LUBBOCK, Texas — A baby who wasn’t vaccinated died in a measles outbreak in rural West Texas, state officers stated Wednesday, the primary U.S. demise from the extremely contagious—however preventable—respiratory illness since 2015.
The college-aged little one had been hospitalized and died Tuesday night time amid the widespread outbreak, Texas’ largest in practically 30 years. Because it started final month, a rash of 124 instances has erupted throughout 9 counties.
The Texas Division of State Well being Providers and Lubbock well being officers confirmed the demise to The Related Press. The kid wasn’t recognized however was handled at Covenant Youngsters’s Hospital in Lubbock, although the power famous the affected person didn’t reside in Lubbock County.
“This can be a huge deal,” Dr. Amy Thompson, a pediatrician and chief govt officer of Covenant Well being, stated Wednesday at a information convention. “Now we have recognized that we have now measles in our neighborhood, and we are actually seeing a really severe consequence.”
Learn Extra: What to Know About the Measles Vaccine
In federal response, RFK Jr. seems to misstate a number of details
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s prime well being official and a vaccine critic, stated Wednesday that the U.S. Division of the Well being and Human Providers is watching instances and dismissed the Texas outbreak as “commonplace.”
He appeared to misstate a lot of details, together with a declare that the majority who had been hospitalized had been there just for “quarantine.” Dr. Lara Johnson at Covenant contested that characterization.
“We don’t hospitalize sufferers for quarantine functions,” stated Johnson, the chief medical officer.
Kennedy additionally appeared to misspeak in saying two folks had died of measles. A spokesman—Andrew Nixon, for the Division of Well being and Human Providers—later clarified that the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention has recognized just one demise.
Learn Extra: RFK Jr. Outlines His Health Secretary Priorities in Post-Confirmation Interview With Fox News
The federal authorities is offering vaccines in addition to technical and laboratory help in West Texas, however the state well being division is main the response, Nixon stated.
The CDC has stated it’s going to present solely weekly updates on the measles outbreak, and had not but up to date its public webpage to replicate the kid’s demise. Texas well being division information exhibits {that a} majority of the reported measles instances are in youngsters.
In rural Texas, some sufferers have wanted oxygen or intubation
The virus has largely unfold amongst rural, oil rig-dotted cities in West Texas, with instances concentrated in a “close-knit, undervaccinated” Mennonite neighborhood, state well being division spokesperson Lara Anton stated.
Gaines County, which has reported 80 instances to date, has a robust homeschooling and personal faculty neighborhood. It is usually dwelling to one of many highest charges of school-aged youngsters in Texas who’ve opted out of at the very least one required vaccine, with practically 14% skipping a required dose final faculty yr.
Greater than 20 measles sufferers have been hospitalized at Covenant, together with the outbreak’s first recognized case, hospital officers stated.
Learn Extra: Who Are the Mennonites and Why Are They Facing a Measles Outbreak?
Some sufferers’ respiratory points progressed to bacterial pneumonia, and so they wanted an oxygen tube to breathe, Johnson instructed The Related Press. Others needed to be intubated, although Johnson declined to say what number of as a consequence of privateness considerations.
“Sadly, like so many viruses, there aren’t any particular therapies for measles,” she stated. “What we’re doing is offering supportive care, serving to help the sufferers as they hopefully get well.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott stated by way of a spokesman that his workplace is in common communication with the state well being division and epidemiologists, and that vaccination groups are within the “affected space.”
“The state will deploy all vital sources to make sure the protection and well being of Texans,” stated spokesman Andrew Mahaleris, calling the kid’s demise a tragedy.
Later Wednesday, the state well being division confirmed a brand new measles case in Rockwall County, east of Dallas. The individual had traveled internationally and isn’t associated to the West Texas outbreak.
Vaccines are protected and efficient, and measles was as soon as thought of eradicated
The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is protected and extremely efficient at stopping an infection and extreme instances. The primary shot is really helpful for kids ages 12 to fifteen months, and the second for ages 4 to six years.
The vaccine collection is required for youths earlier than getting into kindergarten in public faculties nationwide. Most youngsters will get well from measles, however an infection can result in harmful problems resembling pneumonia, blindness, mind swelling and demise.
Vaccination charges have declined nationwide for the reason that COVID-19 pandemic, and most states are under the 95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners—the extent wanted to guard communities towards measles outbreaks.
Final week, Kennedy vowed to research the childhood vaccine schedule that forestalls measles, polio and different harmful ailments, regardless of guarantees to not change it throughout his affirmation hearings.
The U.S. had thought of measles—a respiratory virus that may survive within the air for as much as two hours—eradicated in 2000, which meant there had been a halt in steady unfold of the illness for at the very least a yr. Measles instances rose in 2024, together with a Chicago outbreak that sickened greater than 60.
Within the present outbreak, Lubbock’s first case was in an unvaccinated little one who sat in an emergency room with a child who had measles, stated Katherine Wells, director of the native well being division, calling it a testomony to how rapidly the virus spreads.
“Once you see it in actual life, you actually notice how contagious it’s,” stated Wells, noting she expects extra native instances, with a pair below investigation as of Wednesday. “A whole family will get sick so rapidly. Entire households are getting sick with measles.”
—AP writers Jim Vertuno and JoNel Aleccia contributed to this report. Seitz reported from Washington.
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