Unvaccinated child dies from measles in Texas, sending off alarms to health officals
A second child has died from a measles-related illness in West Texas as the outbreak continues to spread. A spokesperson for UMC Health System in Lubbock confirmed Sunday that the unvaccinated child died while being treated for complications of the disease. However, the hospital did not specify the exact cause of death.
The death has not yet been included in state or federal measles reports. Both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Texas Department of State Health Services issued their most recent reports on Friday, which did not mention the fatality. Requests for comment from state and federal health officials were not immediately returned.With nearly 500 cases reported, the outbreak in the region continues to grow, prompting concerns from health officials and politicians about the rise in preventable illnesses. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK) plans to attend the child’s funeral on Sunday, a spokesperson told NBC News.Throughout the outbreak, RFK has downplayed its urgency by making controversial statements about the amount of people getting sick and citizens getting vaccinated. He recently said that although the measles vaccine is the best defense against the highly contagious and potentially fatal infection, getting inoculated is a “personal choice.” Instead, he directed the CDC to update measles guidance to promote taking vitamin A to combat the infection.
The Daily Beast reported that when RFK spoke with an old friend who brought up the topic of the spread of measles, he responded nonchalantly. “When I was a kid two million people got [measles] every year…and only 300 died,” he said.
Cases of Measles are on the rise in West Texas as doctors begin a vaccine campaign
As of Friday, the Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed a 14% increase in measles cases over the last week, with 481 cases in total. This includes six infants and toddlers from a Lubbock day care center who tested positive for the disease within the past fortnight.According to health officials, two of these children are among the 56 individuals who have been hospitalized with measles in the area since the outbreak began in late January.
The CDC stated that approximately 1 to 3 out of every 1,000 children infected with measles die from respiratory and neurological complications. Additionally, about 1 out of every 20 children with measles contracts pneumonia, which is the most common cause of death from measles in young children.