Jessica Yellin Instagram – One unvaccinated school-aged child has died in the Texas measles outbreak. It comes as US Health Secretary RFK Jr played down the seriousness of the outbreak at a Cabinet meeting today. He said the health department is watching it closely but outbreaks weren’t “unusual”.
RFK JR said two people have died – health officials in impacted states say they are aware of only one death.
There are 124 reported cases in the outbreak – most in west Texas but nine cases now also in a neighboring New Mexico county.
In 2024, the US had 285 measles cases. The Washington Post reports the case tally in Texas for the first two months of this year has eclipsed the annual US case count for each year between 2020 and 2023, according to CDC data.
RFK Jr said around 20 patients are in hospital mainly for quarantine. Fact check: the state health department says patients are not being quarantined in hospital and are there for supportive medical care.
RFK Jr is well known for his controversial stance on vaccines. He was heavily criticized for his visit to Samoa in 2019, where he was blamed for spreading disinformation on vaccines. Four months later a deadly measles outbreak in the country claimed the lives of at least 83 people, mostly babies.
He promised at his senate confirmation hearing he wouldn’t change the nation’s vaccine schedule. But just this month, AP News reported his vow to HHS agency workers that he would investigate the childhood vaccine schedule that prevents measles, polio and other diseases. | Posted on 27/Feb/2025 04:35:56
