A child in Texas who wasn’t vaccinated has died from measles, becoming the first death from the disease in almost a decade in the United States. This devastating event occurs amidst a growing outbreak in the country, which has been downplayed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of Health. The child, who was hospitalized last week in Lubbock, Texas, tested positive for measles and sadly passed away in the last 24 hours.
The death is a stark reminder of the risks associated with decreasing immunization rates across the country. The latest cases have been concentrated in a Mennonite religious community that has historically been hesitant to vaccinate. As Kennedy Jr. begins his tenure as Secretary of Health, his comments on the measles vaccine have been widely criticized, particularly his claim that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is linked to autism.
According to the State Health Department, the child’s hospitalization and subsequent death are a direct result of the measles outbreak in western Texas, where 124 cases have been reported since the beginning of the year. Neighboring New Mexico has also seen nine cases, with the majority of those affected being unvaccinated children. About 20 people have been hospitalized in Texas, and health officials warn that the outbreak is likely to worsen.
Lara Johnson, medical director of the Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, where the child was treated, expressed her concern, saying, “I graduated from medical school in 2002, and I was sure that I would never see a measles outbreak unless I decided to work internationally.” Her comments underscore the gravity of the situation and the importance of vaccination in preventing the spread of the disease.
Downplaying the Situation
During a meeting of President Trump’s Cabinet, Kennedy Jr. seemed to minimize the importance of the outbreak, stating, “It’s not unusual. There are measles outbreaks every year.” However, his comments were met with criticism from medical experts, who emphasized that the death should serve as a reminder of the dangers of measles and the importance of vaccination. Amsh Adalja, an infectious disease expert from Johns Hopkins University, noted, “While the multiple measles outbreaks in the United States have not caused any death, it was only a matter of time that one occurred… Measles continues to kill more than 100,000 people every year worldwide. Death should serve as a reminder that there was a reason why the vaccine was developed and that it is valuable.”
Religious Exemptions and Vaccination Rates
The outbreak is centered in Gaines County, which has a significant Mennonite population, a Christian sect with a history of vaccine hesitancy. Texas law allows for vaccine exemptions based on conscience, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a vaccination rate of 95% to maintain “collective immunity.” However, vaccination coverage among kindergarten children has declined from 95.2% in the 2019-2020 school year to 92.7% in 2023-2024.
The last death related to measles in the United States occurred in 2015, when a woman in Washington state died from pneumonia caused by the virus. She had been vaccinated but was taking immunosuppressive medications. Before that, the last measles-related death was in 2003.
Understanding Measles
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that spreads through droplets when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. It poses a serious risk to unvaccinated individuals, including babies under 12 months who are not normally eligible for vaccination and those with weakened immune systems. During outbreaks, approximately one in five infected people require hospitalization, and one in 20 develops pneumonia. In rare cases, measles can cause cerebral inflammation and be fatal.
The United States reported 285 measles cases in 2023, according to the CDC. The largest recent outbreak occurred in 2019, with 1,274 cases, mainly in Orthodox Jewish communities in New York and New Jersey, the highest national total in decades. Before the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, it is estimated that millions of people contracted the disease annually, and several hundred died. Although measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, outbreaks persist every year, highlighting the need for continued vigilance and vaccination efforts.