A second child with measles has died in Texas as the outbreak continues to spread
A second child with measles in Texas has died.
The New York Times reported Sunday that records it obtained showed an 8-year-old girl died Thursday of 'measles pulmonary failure' at a hospital in Lubbock, where there have been at least 33 confirmed infections since the outbreak began in January.
The first child died in Lubbock in February.
Texas health authorities said Friday that the state's outbreak had grown to 481 confirmed cases in 19 counties, with at least 59 new infections last week. A third of the cases have been in children 4 years old or younger. Nearly all of the patients were unvaccinated, though a total of 10 people have contracted measles after having received at least one dose of vaccine.
Tarrant County health officials issued a warning Friday that someone who later tested positive for the virus had visited Grapevine between March 28 and March 30. The infected person was contagious when they visited the Great Wolf Lodge hotel and waterpark. The person also visited Grapevine Mills Mall on March 29, walked around the mall and ate at the food court.
As of last week, there had been no confirmed measles infections in Tarrant County or elsewhere in the Metroplex. But the virus is one of the most contagious pathogens. Symptoms can appear seven to 14 days after exposure. The virus can linger in the air in a room as long as two hours after a sick person was there.
The most common symptoms are high fiver, cough, conjunctivitis and rash, with serious complications including ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia and encephalitis.
Anyone who was at either of the Grapevine locations March 28-30 and is unvaccinated or unsure of their vaccination status is at risk of contracting measles, Tarrant officials said. Those who are pregnant or immunocompromised and unvaccinated should contact their healthcare provider immediately, officials said.
Tarrant County health authorities have warned that there's a 'high risk' of measles cases here due to lower vaccination rates. The virus is so contagious that if one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are unvaccinated.
Here are the latest numbers of measles cases by Texas county as of Friday, April 4, with any changes since Tuesday, April 1:
Andrews: 1
Brown: 1
Cochran: 9 (up from 8)
Dallam: 7
Dawson: 20 (up from 14)
Ector: 8 (up from 5)
Erath: 1
Gaines: 315 (up from 280)
Garza: 2
Hale: 3 (up from 1)
Hockley: 3 (up from 2)
Lamar: 11 (up from 10)
Lamb: 1
Lubbock: 33 (up from 27)
Lynn: 2 (up from 1)
Martin: 3
Midland: 1
Terry: 43 (up from 41)
Yoakum: 17 (up from 16)
The best way to protect against measles is with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles; one dose is about 93% effective, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
City to offer free measles vaccines at Juneteenth event
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The City of El Paso Public Health Department will offer free measles (MMR) vaccines during the Juneteenth celebration this weekend. The event will be from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 14 at Nations Tobin Park, 8831 Railroad Dr. City officials also remind residents to regularly check the Measles Information Dashboard for updates on confirmed cases, demographic data, and vaccination status. The dashboard is updated daily around 9 a.m. and is available at under the Measles information page. The City also said that anyone who was at El Paso International Airport from 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. May 31 and June 1-2 should monitor their symptoms and check their immunization status. People who were at the airport at that time were potentially exposed to the measles, the City said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Possible measles exposure in Bernalillo, Santa Fe and Sandoval counties
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) — Two travelers were diagnosed with measles during their visit to New Mexico. According to the New Mexico Department of Health, this has led to potential measles exposure in Bernalillo, Santa Fe, and Sandoval counties. Story continues below Investigation: Politicians sink $13M in closed New Mexico tourist attraction Space: LIST: 5 places to go stargazing in New Mexico News: Videos show man in dumpster getting dumped into waste truck in Albuquerque Trending: Albuquerque City Council votes down 'RENT' ordinance NMDOH released this list of locations, days, and times the public could have been exposed to measles from these latest cases: Rio Rancho Aquatic Center, 745 Loma Colorado NE in Rio Rancho. Monday: June 2: 1 — 4 p.m. Walmart Supercenter, 5701 Herrera Drive in Santa Fe. Thursday: June 5: 11 a.m. — 2 p.m. Walmart Supercenter, 2550 Coors Boulevard NW in Albuquerque. Friday: June 6: 9 a.m. — 1 p.m. El Super, 4201 Central Avenue NW in Albuquerque. Friday: June 6: 9 a.m. — 1 p.m. University of New Mexico Hospital Adult Urgent Care, 2211 Lomas Boulevard NE in Albuquerque. Tuesday: June 10: 9:30 a.m. — 1:40 p.m. Albuquerque International Sunport, 2200 Sunport Blvd in Albuquerque. Tuesday: June 10: 3 — 7 p.m. Main terminal and TSA Security Checkpoint Terminal A, Gate A-6 If someone was at one of these locations, NMDOH encourages them to check their vaccination status and report any measles symptoms to their health care provider in the next 21 days. The two travelers are adults of unknown vaccination status. They were traveling separately. There was also an 18-month-old child with age-appropriate vaccination. 'These two cases remind us that travel remains an exposure risk when it comes to this contagious virus,' said Dr. Miranda Durham, NMDOH Chief Medical Officer. 'The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine remains the best protection against measles.' New Mexico's total measles case count is currently 81. Symptoms do not necessarily appear all at once. They can develop between seven to 21 days post-exposure. They can begin with a cough, runny nose, and red eyes, then progress to fever and a rash at the neck that works its way down the body. The NMODH Helpline at 1-833-SWNURSE (1-833-796-8773) can help New Mexico residents with their available vaccination options. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Despite WV board of education move on vaccine executive order, ACLU lawsuit continues
A nurse gives an MMR vaccine at the Utah County Health Department on April 29, 2019, in Provo, Utah. (George Frey | Getty Images) A legal challenge of West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey's executive order allowing religious exemptions to the state's school vaccine requirements will proceed, despite the state school board voting this week to defy the order. The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia and Mountain State Justice filed the writ of mandamus last month in Kanawha County Circuit Court on behalf of two parents of immunocompromised children. The lawsuit asks the court to compel the state's Department of Health and Bureau for Public Health to stop granting religious exemptions in compliance with Morrisey's executive order. 'The lawsuit is still ongoing,' Aubrey Sparks, legal director for ACLU-WV, said Friday. 'I think that there are a lot of questions about what [the board of education's decision] means practically, whether this fixes the issue, or whether it doesn't. At this point, it's just too early for us to know the consequences of the school board's actions, given that Patrick Morrisey is still committed to awarding these exemptions.' The state school board unanimously voted Wednesday that Superintendent Michele Blatt would issue guidance to county boards of education that schools should follow the state's existing vaccine mandates, which allow only medical exemptions, rather than the executive order. 'The intent of the state board is to do what's best for the 241,000 children, 23,000 educators and 15,000 service personnel in our 629 public schools,' the board wrote in a statement Thursday afternoon. 'This includes taking the important steps of protecting the school community from the real risk of exposure to litigation that could result from not following vaccination laws. 'The board is constitutionally bound to provide a thorough and efficient system of free schools, and our members remain committed to this charge,' they wrote. Sparks said the board's action introduces a lot of uncertainty both to families who want religious exemptions and families of immunocompromised children who might be at risk if exemptions are granted. West Virginia's school vaccine laws are some of the strongest in the country. It's one of five states that by law allow only medical exemptions for school-required vaccines. Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued an executive order in January requiring the state to allow religious exemptions. Despite the order, the Legislature this year rejected Senate Bill 460, which would have made the religious exemptions part of state law. Since Morrisey issued the executive order in January, the state Department of Health has granted at least 330 religious exemptions to the vaccine requirements. A spokeswoman for the school board said Friday that the exemptions that have already been granted will not be accepted for the upcoming new school year because, per the governor's instructions, the exemptions must be renewed yearly. Alisa Shepler, a school nurse in Wood County, said the state school board's move is a victory for school nurses and for West Virginia health care more generally. Immunizations protect more than only school children, they also protect immunocompromised people in the community, she said. Shepler, who is retiring Friday after more than 25 years on the job, said she's proud of the school board for going against the governor's order. 'I think that it's very telling that our state board of education, they kind of drew a line in the sand,' she said. 'And a lot of times, I think states don't have that backbone, but obviously our state board of education did.' In a statement Wednesday, a spokesman for the governor's office said that the state school board is 'trampling on the religious liberties of children, ignoring the state's religious freedom law, and trying to make the state an extreme outlier on vaccine policy when there isn't a valid public policy reason to do so.' The governor's executive order is based on the Equal Protection for Religion Act, a law signed by former Gov. Jim Justice in 2023 that prohibits government action that substantially burdens a person's exercise of religion unless it serves a compelling government interest and is the least restrictive means of achieving that interest. Sparks said the religious freedom law gives people a process by which to say their rights have been violated, but it does not give the governor the right to ignore, override a duty created by the legislature. 'What really is underlying this is an attempt at executive power over reach,' Sparks said. 'Patrick Morrisey wanted a law passed. He lobbied to get a law passed, and he wasn't successful at it. He didn't pull it across the finish line because the Legislature didn't agree with them. And it's not a governor's right or ability to ignore the laws that the Legislature passes just because they don't like them.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
