The number of people with measles in Texas has risen to 146, as the outbreak led to the death of an unvaccinated school-aged child. The cases are concentrated in nine counties, including nearly 100 in Gaines County, and 20 patients have been hospitalized. This is the largest outbreak in Texas in nearly 30 years.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the first US death from measles since 2015. The child was treated at Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock but did not live in Lubbock County. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine critic, initially downplayed the outbreak as “not unusual” but later acknowledged its serious impact.
The measles virus has spread mainly through rural West Texas, affecting a close-knit community with low vaccination rates. Texas law allows exemptions from school vaccines for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs, which may contribute to the outbreak.
Vaccination experts emphasize that the MMR vaccine is safe and effective in preventing infection and severe cases. Most kids will recover from measles, but it can lead to complications like pneumonia, blindness, and death. With vaccination rates declining nationwide, most states are below the 95% threshold for kindergartners.
The US had considered eliminating measles in 2000, but cases have risen again, including a Chicago outbreak that sickened over 60 people. Officials urge people to get vaccinated if they are not already, saying “Measles can kill, ignorance can kill and vaccine denial definitely kills.”
Source: https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-vaccination-rfk-7e1df8310d6e139010ab7f4e4069c199