Measles outbreak claims lifetime of second baby as outbreak continues to unfold | EUROtoday

Another baby has died from measles in Texas.

An 8-year-old woman died early on Thursday morning from “measles pulmonary failure” whereas she was being handled at a hospital in Lubbock, Texas, in accordance with the New York Times.

Her dying is the second tied to a measles outbreak in West Texas and the second tied to the illness within the U.S. in a decade. Dozens of residents within the area — together with in bordering states — have been contaminated.

The UMC Health System mentioned on Sunday that the woman had not been vaccinated in opposition to the illness and had no underlying well being situations that contributed to her dying.

The first dying within the area was additionally an unvaccinated baby who died in February. There could also be a 3rd dying — an unvaccinated particular person in New Mexico — who examined constructive for measles. Health officers are nonetheless attempting to substantiate if measles was the person’s explanation for dying.

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West Texas has reported 480 circumstances of measles, leading to 56 hospitalizations, for the reason that outbreak started in January. Infections have sickened 54 individuals in New Mexico and one other 10 in Oklahoma.

Public well being officers within the area are predicting that the outbreak will proceed for a yr, placing the world’s measles elimination standing — which it earned in 2000 — in danger.

Measles is extraordinarily contagious. It can linger within the air for as much as two hours after somebody contaminated has left a room and may unfold by breath, coughs, or sneezes.

In most circumstances, measles signs—like rashes, excessive fevers, coughs, runny noses, and pink eyes—will subside in just a few weeks. But in uncommon circumstances, it might probably trigger pneumonia, which is very harmful to youngsters, the aged, and people with compromised immune programs.

The illness may trigger mind swelling, which may trigger blindness, deafness, and mental disabilities.

President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has confronted criticism for his dealing with of the outbreak. Kennedy is a vocal vaccine skeptic. He has been broadly supportive of the measles vaccine however has additionally emphasised different and untested therapies to fight the illness, like utilizing cod liver oil.

Doctors in Texas advised the Times that Kennedy’s endorsement of different therapies has contributed to some sufferers ready to hunt medical care whereas additionally consuming poisonous ranges of vitamin A.

Kennedy reportedly is planning a visit to Texas after studying of the second dying. An official with information of the journey reportedly advised Axios that the journey was a “surprise.” Kennedy could also be attending the kid’s funeral, in accordance with The Guardian.

Experts are involved that the Trump administration’s choice to drag funding from native well being departments may also enhance the probability of huge, multi-state outbreaks.

On Sunday, Dr Peter Marks, who resigned from his place on the Food and Drug Administration the place he oversaw the company’s vaccine program, blamed Kennedy and his employees for the kid’s dying.

“This is the epitome of an absolute needless death,” Marks advised the Associated Press on Sunday. “These kids should get vaccinated – that’s how you prevent people from dying of measles.”

He mentioned that he warned the Senate that extra measles-related deaths would happen if the Trump administration refused to take extra aggressive motion to curb the outbreak.

The Senate well being committee has known as Kennedy to testify on Thursday.

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One of the members of that committee is Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a health care provider and a vaccine proponent. Though he joined his Republican colleagues in confirming Kennedy throughout his listening to, he has taken a stronger stance on the necessity for vaccinations than the HHS head.

On Sunday, Cassidy issued a press release saying that “everyone should be vaccinated.”

He mentioned there was “no benefit to getting measles” and that “top health officials should say so unequivocally [before] another child dies.”

As of Friday, the U.S. has greater than 600 measles circumstances this yr, greater than double the variety of circumstances in all of 2024.

Lubbock’s public well being director, Katherine Wells, advised NBC News that the precise variety of contaminated people is probably going a lot increased than what has been reported, as many who’re contaminated is probably not getting examined for the sickness.

She mentioned that she and different well being officers are begging households to have their youngsters vaccinated in opposition to measles.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, simply two doses of the MMR vaccine are wanted for vaccination, and it’s 97 p.c efficient. The MMR vaccine is protected and has been safely administered to youngsters for many years.