Unvaccinated child dies amid Texas measles outbreak, first death in US since 2015
Texas officials on Wednesday announced the first death in the state's ongoing measles outbreak.
A school-age child has died of measles in West Texas, the first death from the disease in the U.S. since 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Gaines County resident died in Lubbock, Zach Holbrooks, public health director and executive director of the South Plains Public Health District, said in an email. In a statement, Lubbock city and Texas health officials confirmed the patient was an unvaccinated school-aged child who died in the last 24 hours.
So far, 124 people are known to have been infected, mostly among people who weren't vaccinated or had no known vaccination status, state data showed. There have been 18 people hospitalized.
Measles — also called rubeola — is highly contagious and can be serious and even fatal for small children. While death rates have been falling worldwide as more children receive the measles vaccine, the disease still kills more than 200,000 people a year, mostly children, according to Mayo Clinic.org.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. A high percentage of people were receiving effective measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines.
As per the CDC, the decline in measles vaccination rates globally increases the risk of larger measles outbreaks worldwide. Global measles activity is increasing, meaning more chances of an unvaccinated person infected with measles abroad returning to the U.S.
The CDC also says MMR vaccination rates for U.S. kindergarteners have fallen below the 95% target and are even lower in certain communities, with the trend continuing downward.
The first symptoms of measles last two to three days and are non-specific and mild. Here's what to pay attention to if an unvaccinated child or person is feeling ill:
Cough
Runny nose
Itchy, watery eyes
A high fever
Small white spots (Koplik's spots) inside the inner lining of the cheek.
A red rash usually develops three to five days after the first symptoms. It looks like small raised bumps that erupt on the face and near the hairline, giving it a "splotchy red appearance" and then spreading down to the rest of the body.
There is a vaccine. The CDC recommends getting vaccinated with two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine according to the immunization schedule. Ideally, children between 12 and 15 months get their first dose, followed by a second dose at 4 to 6 years old.
-USA TODAY Network Health and Wellness reporter Eduardo Cuevas contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Child dies amid Texas measles outbreak, first death in US since 2015
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