A measles outbreak in the southwestern United States has infected nearly 100 people in recent weeks. The deadly illness has sickened dozens of people in west Texas and New Mexico since late January. The Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed 90 cases of measles,

Measles is a highly contagious disease. Here's what you should know about how to protect yourself against measles, as well as what's happening in Texas and New Mexico.

Texas reported 90 cases this week, while New Mexico reported nine. A majority of the cases have been in a Texas county where vaccination rates have lagged behind the rest of the state.

When the local hospital warned of a brewing measles outbreak, Kaleigh Brantner urged fellow residents of this rural West Texas community to beware of vaccinating their children. Two weeks later, her unvaccinated 7-year-old son came home from school with a fever.

Dozens of children have contracted measles in Texas' largest outbreak in 33 years. Online, some are blaming vaccines for the disease’s spread.

The measles outbreak in Texas has quickly grown to 146 cases. One child has died. NBC News answers readers' questions about the disease, vaccines and government response.

The number of people with measles in Texas increased to 146 in an outbreak that led this week to the death of an unvaccinated school-aged child, health officials

Before the pandemic, the rate of kindergarten students who received their measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination had reached just over 98% statewide, but dropped to 95.1% amid the pandemic.