There are now more than 120 confirmed measles cases in the region, according to the Texas Department of Health Services. Most of them are children ages 5 to 17, and all but five are among people who are not vaccinated. Texas officials said 18 people have been hospitalized.
Measles is one of the most infectious diseases in existence. It’s airborne and if one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not protected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Measles can cause serious health complications, especially in children younger than 5 years old.
The best protection is two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Two doses are about 97 percent effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93 percent effective.
Children are recommended to get the first dose when they are between 12 and 15 months old, and the second dose when they are between 4 and 6 years old.
When asked about the news, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday played it down, saying outbreaks — defined as three or more related cases — occur every year.
“We are following the measles epidemic every day,” he said during press conference for President Trump’s first Cabinet meeting. Kennedy noted there have been four measles outbreaks this year and 16 last year.
“So, it’s not unusual. We have measles outbreaks every year,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy is a longtime critic of vaccines and has argued that very few shots are safe. He has repeatedly linked childhood vaccines to rising autism rates and has refused to acknowledge evidence to the contrary.
In a post on X, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), the Senate Health Committee chairman and a physician, urged people to get vaccinated.
“Absolutely devastating news," Cassidy wrote after news of the first measles-related death. "Encouraging parents to make sure their child is up-to-date on their vaccines. The measles vaccine is safe and effective."
During Kennedy’s confirmation hearing, Cassidy admitted to “struggling” with the idea of voting for him due to Kennedy’s history of sowing doubt on vaccines and ignoring competing evidence.
But in the end, Cassidy ended up being the deciding vote in committee and voted to confirm Kennedy on the Senate floor.
