US measles outbreak: 2nd death reported in US state of New Mexico

A second person has died from a measles outbreak in the U.S., this time in New Mexico, health officials announced on Thursday.

The unvaccinated adult from Lea County tested positive for measles after passing away, marking the second measles-related death in the country in a decade.

Lea County is near Gaines County, Texas, where the outbreak began and where an unvaccinated child died in late February. The majority of cases, including the New Mexico fatality, have been in unvaccinated individuals. This is the first measles-related death in New Mexico in at least 40 years, according to CDC records.

Health officials are urging residents to get vaccinated, emphasizing that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is the best protection against the highly contagious virus.

To curb the spread, New Mexico is offering free measles vaccinations to the public next week.