U.S. health secretary heads to Texas after 2nd unvaccinated child dies of measles-related illness

The Associated Press

· Posted: Apr 06, 2025 5:04 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. travelled to West Texas connected Sunday aft a 2nd unvaccinated school-aged kid died from a measles-related illness.

Ahead of a "Make America Healthy Again" circuit crossed the southwestern United States, Kennedy said successful a societal media station that helium was successful Gaines County to comfortableness families who had to hide 2 young children who person died. Seminole, Texas, is the epicentre of a measles outbreak that started successful precocious January and continues to swell, with astir 500 cases successful the state alone.

He said helium was besides moving with Texas wellness officials to "control the measles outbreak."

The child, who did not person underlying wellness conditions, died connected Thursday from "what the child's doctors described arsenic measles pulmonary failure," the Texas Department of State Health Services said connected Sunday successful a quality release. Aaron Davis, a spokesperson for UMC Health System successful Lubbock, Texas, said that the kid was "receiving attraction for complications of measles portion hospitalized."

This is the 3rd known measles-related decease tied to this outbreak. One was different school-aged kid successful Texas and the different was an big successful New Mexico. Neither were vaccinated.

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Kennedy, an anti-vaccine advocator earlier ascending to the relation of the country's wellness caput earlier this year, has resisted urging wide vaccinations arsenic the measles outbreak has worsened nether his watch.

"The astir effectual mode to forestall the dispersed of measles is the MMR vaccine," Kennedy said successful a lengthy connection posted connected societal media. The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine has been utilized safely for much than 60 years and is 97 per cent effectual against measles aft 2 doses.

Teams from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention person been "re-deployed," Kennedy said, though the country's nationalist wellness bureau ne'er relayed it had pulled backmost during the increasing crisis. Neither the CDC nor the authorities wellness section included the decease successful their measles reports issued connected Friday but added it to their counts connected Sunday.

Nationwide, the U.S. has much than treble the fig of measles cases it saw successful each of 2024.

More than 2 months in, the West Texas outbreak is believed to person dispersed to New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas, sickening astir 570 people. The World Health Organization besides reported cases related to Texas successful Mexico.

The fig of cases successful Texas changeable up by 81 betwixt March 28 and April 4, and 16 much radical were hospitalized.

'Everyone should beryllium vaccinated'

U.S. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy from Louisiana, a liver doc whose ballot helped cinch Kennedy's confirmation, called connected Sunday for stronger messaging from wellness officials successful a station connected societal media.

"Everyone should beryllium vaccinated! There is nary attraction for measles. No payment to getting measles," helium wrote. "Top wellness officials should accidental truthful unequivocally b/4 different kid dies."

A CDC spokesperson noted the efficacy of the measles vaccine connected Sunday but stopped abbreviated of calling connected radical to get it.

Departing from long-standing nationalist wellness messaging astir vaccination, the spokesperson called the determination a "personal one" and said radical should speech to their doc and "should beryllium informed astir the imaginable risks and benefits associated with vaccines."

Misinformation astir however to forestall and dainty measles is hindering a robust nationalist wellness response, including claims astir vitamin A supplements that person been pushed by Kennedy and holistic medicine supporters contempt doctors' warnings that it should beryllium fixed nether a physician's orders and that excessively overmuch tin beryllium dangerous.

'Needless death'

Doctors astatine Covenant Children's Hospital successful Lubbock, wherever the archetypal measles decease occurred, accidental they've treated less than 10 children for liver issues from vitamin A toxicity, which they recovered erstwhile moving regular laboratory tests connected undervaccinated children who person measles. Dr. Lara Johnson, main aesculapian officer, said the patients reported utilizing vitamin A to dainty and forestall the virus.

Dr. Peter Marks, the erstwhile vaccine main with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, said work for the decease rests with Kennedy and his staff. Marks was forced retired of the FDA aft disagreements with Kennedy implicit vaccine safety.

"This is the epitome of an implicit needless death," Marks told The Associated Press successful an interrogation connected Sunday. "These kids should get vaccinated — that's however you forestall radical from dying of measles."

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Marks besides said helium precocious warned U.S. senators that much deaths would hap if the medication didn't equine a much assertive effect to the outbreak. Kennedy has been called to attest earlier the Senate wellness committee connected Thursday.

Experts and section wellness officials expect the outbreak to spell connected for respective much months if not a year. In West Texas, the immense bulk of cases are successful unvaccinated radical and children younger than 17.

With respective states facing outbreaks of the vaccine-preventable illness — and declining puerility vaccination rates nationwide — immoderate interest that measles whitethorn outgo the U.S. its presumption arsenic having eliminated the disease.

Measles is simply a respiratory microorganism that tin past successful the aerial for up to 2 hours. Up to nine out of 10 radical who are susceptible volition get the microorganism if exposed, according to the CDC. The archetypal changeable is recommended for children aged 12 to 15 months, and the 2nd for those aged 4 to six years.