Klarissa Parsons, a nurse at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Cavazos, Texas, administers the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine to Autumn Campbell, daughter of Spc. Tyrece Campbell, on March 14, 2025. (U.S. Army)
AUSTIN, Texas — A measles outbreak in West Texas has reached Fort Bliss, with at least one confirmed case reported at the installation, military health officials said.
Officials at William Beaumont Army Medical Center said Wednesday that they will not release any further information about the measles case nor will they publicly confirm whether the base hospital is treating other cases.
“Any additional cases will not be reported to the public because it can unintentionally impact mission assurance and force protection,” said Amabilia Payen, a spokeswoman for the hospital.
Officials will, however, continue to update cases with the local, state and federal agencies as they are required to do.
Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that can be life-threatening to those who are not vaccinated against it, according to the Texas Department of State Health and Human Services. It is recommended young children receive the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine to prevent contracting the virus. It comes in two doses and can offer 97% protection.
The state began to see an uptick in measles cases in late January, primarily in the western edge of the panhandle. There were 561 confirmed cases Tuesday across the state — an increase of 20 from the previous week, according to the state health department. Two school-aged children have died in Texas. Neither had received a vaccine.
Nearly 60 patients in Texas have been hospitalized, according to state health officials.
Confirmed measles cases are uncommon in the military health system, where vaccination is required for military service unless the member has a documented exemption. Vaccination rates among military family members were not available Thursday, according to the Defense Health Agency.
There have been 11 confirmed cases since 2016, including one of an active-duty service member, according to DHA.
Since January, DHA said it has had two measles cases, including the one at Fort Bliss.
“[The Defense Department] has been coordinating with the Texas state health department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on this case. Additionally, DOD public health emergency officers and staff work closely with their civilian counterparts in order to ensure an effective public health response,” DHA said in a statement.
Outside of the Army base, the outbreak has grown with five new cases reported in El Paso, bringing the city’s total to 13. An unvaccinated child in Doña Ana County — on the western side of Fort Bliss in New Mexico was diagnosed with measles in the last week, marking the county’s first measles case.
Those at risk for contracting the measles are the unvaccinated and people who have traveled recently to an area with an ongoing outbreak, as well as people with compromised immune systems.
Initial symptoms can include coughing, sneezing, fever, red eyes and sore throat. After a few days, people could develop a red-brown rash and a higher fever.
Public health officials at Fort Cavazos, which is more than 570 miles east of Fort Bliss in central Texas, began to raise awareness in March of the measles spread in the state and the importance of immunizations.
“One positive measles case can potentially infect nine other people, especially newborns, infants, immunocompromised, unvaccinated and those who are more susceptible to picking up infections,” said Yesenia Montoya, communicable disease lead and registered nurse with Army Public Health at Fort Cavazos. “We’re trying to develop a process to keep everybody safe and limit exposure to our population here.”
