A person hospitalized with measles has died in west Texas, marking the first fatality in an escalating outbreak across the region. The outbreak has expanded to 124 cases spanning nine counties, raising alarm among health officials. Almost 14% of schoolchildren in the area have been granted exemptions from childhood vaccinations, which is contributing to the rapid spread of the virus.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that measles is highly contagious, with up to nine out of 10 susceptible individuals likely to contract the virus if exposed. Measles, a respiratory virus, can linger in the air for up to two hours, posing a significant risk of transmission. The outbreak is primarily affecting the Mennonite community in rural west Texas, where small towns are separated by vast stretches of oil-rich open land. Residents frequently travel between towns for work, church services, and daily errands, inadvertently facilitating the virus's spread.
On Wednesday, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center confirmed the death but did not disclose the age of the deceased patient. In addition to the cases in Texas, nine cases have been reported just across the border in eastern New Mexico. The outbreak's timing coincides with a change in leadership at the US Health and Human Services Department, now led by Robert F Kennedy Jr., a well-known vaccine skeptic. This development has raised concerns about the department's approach to managing the crisis.
Donald Trump's appointed health secretary has previously promoted a discredited theory linking childhood vaccinations to autism. In a move that has attracted criticism, the new health secretary has postponed a public meeting on immunization, leaving many questioning the administration's commitment to addressing the outbreak effectively. Covenant Children's Hospital in Lubbock, where the patient was treated, has not yet responded to requests for comment.