An 8-year-old girl in Lubbock, Texas died on Thursday after contracting measles, according to records obtained by The New York Times—the second confirmed death from the growing outbreak in West Texas. In February, a 6-year-old girl died from the virus. The two children are the first confirmed deaths from measles in a decade in the United States.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has peddled misinformation about measles and the vaccine that helps prevent infection, is reportedly going to attend the girl’s funeral on Sunday. An administration official said this “was a surprise trip” for Kennedy, noting it coincided with the “tragic” death of a second child that could stem from measles, according to Axios.
Since the outbreak began in late January, West Texas has reported 480 cases of measles and 56 hospitalizations. Bordering states Oklahoma and New Mexico have been impacted. A month ago, another unvaccinated person in New Mexico also died after testing positive for measles, though officials have not yet confirmed that measles was the cause of death.
Public health officials in West Texas have predicted that the outbreak will continue for a year, and, if the situation continues to progress, the country risks losing its measles elimination status that it’s held since 2000. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for every 1,000 children who get measles, one or two will die.
At the same time as the worst measles outbreak in decades, the health department cut more than $2 billion from “Immunization and Vaccines for Children” grants, money dedicated to getting vaccines to children whose families may not be able to afford them. This move was part of a larger CDC cut of $11.4 billion in funds allocated in response to the pandemic to state and community health departments, nongovernment organizations, and international recipients—all under Kennedy’s watch.
As unvaccinated people continue to spread the disease—and as some parents host “measles parties” so their children catch the virus and develop an immunity—Kennedy has continued to amplify untested theories about how to fight measles without vaccination, like steroids, antibiotics, and cod liver oil. (He has suggested that vaccines cause autism despite studies finding no link between the MMR vaccine and autism.)
Globally, measles cases are on the rise. Europe is experiencing a 25-year high, according to a joint analysis by UNICEF and the World Health Organization. Children under 5 accounted for more than 40% of all cases.
In a March interview, Kennedy claimed, without evidence, that natural immunity to measles protected against cancer and heart disease. He also maintained that it’s a personal choice for parents in West Texas not to vaccinate their children and raised frightening concerns about the safety of the vaccines—which scores of scientific studies dispute.
While natural immunity to the virus can be lifelong, the risks of getting sick far outweigh immunity benefits. Measles can impact a patient’s immune system, making them more susceptible to serious illness in the future.
Kennedy also suggested that people were experiencing severe symptoms from measles because they were unhealthy and didn’t have a good diet.
“It’s very, very difficult for measles to kill a healthy person,” he said, adding, “we see a correlation between people who get hurt by measles and people who don’t have good nutrition or who don’t have a good exercise regimen.”
Texas health officials have noted that the first child who died had “no known underlying conditions.”
The Mennonite community at the epicenter of the outbreak is highly suspicious of vaccines. The parents of the first young girl who died told the anti-vaccine organization Children’s Health Defense in March that their experience did not convince them that vaccination against measles was necessary. “They think it’s not as bad as the media is making it out to be,” a translator for the parents said.
The mother, whose other four children also contracted the virus and recovered, said that her family “would absolutely not take the MMR.”
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Doctors in Texas have reported that Kennedy’s support for non-vaccine treatments have contributed to patients delaying critical care and ingesting toxic levels of vitamin A from the cod liver oil.
“We already are dealing with people that think measles is not a big deal,” Dr. Leila Myrick, who practices family medicine in Seminole, Texas, told the Times. She’s been caring for patients with measles since February. “Now they’re going to think they can get this miracle treatment and that they definitely don’t need to get vaccinated. It’s 100 percent going to make it harder.”
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