According to the Department of US Health and Human Services, another untouched child has died of measles in Texas.
While the exact cause of death is still under investigation, the child was receiving treatment for measles -related complications in the UMC health system in Lubock, Texas. The hospital refused to disclose the exact date of death reported by AP and NBC News.
Sources close to the case said that US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy is expected to attend the funeral of the child scheduled for Sunday.
The outbreak of measles in Texas began in late January. So far, the state has reported 481 strong cases. According to NBC News, nationwide, at least 628 measles cases have been documented in 21 states and Washington, DC this year.
The first measles-related death of this outbreak occurred in February, even in western Texas, since 2015, the country’s first such incompleteness was marked. Since then, the virus has spread to other states including New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas.
Health officials are urging parents to vaccinate their children. The Disease Control and Prevention Center (CDC) states that measles vaccine is 97% effective and safe. While the first of the two recommended doses is usually given between the ages of 12 and 18 months, it can be administered at the beginning of 6 months in the event of an outbreak.
Prior to introducing measles vaccine in 1963, most children in the US – between 3 and 4 million people – were infected every year. Today, the annual matters are usually less than 200. Although most children recover without permanent effects, measles can cause serious complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain inflammation, and even death.
