Texas measles cases rise; two children dead
US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. arrived in West Texas after a school-aged child died from measles—the second child death in the state linked to the outbreak, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
The child died at a local hospital and was unvaccinated, with no underlying health issues, according to UMC Health System’s Aaron Davis.
A funeral was held Sunday, and HHS is now working with Texas health officials to fight the outbreak. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention teams have also been sent to help, Kennedy said.
As of Friday, Texas had 481 measles-related cases. Most were in unvaccinated people, mainly children and teens. West Texas, especially Gaines County, was hit hardest.
UMC Health in Lubbock County is offering drive-up measles screenings.
Other states are also affected: New Mexico has 54 cases, Oklahoma has 10, and Kansas has 24 possibly linked to the outbreak. Experts say many cases likely go unreported.
Earlier, it was reported that the measles outbreak in Texas has resulted in two deaths, marking the first measles-related fatalities in the U.S. in nearly a decade.