WASHINGTON: A second baby with measles has died in Texas, state officers mentioned on Sunday (Apr 6), in an outbreak of the childhood illness that has resulted in almost 500 circumstances in Texas and has unfold throughout 22 states.
The college-aged baby, who was unvaccinated and had no underlying well being situations, died on Thursday within the hospital from measles pulmonary failure, the Texas Division of State Well being Providers mentioned.
“The kid was receiving therapy for issues of measles whereas hospitalised,” Aaron Davis, a spokesperson for UMC Well being System in Lubbock, Texas, mentioned in an electronic mail.
It’s the second loss of life of a kid in Texas because the measles outbreak started in late January.
Well being and Human Providers Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, in a put up on X, recognized the kid as 8-year-old Daisy Hildebrand.
Kennedy, who has been an anti-vaccine advocate and beforehand has mentioned vaccination is a private alternative, on Sunday mentioned vaccines are one of the best safety towards measles.
“The best option to stop the unfold of measles is the MMR vaccine,” he mentioned within the put up on X. He mentioned that as of Sunday there are 642 confirmed circumstances of measles, 499 of these in Texas.
Kennedy mentioned in his put up that he visited Texas to consolation the Hildebrand household after their daughter’s loss of life. He added that he received to know the household of the primary baby in Texas to die within the measles outbreak, Kayley Fehr, “after she handed away in February”.
