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.

The state's largest measles outbreak in 30 years has been largely tied to a Mennonite community in rural West Texas. Earlier this month, Lara Anton, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services,

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is currently on the ground in Texas, collaborating with the local health officials to combat the growing measles outbreak.

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said last week he would send Texas 2,000 doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine through its immunization program. Kennedy founded the anti-vaccine group Children’s Health Defense, but has said he would not prevent Americans from getting vaccinated.

An outbreak of measles in northwest Texas grew to 159 cases on Tuesday, about a dozen more than health officials reported late last week. The latest update from the Texas Department of State Health Services shows the outbreak remains concentrated in school-aged children who have not received the vaccine that protects against measles,

Most of the measles cases are in West Texas, but Travis County now included in the statistics with infant diagnosed last week.