Unvaccinated Child Is First Death In TX Measles Outbreak

LUBBOCK, TX — An unvaccinated child has died from measles at Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, marking the first fatality in Texas' measles outbreak that began in late January.

The overnight death was a "school-aged child who was not vaccinated" and had been hospitalized last week, Texas health officials said Wednesday.

The exact age of the patient has not been disclosed.

The measles outbreak in rural West Texas has spread to 124 cases across nine counties, according to state health department data. At least nine cases have been reported in eastern New Mexico.

The Texas outbreak has been concentrated in a “close-knit, undervaccinated” Mennonite community, especially among families who attend private religious schools or are homeschooled, Texas Department of State Health Services spokeswoman Lara Anton said earlier this month.

About 94.3 percent of kindergarteners attending Texas public schools were vaccinated against measles in the 2023-24 school year. Only about a dozen other states reported higher vaccine coverage, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control.

However, Gaines County — which has at least 80 cases — has one of the highest rates in Texas of school-aged children who opt out of at least one required vaccine, with nearly 14 percent of K-12 children in the 2023-24 school year.

Health officials say that number is likely higher because it doesn't include many children who are homeschooled and whose data would not be reported.

Texas Health Department data shows most cases are among those under 18.

Texas Case Count by County:

• Dallam: 4 cases
• Dawson: 7 cases
• Ector: 2 cases
• Gaines: 80 cases
• Lubbock: 1 case
• Lynn: 1 case
• Martin: 3 cases
• Terry: 21 cases
• Yoakum: 5 cases
• Total: 124 cases

Age Ranges of Measles Cases:

• 0-4 years: 39 cases
• 5-17 years: 62 cases
• 18+ years: 18 cases
• Pending: 5 cases

Vaccination with two doses of the MMR vaccine is the best prevention method, health officials said. Residents can contact their healthcare provider or visit the South Plains Public Health District Clinic for vaccinations.

Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this story.