The new outbreak has been caused by cases being brought in from other countries and spread in communities that refuse vaccination.
The telltale measles symptom is a blotchy rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body three to five days after the onset of other symptoms such as fever, cough and runny nose.Â
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According to the latest update from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, now 146 cases have been reported, primarily in the South Plains region. Cases have also been identified in states like California, Alaska, Georgia and New Mexico as well as in the northwestern Mexican state of Chihuahua.
“Before traveling, make sure you have your complete vaccination schedule,” the Mexican government advisory reads. “[The] risk level of contracting measles is medium for people who go to Texas.”
‘If you present signs or symptoms, avoid traveling’: Mexico government
The Mexican government told citizens to avoid travel if they have not been vaccinated with the MMR vaccine, which in most countries is given to all children during their early years of life if their parents don’t object.Â
Statistics on existing cases show that 95% of them were people who had not been vaccinated or did not know their vaccination status against measles.
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On Feb. 26 a school-aged child unvaccinated against measles succumbed to the disease in Lubbock, Texas, becoming the first recorded measles death in the U.S. since 2015. The outbreak has also caused alarm among Texas parents.
The misinformation around vaccination has become a political battle as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic who was recently confirmed as secretary of health and human services, incorrectly stated that such outbreaks were “not unusual.” Experts say that oubreaks like this one are rare since the vaccine was introduced. This was the first in a decade.
The most recent estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that one in every four measles cases requires hospitalization while one in every 1,000 can result in death. The incidence and risk of complications is highest in infants and children under age three.
“Make sure you have your vaccination schedule up to date, including measles vaccines according to the national vaccination schedule,” the Mexican advisory to travelers reads further. “[If] you are sick or present signs or symptoms, avoid traveling or postpone your trip.”
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