LUBBOCK, Texas The first measles-related death in the United States since 2015 and the first in an outbreak that started late last month occurred in West Texas, when a youngster who was not vaccinated died.
According to a statement released by the Texas Department of State Health Services on Wednesday, the deceased was a school-aged youngster who had been admitted to the hospital the previous week and had not received any vaccinations. Although neither agency offered further information, Lubbock health officials also confirmed the death.
A request for comment from Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock was not immediately answered.
According to state health officials, the measles outbreak in rural West Texas has spread to 124 cases in nine counties, making it the biggest in the state’s history. In eastern New Mexico, there are nine cases as well.
According to Abbott spokesman Andrew Mahaleris, the death of a child is a tragedy, and Governor Greg Abbott and his wife are praying for the family, loved ones, and the whole Lubbock community. He said that there are daily situation reports and coordination calls with local health officials, that epidemiologists and vaccination teams are in the afflicted area, and that the governor’s office maintains constant touch with the state health department.
According to Mahaleris, the state will use all available resources to protect Texans’ health and safety.
This is the nation’s first measles-related fatality since 2015, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2019 saw the highest number of measles infections in nearly thirty years, and 2024 saw an increase in instances, including an outbreak in Chicago that sickened over sixty people.
The outbreak is mostly affecting the Mennonite community in West Texas, where people move between tiny villages for work, church, grocery shopping, and other chores, keeping them connected despite the enormous expanses of open terrain dotted with oil rigs.
According to data from the Texas Health Department, individuals under the age of 18 account for the great majority of cases in the region. Children between the ages of 12 and 15 months should receive the first dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, which is safe and very successful at preventing infection and severe cases. The second dose should be given between the ages of 4 and 6.
In public schools across the country, children must complete the vaccination series before starting kindergarten. However, according to state health department spokesperson Lara Anton, the measles cases in West Texas have been concentrated in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community, particularly among families that homeschool or attend tiny private religious schools.
With 80 cases, Gaines County has one of the highest percentages of school-aged children in Texas who choose not to receive at least one compulsory vaccination, with almost 14% of K–12 students doing so in the 2023–24 academic year.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the newly appointed federal health secretary, announced earlier this month that a group will look into the childhood vaccination schedule that guards against measles and other serious illnesses. A request for comment was not immediately answered by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department.
The respiratory virus that causes measles can linger in the atmosphere for up to two hours. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that up to 90% of vulnerable individuals will contract the virus if exposed. If a child contracts measles, the majority will recover, but infection can cause fatal consequences like pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling, and more.
Although the state health department is leading the outbreak investigation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control informed the AP that it is offering West Texas technical assistance, laboratory support, and vaccines if needed.
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