In Texas, United States, an unvaccinated child died from measles, revealed authorities on Wednesday (Feb 26), marking the first US fatality from the highly contagious disease since 2015 when a woman succumbed after being exposed to it at a health clinic. The last time a child died of it was in 2003. Measles was believed to be eliminated in the US in 2000, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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"The school-aged child who was not vaccinated was hospitalised in Lubbock last week and tested positive for measles," said the Texas state health department in a statement. City officials said that the child died "within the last 24 hours."

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The death comes as the US's Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. downplayed a growing outbreak during US President Donald Trump's first cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

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RFK Jr downplays concerns

On Wednesday, during a meeting of Trump's cabinet, RFK Jr, the nephew of America's 35th President, John F. Kennedy, downplayed a worsening situation in Texas. 

In Texas, the most populous state in the South-central region of the US, around 20 people have been hospitalised. Even as officials raised the alarm that the outbreak is likely to grow, Kennedy told the cabinet meeting: "It's not unusual. You have measles outbreaks every year."

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The newly appointed US Health secretary has long backed false claims linking the measles vaccine to autism, a theory debunked by extensive research.

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He also said that the death toll was two. However, as per AFP, neither Texas nor neighbouring New Mexico's health departments said they knew of any fatality except the Texan child.

Is the US in the grip of a measles epidemic?

In the US, immunisation rates are declining nationwide. Over 130 measles cases have been reported this year in West Texas and neighbouring New Mexico. The majority of these are unvaccinated children, concentrated in a Mennonite religious community known for vaccine hesitancy.

Experts say the situation highlights the importance of vaccination and "should serve as a reminder that there was a reason that the vaccine was developed and that the vaccine is a value to individuals".

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In Texas, vaccine exemptions for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs, are legal. Even though the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a 95 per cent vaccination rate to maintain "herd immunity," the coverage among kindergartners has dropped. In the 2019–2020 school year, the vaccination rate was 95.2 per cent, in 2023-2023 this dropped to 92.7 per cent, leaving some 280,000 children vulnerable.

(With inputs from agencies)