As measles — a preventable disease the U.S. considered eliminated in 2000 — spreads through West Texas’ rural expanse, Klassen is sticking to an approach on vaccines that is a key tenet for Mennonites. Family leaders are the top decision-making authority — not outside recommendations, certainly not government mandates.

After Mennonites in Gaines County were singled out in discourse about the spread of measles in Texas, local pastor Jake Fehr hopes to set the record straight.

Measles has sickened nearly 150 mostly unvaccinated people in rural West Texas, and a school-age child has died.

Measles has been spreading across the U.S. for the last several weeks, sickening people in at least nine states amid a growing outbreak in western Texas. Several people have been hospitalized and at least one unvaccinated school-aged child in Texas has died,

A Texas health official is warning against “measles parties” as an outbreak grows in West Texas, resulting in the death of at least one unvaccinated school-aged child. In a press briefing Friday, Dr.