A tragic milestone has been reached as a school-aged child in rural West Texas becomes the first U.S. death from the highly contagious — yet preventable — respiratory disease, measles, since 2015. The Texas Department of State Health Services and Lubbock health officials confirmed the death, emphasizing the severity of the ongoing outbreak, which is the largest in Texas in nearly 30 years.
The outbreak began last month and has since resulted in 124 confirmed cases across nine counties. The child, whose identity remains undisclosed, was treated at Covenant Children's Hospital in Lubbock but did not reside in Lubbock County. “This is a big deal,” stated Dr. Amy Thompson, CEO of Covenant Health, highlighting the seriousness of the situation at a recent news conference.
In response to the outbreak, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s top health official and known vaccine critic, commented that the outbreak is “not unusual,” although he misstated several facts. Kennedy's claim that most hospitalizations were for quarantine was contested by Dr. Lara Johnson, Covenant's Chief Medical Officer, who clarified, “We don’t hospitalize patients for quarantine purposes.”
The federal government is supporting Texas with vaccines and technical assistance, although the state health department is leading the response. The CDC is providing weekly updates on the outbreak but has yet to update its webpage to reflect the recent death.
The measles virus has primarily affected rural towns in West Texas, particularly within a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. Gaines County reports 80 cases, with a significant number of children opting out of vaccines. As a result, more than 20 patients have been hospitalized at Covenant, some requiring oxygen or intubation due to severe respiratory issues.
“Unfortunately, like so many viruses, there aren’t any specific treatments for measles,” explained Johnson. The primary focus is on providing supportive care to aid in patient recovery.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has assured that the state is deploying all necessary resources to protect the health of Texans. Vaccination teams are actively working in affected areas to curb the spread of the disease. A new measles case was also confirmed in Rockwall County, unrelated to the West Texas outbreak but associated with international travel.
The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is both safe and effective, preventing severe cases and infection. The first dose is advised for children between 12 to 15 months, with a second dose at ages 4 to 6. Despite the vaccine's effectiveness, vaccination rates have declined since the COVID-19 pandemic, with most states falling below the critical 95% threshold for herd immunity.
Initially considered eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, measles cases have recently resurged, notably increasing in 2024, with outbreaks such as one in Chicago affecting over 60 individuals.
“When you see it in real life, you really realize how contagious it is,” remarked Katherine Wells, Lubbock's health department director. The virus's rapid transmission was evident when an unvaccinated child in an emergency room contracted measles from another child, signaling the virus's high contagion potential. The local community continues to investigate additional cases.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department, supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, provided the content for this report.
