An unvaccinated child in Texas has been confirmed as the first fatal case of measles in the western part of the United States in an outbreak that has already infected over 100 individuals.
The school-aged child's death was confirmed on Wednesday by Lubbock city spokesperson Lauren Adams. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) noted that the child was hospitalized in the northwestern city of Lubbock last week and tested positive for the disease.
Cases of Measles in the U.S.
Data from the DSHS showed that as of Wednesday, 124 cases of measles were confirmed to be related to the latest outbreak. Nearly all of the cases were found to be among unvaccinated people or individuals whose vaccination status was unknown. It also showed that 18 people have been sent to the hospital so far.
The majority of the cases were among children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 17, with 62 individuals affected. On the other hand, there were 39 cases of measles among children aged four and under, according to ABC News.
Officials said the recent measles outbreak started in Gaines County, which has now become the epicenter of the disease. The county has reported 80 cases among its residents. Since it was discovered, the outbreak has spread to several other counties in the region and is believed to have reached New Mexico.
The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) added that nine cases have been confirmed in Lea County, which borders Texas. Out of these nine cases, they found that four of them were among children.
Spreading To Multiple Regions
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received reports of measles cases from different regions in the U.S. As of Feb. 21, 2025, it has received reports from Alaska, California, Georgia, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, Rhode Island, and Texas, American Hospital Association reported.
A pediatrician and chief executive officer of Covenant Health, Dr. Amy Thompson, said that the death of the unvaccinated child in Texas is a "big deal." During a news conference on Wednesday, she noted that they are now seeing a very serious consequence of the outbreak.
On the other hand, the country's top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is also a vaccine critic, said that the Department of the Health and Human Services (DHHS) was closely monitoring the cases. He also dismissed the ongoing outbreak as something that was "not unusual," as per the Associated Press.
