As Texas vaccination rates fall, vulnerable children face growing risk

Juliana Salazar, a 4-year-old from Pearland, Texas, lives in isolation due to congenital athymia, a rare immune disorder that prevents her from safely receiving vaccines. Her family maintains strict separation to avoid infections, as even minor illnesses could be fatal. Doctors warn her survival depends on avoiding exposure until a thymus transplant restores immune function. Texas vaccination rates have declined, with over 132,900 K-12 students holding exemptions for at least one vaccine. This drop in herd immunity contributed to a 2025 measles outbreak in West Texas, particularly in Gaines County, where coverage fell below recommended levels. By August 2025, 762 measles cases were confirmed statewide, including two child deaths and 99 hospitalizations. The outbreak, the largest of 40 nationwide in 2025, underscored how unvaccinated children endanger vulnerable populations like Juliana. Her mother, Ariana Salazar, noted that declining vaccination rates directly threaten her daughter’s life, as community immunity weakens. Health officials link outbreaks to rising exemptions, reduced healthcare access, and declining public trust in vaccines. Juliana’s case highlights the broader risks for medically fragile children when vaccination rates fall, leaving them exposed to preventable diseases.