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Second Child Dies in Texas Measles Outbreak as Cases Near 500

The death of an unvaccinated 8-year-old highlights the outbreak's severity, with cases spreading to neighboring states and officials urging vaccination.

FILE - A measles sign is seen at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Feb. 25, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, file)
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SEMINOLE, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 27: Signs point the way to measles testing in the parking lot of the Seminole Hospital District across from Wigwam Stadium on February 27, 2025 in Seminole, Texas. Eighty cases of measles have been reported in Gaines county with one death reported. (Photo by Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • An unvaccinated 8-year-old girl in Lubbock, Texas, died Thursday from measles pulmonary failure, marking the second child fatality in the outbreak.
  • Texas has reported 481 confirmed measles cases and 56 hospitalizations since January, with the outbreak spreading to New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
  • U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for past vaccine skepticism, visited the family and publicly endorsed the MMR vaccine as the best protection against measles.
  • The outbreak originated in an undervaccinated Mennonite community in Gaines County, which accounts for over 65% of Texas cases.
  • Public health officials warn the outbreak could last months, risking the U.S.'s measles elimination status if vaccination rates do not improve.