Texas Sees 146 Measles Cases, Child Fatality

The number of individuals afflicted with measles in Texas has risen to 146 amidst an ongoing outbreak that has claimed the life of an unvaccinated school-aged child, Texas health authorities reported on Friday. This represents a 22-case increase since earlier this week, marking the most significant spread of the virus in Texas in nearly three decades. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the measles cases are distributed across nine counties, with almost 100 incidents recorded in Gaines County alone, and around 20 individuals have been hospitalized.

Tragically, the outbreak resulted in the death of a child on Tuesday night, marking the first U.S. death from measles, a highly infectious yet preventable respiratory illness, since 2015. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the child’s passing. The child received treatment at Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, although they were not a resident of Lubbock County.

On Wednesday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading figure in national health and known for his critical views on vaccines, acknowledged the increasing number of measles cases. Although he initially described the outbreak as “not unusual,” by Friday, he expressed his condolences to the families affected by the situation on a social media platform, emphasizing the outbreak’s serious impact on families, children, and healthcare workers. Kennedy pledged that his department would persist in supporting Texas’ immunization initiatives, declaring the resolution of this outbreak as an urgent concern for his team.

The virus has been predominantly spreading through rural areas of West Texas, described as “close-knit, undervaccinated” communities such as those in the Mennonite population, mentioned Lara Anton, a spokesperson for the state health department. Gaines County particularly stands out due to its significant homeschooling and private education community, and it is noted for one of the highest exemption rates from school vaccine requirements, with nearly 14% of its school-aged children missing a mandatory vaccine dose last year. Texas legislation permits exemptions from school vaccinations for various reasons, including religious beliefs. Anton noted that the actual number of unvaccinated children could be much higher, as homeschooled children’s vaccination status may not be reported.

The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is recognized as being both safe and highly effective, recommended for administration first between the ages of 12 to 15 months and then again from 4 to 6 years. While most children manage to recover from measles, potential complications can occur, leading to severe health issues like pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling, or even death.

There has been a nationwide drop in vaccination rates post-COVID-19 pandemic, with most states falling short of the 95% immunization threshold necessary to prevent measles outbreaks among kindergarten-aged children. Although the U.S. officially declared measles eradicated in 2000, meaning there were no continuous disease transmissions for a year, cases began to rise again, and outbreaks have been reported, such as one in Chicago in 2024 that affected more than 60 individuals.

In neighboring Eastern New Mexico, there are currently nine documented measles cases; however, the state health department has stated there is no link to the outbreak happening in West Texas. During a press conference in Austin on Friday, officials confirmed the first case in Travis County since 2019, involving an unvaccinated baby who contracted the virus while on an overseas trip. The Texas Department of State Health Services noted this case was one of four connected to international travel this year but unrelated to the West Texas outbreak. The other cases were observed in Houston last month and a separate one in Rockwall County near Dallas.

In the Travis County incident, family members of the infant were vaccinated and have been taking precautions by isolating at home, minimizing further exposure risks, although authorities did not provide the baby’s specific age. During the briefing, officials strongly encouraged people to ensure they get vaccinated if they haven’t done so already. U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat, stated emphatically, “Measles can kill, ignorance can kill and vaccine denial definitely kills.”

In parallel, school officials in two Texas cities each reported a rubella case this week. Still, Van Deusen from the Texas Department of State Health Services clarified that no infections had been officially verified.