A school-age unvaccinated child died from measles in West Texas, marking the first death in the current outbreak.
Nearly 140 people in Texas and New Mexico have been infected with measles in the past month.
At least 18 people have been hospitalized, with children making up most of the infected.
Before the vaccine was introduced in the 1960s, measles killed 400-500 people annually in the US.
Globally, measles killed more than 100,000 people in 2023 according to the WHO.
Of the 124 Texas cases since January, nearly two-thirds are from rural Gaines County.
The vast majority of those infected are unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status.
Kindergarten vaccination rates have fallen across the US since the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Gaines County, vaccine exemptions for kindergartners increased from 7.5% a decade ago to 18% last school year.
The outbreak coincides with the confirmation of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has criticized vaccine mandates but stated he supports measles and polio vaccines.
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