Overview

• The United States has recorded its first measles-related death in a decade, with an unvaccinated school-aged child dying in Texas during a growing outbreak.
• More than 130 measles cases have been reported in Texas and New Mexico this year, marking the largest outbreak in Texas in over 30 years.
• The outbreak follows a decline in vaccination rates since the COVID-19 pandemic, with national coverage for measles vaccinations dropping below 93% in 2023.
• Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his anti-vaccine stance, has downplayed the severity of the outbreak, calling it 'not unusual' and questioning the risks of measles in the past.
• Public health experts warn that the resurgence of measles, once declared eradicated in the U.S., highlights the dangers of vaccine hesitancy and its potential to revive preventable diseases.