Second Texas Child Dies Of Measles As Infections Continue To Surge

The Washington Post: Second Unvaccinated Child Dies Of Measles Amid RFK Jr. Criticism
A second child has died of measles amid an outbreak in West Texas, prompting Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to meet with the family of the deceased 8-year-old girl in Gaines County, where most of the cases have clustered. The child, who had been receiving treatment for complications of measles, died at the University Medical Center Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, Texas, spokesman Aaron Davis said in a statement to The Washington Post on Sunday. The child had no known underlying health conditions and was not vaccinated against measles, Davis said. (Melnick, Nirappil and Sun, 4/6)

The New York Times: Kennedy Attends Funeral Of Texas Girl Who Died Of Measles
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s health secretary, attended the funeral on Sunday of an 8-year-old girl who died of measles amid an outbreak that has burned through the region and called into question his ability to handle a public-health crisis. The child’s death, in a hospital in Lubbock, Texas, early Thursday morning, is the second confirmed fatality from measles in a decade in the United States. (Rosenbluth and Holt, 4/6)

Politico: Kennedy Announces Support For Measles Vaccine Amid Outbreak
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who spent years promoting debunked theories and sowing doubts about the safety of vaccines, on Sunday promoted the measles shot. “The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine,” Kennedy wrote on the social media website X. (Nguyen, 4/6)

CIDRAP: US Measles Total Tops 600 Cases, With Almost 500 In Texas
Fueled by outbreaks in multiple states, including a large one centered in west Texas, the nation's measles total reached 607 cases today, with 124 new cases reported over the past week, according to an update today from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The nation is battling its worst spike in cases since 2019, fueled by outbreaks in communities where vaccine uptake is lower and by increased global spread of the virus. The CDC said 2 more jurisdictions reported cases this week, raising the total to 22—21 states and New York City. (Schnirring, 4/4)

The New York Times: How Measles Attacks An Unvaccinated Child
For a child who is not vaccinated against measles — one of the world’s most infectious viruses — no classroom, school bus or grocery store is safe. Nine out of 10 unvaccinated people exposed to an infected person will catch it, and once measles takes root, the virus can damage the lungs, kidneys and the brain. With falling U.S. vaccination rates and outbreaks that have caused more than 580 cases and at least two deaths, health experts expect measles to infect hundreds or even thousands more across the nation. (Baumgaertner Nunn and Hernandez, 4/5)

The New York Times: Why Measles Outbreaks May Be The New Normal
As the Trump administration moves to dismantle international public health safeguards, pull funding from local health departments and legitimize health misinformation, some experts now fear that the country is setting the stage for a long-term measles resurgence. If federal health officials do not change course, large multistate outbreaks like the one that has torn through West Texas, jumping to neighboring states and killing two people, may become the norm. (Rosenbluth, 4/5)

On flu and bird flu —

CIDRAP: Flu Levels In US Continue To Decline, But More Kids' Deaths Confirmed
For the seventh week in a row, indicators show that US influenza activity is dropping, but it's still above baseline levels and has been for 18 straight weeks, and flu-related pediatric deaths have reached 168, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its weekly update. "Seasonal influenza (flu) activity continues to decline; however, CDC expects several more weeks of flu activity," the CDC said. (Wappes, 4/4)

AP: Mexico Confirms Country's First Human Case Of Bird Flu In A 3-Year-Old Girl
A 3-year-old girl from the western state of Durango is Mexico’s first confirmed human case of bird flu, health officials said Friday. Type A H5N1 influenza has been spreading through animals and some people in the United States. There have been 70 cases in that country since during the past year, according to the World Health Organization, though researchers and studies suggest that’s likely an undercount. In Mexico, the girl was in serious condition in a hospital in Torreon in the neighboring state of Coahuila, the health ministry said in a statement Friday. (4/4)