Second potential dying from measles outbreak as unvaccinated New Mexico resident dies

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A second particular person might have died as results of the measles outbreak that’s been spreading from Texas to the remainder of the U.S., in line with New Mexico public well being officers.

A deceased resident of Lea County, which borders Gaines County, Texas, the middle of the outbreak, examined constructive for measles, the New Mexico Division of Well being introduced on Thursday.

The person was unvaccinated, and their official reason behind dying remains to be being investigated. They didn’t search medical care earlier than they died, officers mentioned.

Specialists urged people to get vaccinated towards measles, mumps, and rubella, sayin

“We don’t need to see New Mexicans getting sick or dying from measles,” Dr. Chad Smelser, New Mexico’s deputy state epidemiologist, mentioned in an announcement. “The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is the very best safety towards this critical illness.”

If measles is confirmed to have brought about the dying, it would mark the second fatality within the outbreak.

Greater than 160 measles circumstances have been reported throughout Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York Metropolis, Rhode Island, and Texas, in line with the CDC, 95 p.c of which concerned individuals who had been unvaccinated or of unknown vaccine standing.

Prior to the current outbreak, there hadn’t been a measles dying within the U.S. in a decade.

Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, a distinguished anti-vaccine activist earlier than becoming a member of the administration, has confronted scrutiny for his dealing with of the outbreak.

He initially downplayed the epidemic, saying at a cupboard assembly it was pretty routine.

“We’re following the measles epidemic on daily basis,” Kennedy mentioned through the assembly. “By the way, there have been 4 measles outbreaks this yr. On this nation final yr there have been 16. So, it’s commonplace. Now we have measles outbreaks yearly.”

Kennedy later described the outbreak as a prime precedence, although he reportedly angered employees by sharing a photograph of himself mountaineering within the mountains above Coachella, California, over the weekend, at a time when well being authorities are battling a stunning outbreak of a illness that was thought of eradicated from the U.S. within the yr 2000.

“It’s a critical function, he’s simply a few weeks in and measles just isn’t a typical prevalence, and it must be all arms on deck,” a former Trump official advised Politico. “Once you’re taking a selfie out at Coachella, it’s fairly clear that you simply’re checked out.”

Others had been alarmed that Kennedy hasn’t achieved sufficient to advertise vaccines towards the measles.

This week, throughout his first nationwide tv interview in regards to the outbreak, Kennedy spent a lot of his time praising the advantages of dietary supplements like cod liver oil in treating the measles.

Certainly one of his advisers, Brett Giroir, took to X, previously Twitter, on Sunday after Kennedy touted the impression of nutritional vitamins in a Fox op-ed.

“Please don’t depend on #VitaminA to save lots of your youngster within the US – helps in Africa the place there may be deficiency – not right here,” he wrote. “I’ve each handled and buried kids with measles.”

Elsewhere, Kennedy has bolstered the significance of the measles vaccine, although he has avoided urging folks to get the vaccine, as a substitute emphasizing it’s a “private” selection.

“Vaccines not solely shield particular person kids from measles, but additionally contribute to neighborhood immunity, defending those that are unable to be vaccinated on account of medical causes,” he wrote in an article on Monday.

Kennedy has directed the CDC and Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response to supply technical help, laboratory assist, vaccines, and therapeutic medicines as wanted in hard-hit states like Texas.