Second Measles Death Reported as Texas-New Mexico Outbreak Spreads

A second person has died from measles as the outbreak in Texas and New Mexico continues to spread, according to the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH).

The individual, an unvaccinated resident of Lea County, New Mexico, lived near the Texas border, where the outbreak began in January.

“They did not seek medical care before passing,” NMDOH confirmed. At least ten cases have been reported in Lea County alone.

Texas has recorded 159 measles cases since January, with 53 infections in children under four, per the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.

Late last month, a school-aged child in Texas became the first U.S. measles fatality in a decade. The child, who was unvaccinated, died after being hospitalized in Lubbock.

The NMDOH is still investigating the official cause of death for the Lea County resident but confirmed, “The agency’s laboratory did confirm the presence of the measles virus in the deceased person.”

As cases rise, health officials urge vaccination to curb the outbreak’s spread. However, the Trump’s administration course of action on the matter remains unseen. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, has previously slammed the use of vaccines and urged residents to increase their vitamin intake, a stance that has worried health experts.