A school-aged child in West Texas has died from measles, marking the first US death from the disease since 2015. The child, who was unvaccinated, had been hospitalized in Lubbock, Texas.
This tragic event comes as the outbreak in West Texas continues to grow, with 124 confirmed cases reported as of Tuesday – an increase of 34 since last week.
Most cases have been identified in children aged 5 to 17, with 18 people hospitalized due to respiratory complications. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated, “We are following the measles epidemic every day.” Initially, Kennedy reported two deaths, but Texas officials later confirmed only one.
The outbreak remains concentrated in Gaines County, with 80 cases recorded, but has spread to eight other counties. The majority of cases involve unvaccinated individuals or those with unknown vaccination status, although five cases have been reported in people who claimed to be vaccinated.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne virus causing fever, rash, red eyes, and cough. Severe cases can lead to pneumonia, encephalitis, and death. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that up to three in 1,000 children with measles will die from complications.
Dr. Catherine Troisi, an infectious disease expert, warned, “these outbreaks last between two to six months. That’s a long time. That’s a lot of kids infected … death is rare, but tragic when it happens, but there are a lot of other sequelae, encephalitis, for example, and deafness.”
Health officials stress the importance of vaccination, with free measles-mumps-rubella vaccination clinics set up in Lubbock. However, vaccination rates in Gaines County remain low, with nearly 20% of incoming kindergartners lacking the MMR shot.
Experts predict the outbreak will worsen. Dr. Troisi said, “I very rarely say I’m 100% sure of something, but I am 100% sure we will see an increase in cases … Texas as a state is under-vaccinated, so there are susceptible people.”
Dr. Peter Hotez expressed concern that the outbreak could persist due to low vaccination rates, pointing to an upcoming Houston rodeo as a potential risk for further spread. “It will continue as long as the virus continues to find unvaccinated kids,” Hotez said.