Texas health officials have confirmed a second child has died from measles as the state experiences its worst outbreak in 30 years. The child, a school-aged patient in Lubbock, was unvaccinated and had no underlying conditions, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Earlier this year, the measles outbreak claimed its first life. The first patient, who was hospitalized with the highly contagious virus, passed away overnight, marking the first fatality since the outbreak began in late January.
Rising Cases Nationwide
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 642 confirmed measles cases across 22 states, with Texas accounting for 499 of them. This marks a sharp increase compared to last year’s total of 285 cases nationwide. At the current rate, the U.S. may surpass the 2019 outbreak, which recorded 1,274 cases—the highest since 1992.
New Mexico, Kansas, and Ohio are also experiencing outbreaks, with New Mexico reporting its worst surge in 40 years.
Julio Cortez/AP
Federal Response and Vaccine Advocacy
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited Texas, offering condolences to the affected families and reiterating that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the disease. However, Kennedy, known for past vaccine skepticism, has faced criticism for not strongly advocating widespread vaccination.
Public health officials stress that measles outbreaks are preventable with vaccination. The MMR vaccine is 93% effective with one dose and 97% effective with two doses. The CDC recommends children receive the first dose between 12-15 months and the second between ages 4-6.
Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician, publicly urged top health officials to unequivocally promote vaccination, emphasizing that there is no treatment for measles and no benefit to contracting it.
Impact of Federal Health Cuts
Kennedy’s visit follows recent workforce reductions at the HHS and CDC, along with an $11 billion rollback in public health funding initially allocated for pandemic recovery. Local health officials warn these cuts could weaken responses to outbreaks like measles. Dr. Philip Huang, Dallas’s top health official, noted that funding cuts have impacted lab capacity and immunization efforts, particularly in smaller health departments.
Risk of Losing Measles Elimination Status
Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, meaning there was no continuous spread for over a year. However, if the Texas outbreak persists beyond 12 months, the country risks losing this status.
The CDC has redeployed teams to Texas at the request of Governor Greg Abbott to support vaccination efforts and outbreak containment. Health officials continue urging vaccinations to prevent further spread and potential loss of national measles elimination status.
Keep up with the measles outbreak and prevention efforts with us on Que Onda Magazine.