Mexico warns about travel to Texas
Measles outbreak cited in warning to Mexican citizens
After the US has warned for months about travel to Mexico (due to cartel crime), including hotspots for US tourists such as Cancun, Tulum, and Playa del Carmen- Mexico has responded with a warning to its citizens about traveling to Texas.
The reason? A measles outbreak in the Lone Star State.
"Before traveling, make sure you have your complete vaccination schedule," the Mexican government advisory reads. "[The] risk level of contracting measles is medium for people who go to Texas."
The Mexican government advised its citizens not to travel to neighboring Texas if they have not been vaccinated with the MMR vaccine.
According to the latest advisory from the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS), 146 measles cases have been identified in the South Plains/Panhandle area of the state since late January. Twenty of the patients have been hospitalized.
One child has died as a result of the outbreak, and "multiple health departments in Central and South-Central Texas recently reported measles exposures associated with the ongoing outbreak in the South Plains region of Texas."
And what of the travel advisories for US citizens contemplating Mexico travel during Spring Break?
On February 19, 2025, the US released warnings about Mexico travel to US Citizens, including that:
"Crime, including violent crime, can occur anywhere in Mexico, including in popular tourist destinations. See the Mexico Travel Advisoryfor specific information for each Mexican state. U.S. citizens should exercise caution in the downtown areas of popular spring break spots. This includes Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, and Tulum, especially after dark." - US State Department Warning
Although the strictest (Level 4 - Do Not Travel) warnings are reserved for states that typically do not cater to American tourists, it's worth noting that eleven Mexican states are singled out for the most stringent warnings to US Citizens - including most of the states bordering the US Southern border.
Here are the current advisory levels for US citizens for all Mexican states as of Monday, March 3, 2025:
Do Not Travel To:
Colima state due to crime and kidnapping.
Guerrero state due to crime.
Michoacan state due to crime.
Sinaloa state due to crime.
Tamaulipas state due to crime and kidnapping.
Zacatecas state due to crime and kidnapping.
Reconsider Travel To:
Baja California state due to crime and kidnapping.
Chiapas state due to crime.
Chihuahua state due to crime and kidnapping.
Guanajuato state due to crime.
Jalisco state due to crime and kidnapping.
Morelos state due to crime and kidnapping.
Sonora state due to crime and kidnapping.
Exercise Increased Caution When Traveling To:
Aguascalientes state due to crime.
Baja California Sur state due to crime.
Coahuila state due to crime.
Durango state due to crime.
Hidalgo state due to crime.
Mexico City due to crime.
Mexico State due to crime and kidnapping.
Nayarit state due to crime.
Nuevo Leon state due to crime.
Oaxaca state due to crime.
Puebla state due to crime and kidnapping.
Queretaro state due to crime.
Quintana Roo state due to crime.
San Luis Potosi state due to crime and kidnapping.
Tabasco state due to crime.
Tlaxcala state due to crime.
Veracruz state due to crime.
Exercise Normal Precautions When Traveling To:
What do you think of the travel advisories the governments of Mexico & the USA have issued as Spring Break Approaches?
Share your opinion in the comments on this article!
Abrazos,
Jack Beavers
Once you have an isolated community, like Gains county Amish for example, they can only acquire a disease by transmission from an external source. Measles was introduced to Gaines either by a known statistical fluke in the vaccines themselves or by exposure to unvaccinated "migrants" passing through. It is a fine thing to be warned of disease outbreak happening in Texas that is endemic in Mexico and Central America, when those places are probably the source.