A lab-confirmed measles case in Cabo San Lucas has shifted Baja California Sur’s response. Vaccination is moving beyond routine clinic schedules. Health teams are adding temporary points in commercial and community spaces. Officials say more than 32,000 doses have been administered in 2026. Door-to-door checks are also underway in a Cabo San Lucas neighborhood. Brigades are expanding outreach across Los Cabos, La Paz, Comondú, Loreto, and Mulegé. Who should get a shot now, and what symptoms should prompt a medical visit?
Health authorities in Baja California Sur say they have applied 32,570 measles vaccine doses in 2026. The pace changed after Los Cabos reported its first confirmed case. State officials say the intensified push began on February 13. It pairs vaccination with field surveillance in the areas under monitoring. The state health ministry says vaccination is expanding beyond routine service at clinics and hospitals. It includes temporary posts in community locations. Teams are also visiting homes in targeted areas. Officials say the goal is to raise coverage among people with incomplete vaccination schedules. They also want to reduce transmission risk where exposure may have occurred. Outreach has been reported in Los Cabos, La Paz, Comondú, Loreto, and Mulegé. Authorities urge families to check children’s vaccination cards and seek missing measles doses. For many expats, the same advice applies to adults who are unsure about past immunization. What follows is what officials have confirmed in Los Cabos and how access is widening statewide.
What officials confirmed in Los Cabos
State health officials say the first 2026 measles case in Baja California Sur was confirmed on February 13. The patient was a six-year-old girl in the Cabo San Lucas delegation of Los Cabos. She was placed in home isolation with medical follow-up, according to the state health ministry. Officials said she was an IMSS beneficiary and had no complications at the time of the report. They also said her vaccination schedule was incomplete, with only a first dose documented. In response, the Jurisdicción Sanitaria 4 Los Cabos and other institutions began a sanitary cordon in the area. The work includes identifying close contacts and monitoring them during the incubation period. It also includes looking for people with fever, cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis, white spots inside the cheeks, and rash. Officials say they are using a vaccination blockade for residents aged six months to 49 years with incomplete coverage. A later update confirmed a second case in a 27-year-old man described as a direct contact. Authorities said both patients remained in home isolation while contact monitoring continued.
How vaccination access is expanding
Officials say measles vaccination continues year-round in Baja California Sur, but outreach increased after February 13. State data put the 2026 total at 32,570 doses, given to people aged six months to 49 years. The approach relies on routine vaccination at medical units, plus added access points. Authorities say five temporary posts were set up in commercial and community spaces to facilitate access. During Carnaval La Paz 2026, the state reported that a module at the event applied more than 1,000 doses. In Los Cabos, brigades are conducting a house-to-house sweep in the neighborhood where the confirmed cases live. The visits are used to find residents with missing doses and to offer vaccination on-site. Officials also report similar neighborhood rounds in La Paz, Comondú, Loreto, and Mulegé. The health ministry has asked residents to allow entry to staff who are in uniform and properly identified. It has also urged families to bring children to the nearest clinic or hospital to complete their schedules.
What to check if you live or travel in BCS
For residents who are new to Mexico, one step is confirming whether you have complete measles vaccination. State guidance focuses on people from six months to 49 years who have missing doses or uncertain records. If you use IMSS or another public provider, officials advise going to your usual clinic for a review. Private providers can also confirm prior vaccination and advise on next steps. If a health brigade visits your street, ask for official identification before sharing personal information. Authorities say the visits are meant to check vaccination cards and offer doses to eligible residents. Health officials also want people to seek evaluation if symptoms appear. They have listed fever, cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis, white spots inside the cheeks, and skin rash. Because measles spreads through the air, staying home while symptomatic can reduce exposure for others. Anyone who suspects measles should call ahead before going to a clinic to reduce waiting-room exposure.
The intensified effort in BCS comes amid broader measles activity in Mexico and the wider region. Measles is highly contagious, and outbreaks tend to expand where vaccination coverage is uneven. Regional health agencies have urged countries to keep high coverage, strengthen surveillance, and respond quickly to clusters. Federal officials in Mexico have reported thousands of confirmed cases since 2025 and dozens of deaths. They have also said the country has secured millions of vaccine doses for intensified campaigns. High mobility can increase exposure opportunities, so vaccination and rapid case finding become central tools. That is why the state is combining clinic-based doses with community posts and door-to-door checks. Health officials have framed the approach as protection for children and for adults who missed vaccination earlier. As travel continues through late winter, they are also emphasizing early medical evaluation for compatible symptoms. The goal is to limit transmission in Cabo neighborhoods while keeping vaccination access available statewide.
With information from Gobierno de Baja California Sur, Pan American Health Organization, Reuters
