Second Little one Dies From Measles-Associated Causes in West Texas

U.S. Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited the epicenter of Texas’ still-growing measles outbreak on Sunday, the identical day a funeral was held for a second younger baby who was not vaccinated and died from a measles-related sickness.

Kennedy mentioned in a social media put up that he was working to “management the outbreak” and went to Gaines County to consolation the households who’ve buried two younger kids. He was seen late Sunday afternoon exterior of a Mennonite church the place the funeral companies had been held, however he didn’t attend a close-by information convention held by the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention concerning the outbreak.

Seminole is the epicenter of the outbreak, which began in late January and continues to swell — with practically 500 instances in Texas alone, plus instances from the outbreak believed to have unfold to New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Mexico.

The second younger baby died Thursday from “what the kid’s physician described as measles pulmonary failure,” and didn’t have underlying well being situations, the Texas State Division of State Well being Companies mentioned Sunday in a information launch. Aaron Davis, a spokesperson for UMC Well being System in Lubbock, mentioned that the kid was “receiving remedy for problems of measles whereas hospitalized.”

Learn Extra: What to Know In regards to the Measles Vaccine

That is the third recognized measles-related demise tied to this outbreak. One was one other elementary school-aged baby in Texas and the opposite was an grownup in New Mexico; neither had been vaccinated.

It is Kennedy’s first go to to the world as well being secretary, the place he mentioned he met with households of each the 6- and 8-year-old kids who died. He mentioned he “developed bonds” with the Mennonite neighborhood in West Texas through which the virus is usually spreading.

Kennedy, an anti-vaccine advocate earlier than ascending to the function of nation’s prime well being secretary earlier this 12 months, has resisted urging widespread vaccinations because the measles outbreak has worsened beneath his watch. On Sunday, nonetheless, he mentioned in a prolonged assertion posted on X that it was “the best technique to forestall the unfold of measles.”

The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine has been used safely for greater than 60 years and is 97% efficient towards measles after two doses.

Dr. Manisha Patel, CDC incident supervisor, mentioned in a Sunday information convention that the MMR vaccine is one of the simplest ways to guard towards measles. She additionally instructed mother and father in Gaines County that it was necessary to not “delay care” for a kid who’s sick with measles.

“Name your physician and ensure you’re speaking to a well being care skilled who can information you on these subsequent steps,” Patel mentioned.

Kennedy’s social media put up mentioned CDC workers had been “redeployed.” CDC spokesman Jason McDonald clarified late Sunday that the primary CDC crew arrived in early March and left Gaines County on April 1, whereas a crew led by Patel “was redeployed and arrived immediately to evaluate wants” as ordered by Kennedy and requested by Texas’ governor.

Requested concerning the outbreak Sunday by reporters on Air Power One, Trump mentioned, “they’re doing stories on it,” including that if the outbreak “progresses, we’ll should take motion very strongly.”

Neither the CDC nor the state well being division included the demise of their measles stories issued Friday, however the CDC acknowledged it when requested Sunday.

The variety of instances in Texas shot up by 81 between March 28 and April 4, and 16 extra individuals had been hospitalized. Nationwide, the U.S. has greater than double the variety of measles instances it noticed in all of 2024.

Republican U.S. Sen. Invoice Cassidy from Louisiana, a liver physician whose vote helped cinch Kennedy’s affirmation, known as Sunday for stronger messaging from well being officers in a put up on X.

“Everybody needs to be vaccinated! There isn’t a remedy for measles. No profit to getting measles,” he wrote. “Prime well being officers ought to say so unequivocally b/4 one other baby dies.”

Cassidy has requested Kennedy to look earlier than his well being committee Thursday, though Kennedy has not publicly confirmed whether or not he’ll attend.

A CDC spokesperson famous the efficacy of the measles vaccine Sunday however stopped wanting calling on individuals to get it. Departing from long-standing public well being messaging round vaccination, the spokesperson known as the choice a “private one” and inspired individuals to speak with their physician. Individuals “needs to be knowledgeable concerning the potential dangers and advantages related to vaccines,” the spokesperson added.

Misinformation about forestall and deal with measles is hindering a strong public well being response, together with claims about vitamin A dietary supplements which have been pushed by Kennedy and holistic medication supporters regardless of docs’ warnings that it needs to be given beneath a doctor’s orders and that an excessive amount of may be harmful.

Medical doctors at Covenant Kids’s Hospital in Lubbock, the place the primary measles demise occurred, say they’ve handled fewer than 10 kids for liver points from vitamin A toxicity, which they discovered when working routine lab checks on kids who usually are not absolutely vaccinated and have measles. Dr. Lara Johnson, chief medical officer, mentioned the sufferers reported utilizing vitamin A to deal with and stop the virus.

Dr. Peter Marks, the Meals and Drug Administration’s former vaccine chief, mentioned duty for the demise rests with Kennedy and his employees. Marks was pressured out of the FDA after disagreements with Kennedy over vaccine security.

“That is the epitome of an absolute unnecessary demise,” Marks instructed The Related Press in an interview Sunday. “These children ought to get vaccinated — that’s the way you forestall individuals from dying of measles.”

Marks additionally mentioned he not too long ago warned U.S. senators that extra deaths would happen if the administration didn’t mount a extra aggressive response to the outbreak.

Consultants and native well being officers count on the outbreak to go on for a number of extra months if not a 12 months. In West Texas, the overwhelming majority of instances are in unvaccinated individuals and youngsters youthful than 17.

With a number of states going through outbreaks of the vaccine-preventable illness — and declining childhood vaccination charges nationwide — some fear that measles might price the U.S. its standing as having eradicated the illness.