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On the 26th February, it was confirmed that confirmed that a child has died of measles in the state of Texas. This is the first measles death reported the US in almost a decade, which is due on no small part to the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine that has become a core element of childhood vaccinations. While not always lethal, measles has the potential to cause severe complications such as blindness and pneumonia, especially in young children. Due to its contagious nature, it is a requirement for children to be vaccinated against measles before starting kindergarten in US public schools.
The measles outbreak was first recorded in January of this year, and has since surged to over 100 cases across the state of Texas. Cases have also been found in eight other areas in the US, including New York City, New Mexico, and Alaska. US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was quick to point out that measles outbreaks aren’t uncommon, referencing the 16 outbreaks that occurred last year, although it is important to note that there were no deaths from measles that year.
However, RFK Jr’s comments haven’t done much to quell concern. During his remarks on the outbreak, the US Health Secretary made a number of missteps, stating that two people had died from the outbreak, and that a large number of the hospitalisations were to quarantine individuals. Texas health officials responded by confirmed that only one child had died, and chief medical officer Dr Lara Johnson reported that they had not hospitalised anyone for quarantine purposes.
It is believed that the low vaccination rate is playing a significant role I think outbreak. Of the children hospitalised at Covenant Children’s hospital in Texas, many ‘required intensive care’ and it has been confirmed that none of the children who are hospitalised have been vaccinated. The child who has died from the measles outbreak was also not vaccinated. Gaines County, a Texan county that currently has around 80 cases, has a high rate of vaccine opt-outs (children who opt out of having at least one of the required childhood vaccinations). Despite most states requiring childhood vaccinations, Texas is one of several states that that allows parents to opt out for non-medical reasons.
Exemptions from vaccination have become a growing trend in the US, with another county in Texas moving from 0% to 3.73% exemption in 10 years. This follows a wider trend of vaccination rates across the US in general – for the 2023/24 school year, 39 states had less than 95% target rate of MMR vaccination, with 14 of these having rates below 90%. In comparison, the 2019/20 school year saw only 28 states below 95%, and only 3 below 90%.
Robert F Kennedy Jr has stated that the situation is being closely monitored but many are concerned about his ability to handle the situation given his views on vaccination. During a deadly outbreak of measles in Samoa in 2019, RFK Jr claimed that children ‘were dying from a bad vaccine’ rather than the disease itself. This conspiracy theory appears to have remerged during their current US outbreak, although it does appear to be confined to online chatter as opposed to the communities affected.
With cases rising daily, it is certainly a situation that will be closely monitored, and it will provide the first test to RFK Jr’s tenure as US Health Secretary. While RFK Jr can lay claim to the regularity of measles outbreaks, he certainly can’t make the same claim regarding the loss of life. Should more deaths occur, questions will undoubtedly be raised as to whether he is the man to right the ship and restore vaccination rates across the country.
Edited by Isabel Whitburn
Image: ‘Monkeypox Vaccine’, Focal Foto, 2021 // CC BY-NC 2.0
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