Child Dies From Measles in West Texas: First in a Decade

There has been a growing measles outbreak in West Texas, with at least 124 children between the ages of 5-17 infected, an increase of 34 since just last week.

Eighteen people have been hospitalized from the virus, all of whom were unvaccinated.

Child Dies From Measles

For the first time in a decade, a child in the U.S. has died from the measles. While the specific age and any other health conditions were not released, it was reported as a "school-age" child. The child was unvaccinated and had been hospitalized in Lubbock, Texas.

The last measles death in the U.S. was in 2015 when a woman in Washington died from the virus. The woman had not been identified at the time, but authorities said she was likely exposed to measles at a local health facility during an outbreak in Clallam County.

Before that, the last U.S. measles death was in 2003.

The Measles Outbreak

In 2000, measles was officially eliminated from the U.S. This meant that for more than a year, there were no ongoing cases of measles spreading within the U.S. It was a huge accomplishment for public health.

After that, when people in the U.S. did get measles, it was usually because they caught it while traveling to other countries and brought it back home. However, things have changed recently.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, and as more people have become skeptical about vaccines, measles has started to come back to the United States.

According to the CDC, as of February 21, 2025, there had been 285 measles cases reported in multiple states including Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, and more in 2024.

The current measles outbreak has affected at least 130 people in just two states - Texas and New Mexico.

The outbreak has been linked to low vaccination rates in certain communities, which have allowed the highly contagious virus to spread more easily.

Measles is a preventable disease, and spreads through coughing and sneezing and can cause serious complications, especially in young children and those with weakened immune systems.

Symptoms typically include:

• fever

• cough

• runny nose

• red eyes

• distinctive rash

Health officials are urging residents to ensure they are vaccinated with the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, which is highly effective in preventing the disease.

What to Know About Measles

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can be serious and even life-threatening, especially for young children and those with weakened immune systems.

It's preventable through vaccination, specifically the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, which is typically given in two doses during childhood.

The virus can remain infectious in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left an area, making it easy to spread in public spaces.

Complications from measles can include pneumonia, encephalitis (brain swelling), and in rare cases, death.

Outbreaks often occur in communities with low vaccination rates.

If exposed to measles, unvaccinated people can still receive the vaccine within 72 hours to potentially prevent the disease.