First U.S. measles death in ten years reported in Texas

A measles outbreak in West Texas has claimed the life of a child, the first U.S. fatality from the disease in a decade. With more than 120 cases now reported across Texas and New Mexico, health experts are raising concerns about the spread of the disease amid declining vaccination rates.

A child in West Texas has died from measles, marking the first U.S. death from the disease in a decade. The unvaccinated 15-year-old teenager passed away overnight in the hospital. The outbreak has infected at least 124 people, mostly unvaccinated children, in rural West Texas, and as it spreads, local residents are growing concerned for their families.

Mary Vaca, a resident of El Paso, shared her worries, saying, “Yes, of course. Because I have grandchildren. And I certainly don't want them to catch the disease. So, I hope they don't. May God bless them.”

As health officials continue to respond to the growing outbreak, experts emphasize the importance of vaccination. Dr. Lara Johnson, Chief Medical Officer for Covenant Health Lubbock, explained, “We were confident that we'd eradicated measles from the United States and had really gotten to a point where we just didn't see these kinds of outbreaks happening. Obviously, that has changed over the last 20-something years. And so we do see outbreaks more frequently, but that is related to how much we're vaccinating our population. When we think about vaccine-preventable illnesses, they're only preventable if we have adequate vaccination rates. As we see those rates start to decline across the nation, we'll see more outbreaks.”

Symptoms of measles include a high fever, watery eyes, cough, and a rash that begins on the face. New Mexico has also reported nine new cases, and health officials warn that additional cases are likely due to the disease's highly contagious nature. While measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, recent outbreaks have been linked to vaccine hesitancy. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges parents to vaccinate their children, as declining vaccination rates have contributed to the spread of the disease in recent years.

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