A second school-aged baby has died in Texas from a measles-related sickness, a hospital spokesperson confirmed Sunday. The kid’s demise comes as an outbreak of measles originating in West Texas continues to unfold.
Aaron Davis, a spokesperson for UMC Well being System in Lubbock, Texas, mentioned that the kid was “receiving therapy for issues of measles whereas hospitalized” and was not vaccinated. The hospital declined to say which day the kid died.
Neither the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention nor the Texas State Division of State Well being Companies embrace the demise of their measles reports issued Friday. Spokespeople for the state well being division and U.S. Well being and Human Companies Division did not instantly reply to requests for touch upon Sunday.
Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. traveled to Gaines County on Sunday. In a put up on X, he mentioned he was there “to consolation the Hildebrand household after the lack of their 8-year-old daughter Daisy.”
“I’m additionally right here to help Texas well being officers and to learn the way our HHS companies can higher accomplice with them to regulate the measles outbreak, which as of immediately, there are 642 confirmed instances of measles throughout 22 states, 499 of these in Texas,” Kennedy said on X.
The primary measles demise in a decade
An unvaccinated school-age child died of measles in February in Lubbock — the primary measles demise within the U.S. in a decade. In early March, an grownup in New Mexico who was unvaccinated and didn’t search medical care turned the second measles-related demise.
Greater than two months in, the West Texas outbreak is believed to have unfold to New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas, sickening almost 570 individuals. The World Well being Group additionally reported instances associated to Texas in Mexico.
The variety of instances in Texas shot up by 81 between March 28 and April 4, and 16 extra individuals have been hospitalized. A staff from the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention is on the bottom in Texas helping with outbreak response.
Measles instances double from final yr
As of the newest CDC replace on Friday, April 4, the U.S. has confirmed not less than 607 measles instances to this point this yr, which is greater than double the variety of instances it noticed in all of 2024. There have been instances in not less than 21 states, together with Texas, California, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico and New York. The CBS News knowledge staff is monitoring confirmed measles instances nationwide as state well being departments and the CDC proceed to launch knowledge. This map is up to date with new knowledge from the CDC on Fridays.
Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, has delivered a tepid message on the significance of vaccination towards measles, saying it must be inspired whereas additionally sowing doubt within the vaccine’s security. He’s anticipated to launch a Make America Wholesome Once more tour throughout the southwestern U.S. early this week.
Sunday, Kennedy mentioned in a put up on X that “The best solution to stop the unfold of measles is the MMR vaccine.”
The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine has been used safely for greater than 60 years and is 97% efficient towards measles after two doses.
Dr. Peter Marks, the Meals and Drug Administration’s former vaccine chief, mentioned accountability for the demise rests with Kennedy and his employees. Marks was pressured out of the FDA after disagreements with Kennedy over vaccine security.
“That is the epitome of a fully unnecessary demise,” Marks instructed The Related Press in an interview Sunday. “These children ought to get vaccinated — that is the way you stop individuals from dying of measles.”
Marks additionally mentioned he just lately warned U.S. senators that extra deaths would happen if the administration did not mount a extra aggressive response to the outbreak. Kennedy has been referred to as to testify earlier than the Senate well being committee on Thursday.
CDC groups deploy
Kennedy mentioned Sunday that in March, he deployed a CDC staff “to bolster native and state capability for response throughout a number of Texas areas, provide pharmacies and Texas-run clinics with wanted MMR vaccines and different medicines and medical provides, work with native faculties and healthcare amenities to help contact investigations, and to achieve out to communities, together with religion leaders, to reply any questions or reply to areas looking for healthcare.”
The Well being Secretary mentioned, at Gov. Greg Abbott’s request, CDC groups have been redeployed to Texas.
Specialists and native well being officers count on the outbreak to go on for a number of extra months if not a yr. In West Texas, the overwhelming majority of instances are in unvaccinated individuals and youngsters youthful than 17.
With several states facing outbreaks of the vaccine-preventable illness, some fear that measles could value the U.S. its standing as having eradicated the illness.
Measles is a respiratory virus that may survive within the air for as much as two hours. As much as 9 out of 10 people who find themselves vulnerable will get the virus if uncovered, based on the CDC. The primary shot is really helpful for youngsters ages 12 to fifteen months, and the second for ages 4 to six years.
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