A sad event happened when an unvaccinated school-aged kid in West Texas died from measles. This is the first death from measles in the US since 2015. The child was taken to a hospital in Lubbock, but on February 25, 2025, he or she died. This is part of a bigger spread in Texas and New Mexico that has already claimed over 130 lives.
This was the first case of measles in Texas in almost 30 years, starting in late January 2025. As of February 25, 124 cases had been found in Texas, and nine more had been found in eastern New Mexico. Most of these cases involve people who havenât been vaccinated, mostly children. Eighteen people have had to go to the hospital because their symptoms were so bad.
The spread is mostly thought to have started in a âclose-knit, under-vaccinatedâ Mennonite village in Gaines County, Texas. The highly dangerous measles virus has spread quickly in this town because not many people have been vaccinated. Ninety of Texasâ 124 proven cases have been found in Gaines County alone.
At a recent cabinet meeting, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, played down the problem by saying that outbreaks like this are ânot unusual.â But some of what he said was wrong, like when he said that two people had died from measles when that wasnât true. Later, the Department fixed this and said there had been only one death. Public health experts are worried about Kennedy because he has a past of doubting vaccines. This is especially true now that there is an outbreak.
The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is very good at keeping people from getting measles. Two shots of the MMR vaccine are about 97% good at keeping people from getting measles. Even so, the number of people getting vaccinated has been going down. Nearly 97% of Texas kindergarteners got a shot during the 2019-2020 school year. By 2023-2024, that number had dropped to 94.3%. People arenât getting vaccinated as much as they used to because of false information and higher refusal rates.
Certain weather conditions in West Texas, like low humidity and strong winds, may help the virus stay alive and spread, according to experts. The virus can stay alive longer in the air if it is dry, and it can spread farther if there are strong winds.
The Texas Department of State Health Services is working with local health offices to look into cases and encourage people to get vaccinated in reaction to the outbreak. In the impacted areas, vaccination clinics have been set up, and programs are running to teach people about how important it is to get immunized. Health officials stress that getting two shots of the MMR vaccine is the best way to avoid getting measles.
Also read: Texas Representative Dan Crenshawâs Controversial Remarks About Tucker Carlson Spark Outrage
A child in Texas who had not been vaccinated died from measles. This is a stark reminder of how important it is to get immunized. Measles is very common, but it can be avoided. To protect public health and stop future cases, it is important to make sure that a lot of people get vaccinated.
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