Measles Crisis Deepens: Another Child Dies in Texas
A school-age girl has become the second child to die from measles in Texas, health officials confirmed Saturday, as the rapidly expanding outbreak continues to spread across the state. The unvaccinated child died at University Medical Center Children’s Hospital in Lubbock while receiving treatment for complications from the viral disease, marking the second measles fatality in the United States within a month after nearly a decade without deaths.
“The child was receiving treatment for complications of measles while hospitalized,” the hospital said in a statement Sunday morning, according to NBC News. “It is important to note that the child was not vaccinated against measles and had no known underlying health conditions. This unfortunate event underscores the importance of vaccination.”
Hospital records obtained by The New York Times indicate the 8-year-old girl died early Thursday morning from “measles pulmonary failure,” highlighting the respiratory complications that make measles particularly dangerous for children.
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Outbreak Expanding Rapidly
Texas health officials reported 481 confirmed measles cases as of Friday, representing a 14% increase in just one week. The outbreak, which began in January, has already hospitalized 56 people in the Lubbock area alone, including two infants recently infected at a local daycare center where six children tested positive within the past two weeks.
Public health experts believe these numbers significantly undercount actual infections. “Many people aren’t getting tested for the virus,” Lubbock Public Health Director Katherine Wells noted, suggesting the true scope of the outbreak may be substantially larger than official figures indicate.
Nationally, 628 measles cases have been reported across at least 21 states and Washington, D.C., this year, according to an NBC News tally. Texas remains the epicenter, with Gaines County experiencing the highest concentration of cases.
We pray @SecKennedy will do a live press conference with the family to EXPOSE it was REFUSAL to properly TREAT that KILLED this 8 year old Mennonite girl— NOT measles!
— OAMF (@OhioAMF) April 6, 2025
“HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was expected to attend the child’s funeral, which is scheduled for… pic.twitter.com/AwaCUOOe2a
Kennedy Attends Funeral
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. traveled to the region Sunday, attending the child’s funeral in what he described as an effort “to console the families and to be with the community in their moment of grief.” Kennedy conferred with the girl’s family but did not speak during the ceremony, according to funeral attendees.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kennedy acknowledged that “the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine,” a statement that comes amid criticism of his handling of the outbreak and past statements regarding vaccines.
Kennedy indicated he had spoken with Texas Governor Greg Abbott to offer continued federal support and that additional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) teams had been dispatched to the state to assist with containment efforts.
Deadly Complications
Measles, often dismissed as a simple childhood illness, can cause severe and life-threatening complications. According to the CDC, approximately 1 to 3 of every 1,000 children infected with measles die from respiratory and neurological complications. About 1 in 20 children with measles develop pneumonia, the most common cause of measles-related death in young children.
Beyond immediate risks, the disease can also cause “immune amnesia,” a long-term complication that essentially wipes out the body’s immune memory, leaving patients vulnerable to other infections for months or years after recovery from measles.
Public health officials emphasize that the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine is 97% effective after two doses in preventing measles infection. The vaccine is typically administered first at 12-18 months and again around age 5, though during outbreaks babies as young as 6 months can receive their first dose.
Community Response
The outbreak has placed immense strain on healthcare facilities and public health departments across West Texas. The concentration of cases in religious communities with low vaccination rates has complicated containment efforts, though local officials report increased interest in vaccination as the outbreak’s severity becomes apparent.
“We’re seeing more families come in for MMR vaccines now,” noted a Lubbock County health official who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. “Unfortunately, it often takes a tragedy like this to demonstrate why these vaccines are so important.”
With additional cases still being reported daily and the outbreak now crossing state lines, health authorities are urging all unvaccinated individuals to get immunized immediately, particularly those in affected communities or planning travel to regions with active transmission.
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