First measles death in US since 2015 as disease affects ‘close-knit’ Mennonite community

Texas Department of State Health Services said in a statement that the death was a “school-aged child who was not vaccinated”. She was hospitalised last week due to what officials described as Texas’ largest outbreak in nearly 30 years.

The death was first confirmed by Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center spokesperson Melissa Whitfield, AP reported. The state health agency is leading the disease investigation.

West Texas measles outbreak

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also confirmed that this is the first measles death in the country since 2015. The agency told AP that it is providing “technical assistance, laboratory support and vaccines as needed” to West Texas.

In West Texas, the outbreak is largely spreading in the Mennonite community. A health department data showed that a vast majority of positive cases are among people younger than 18.

Health department spokesperson Lara Anton cited the “close knit and under-vaccinated” nature of the Mennonite community as one of the probable reasons for the outbreak.

It has largely affected people from families who attend close-knit religious schools or are home-schooled. Gaines County with 80 cases, one of the highest in Texas, has the highest number of school-aged children who opt out of at least one required vaccine.

Earlier this month, US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that a panel would look into children’s vaccine schedules to prevent measles and other dangerous diseases.

Measles, a respiratory virus, can survive suspended in the air particles for up to two hours. According to the US CDC, 9/10 people are susceptible to infection if exposed.

If infected, most people can recover from the infection, but it could lead to medical complications like pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death, AP reported.