Overview

• A measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico has infected over 150 people, with one unvaccinated child in Texas dying—the first U.S. measles death in a decade.
• Health experts emphasize the need for high vaccination rates, with at least 95% community coverage required to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus.
• Vaccine hesitancy, fueled by misinformation and distrust, has surged, with West Texas communities like Gaines County showing vaccination rates as low as 82%.
• Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has faced criticism for his response, with experts urging stronger advocacy for vaccinations to curb the outbreak.
• Doctors report severe complications in unvaccinated children, including pneumonia and dehydration, and stress the urgency of vaccination to prevent further deaths and hospitalizations.