A measles outbreak is growing in a rural area of West Texas where vaccination rates are well below the recommended level.

Texas Health and Human Services reports that seven children have been hospitalized with the disease. All were unvaccinated.

Two cases of measles have been confirmed in school-aged children in West Texas less than two weeks after the highly contagious respiratory illness was also reported in a pair of Houston residents. The children are residents of Gaines County who have not received the vaccine that protects against measles,

CNN reported that a measles outbreak is growing in a rural area of West Texas where vaccination rates are well below the recommended level. In late January, two children in Gaines County were hospitalized for measles.

Measles cases are growing in West Texas and health officials are sounding the alarm about the outbreak that we are seeing and the possibility that the outbreak will grow larger. Last week we reported on two cases from Gaines County that were children who weren't vaccinated against measles and were being hospitalized in Lubbock hospitals.

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is reporting an outbreak of measles in Gaines County. All cases have been identified among unvaccinated school-aged children who are residents of Gaines County. Symptom onset began within the last two weeks.