South Plains, Texas is facing its largest measles outbreak in 30 years with nearly 60 confirmed cases in rural Gaines County and hundreds more suspected. Approximately, 90% of these cases affect school-aged children, raising health official concerns that the disease will spread to nearby Lubbock. This would escalate fears, since Lubbock is home to several highly vulnerable population groups, disproportionately impacting their livelihoods.

Fraym data confirms that localized vaccine hesitancy in rural Gaines County poses a risk for larger urban centers. Like Gaines, Lubbock’s average intent to get vaccinated for population level vaccines like COVID-19 is lower than the statewide average of 44% – with some zip codes in the single digits. Despite these lower than average statistics, Lubbock’s residents still trust healthcare professionals (78%), rely on family and friends (53%) for guidance, and are most active on Facebook (61%). 

Armed with these hyper-local insights, Fraym pinpoints which zip codes most need targeted outreach. By combining strategic messaging with the right channels, you can effectively address vaccine hesitancy, contain the current measles outbreak, and protect communities across the South Plains.

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1. https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/measles-outbreak-feb-18-2025#
2. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/measles-outbreak-west-texas-grows-unvaccinated-rcna192163
3. Vulnerability was determined using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index. More information on that can be found here: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/place-health/php/svi/index.html

To learn more or connect with the team, email Jyoti Schlesinger at [email protected].