A Warning to Massachusetts People Traveling to This Southern State

With the sunny days and warmer weather pouring in, many Massachusetts residents are thinking about travel plans. Whether you live in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, or anywhere in the Bay State, you may be looking to get away for some much-deserved rest and relaxation. Many folks are booking summer vacation trips and are looking forward to some fun in the sun in the next few months.

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Whether you plan on taking the family on a trip during the April school vacation or you're getting your summer vacation plans in order, you'll want to take caution if Texas is one of those destinations.

The Lone Star State is currently plagued with an outbreak of measles.  The measles outbreak in Texas began two months ago. As of this past Tuesday, state health officials reported 22 new cases since Friday, bringing the total to 422 across 19 counties, with the majority in West Texas.

The outbreak has become so serious that New York is now urging unvaccinated residents to get vaccinated against measles before traveling to Texas or to reconsider traveling to the areas of the state that have high counts.

Massachusetts residents may want to follow suit as measles is most dangerous to children under five years of age, adults over 20, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems. As posted by mass.gov, measles often causes diarrhea, ear infections, and pneumonia. Deafness, blindness, seizure disorders, and other brain diseases with measles can occur but are less common. Stay safe and vaccinate.