A measles outbreak in West Texas has claimed its first US death since 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The child, who was unvaccinated, had been hospitalized in Lubbock, Texas. Officials did not disclose further details about the patient’s health issues or schooling.
The number of confirmed measles cases in West Texas has increased to 124, with most cases affecting children aged 5-17. Twenty-eight people have been hospitalized so far, and all were unvaccinated.
CDC officials acknowledged that there was only one death, not two as reported by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the US Department of Health and Human Services secretary. New Mexico officials reported no measles-related deaths.
Health experts warned that measles can cause severe complications, including blindness, pneumonia, or encephalitis. The CDC estimates that up to 3 out of 1,000 children with measles may die from respiratory or neurological complications.
To combat the outbreak, the Lubbock department of health has opened free vaccination clinics, which have administered about 70 vaccinations since the start of the outbreak. Health officials emphasize the importance of vaccination, citing low coverage rates in affected counties.
The situation is likely to worsen as measles is highly contagious and can remain airborne for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. Experts fear that this outbreak may be a harbinger of other vaccine-preventable diseases due to low vaccination rates.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/26/health/texas-measles-death/index.html