Santa Fe: A New Mexico resident who recently passed away has tested positive for measles, the state health department confirmed on Thursday. This marks the second measles-related death in the United States in more than a decade.
According to David Morgan, Public Information Officer for the New Mexico Department of Health, the unvaccinated adult did not seek medical care before their death. This is the first measles-related fatality in the state in over 40 years. The cause of death remains under investigation by the state medical examiner.
The case contributes to a growing outbreak, bringing the total number of measles cases in Lea County to ten. Lea County borders Gaines County, Texas, where over 100 cases and one measles-related death in an unvaccinated child have been reported.
The outbreak is one of the largest the United States has experienced in the past decade, raising concerns about public health responses. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, has faced scrutiny for his handling of the situation. In a recent cabinet meeting, Kennedy initially downplayed the death of a school-aged child due to measles, characterizing such outbreaks as ordinary and omitting any emphasis on the role of vaccination in preventing the disease.
Over the weekend, Kennedy published an opinion piece on Fox News acknowledging the role of vaccination while simultaneously presenting it as a personal choice. He urged parents to consult with their physicians rather than advocating for widespread immunization. Additionally, he promoted the use of vitamin A, overstating its effectiveness. Dr. Paul Offit, an infectious disease expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, noted that while vitamin A supplementation can reduce measles severity in malnourished individuals in developing countries, its benefits in well-nourished populations are unclear.
As of February 27, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 164 measles cases across nine jurisdictions: Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, Rhode Island, and Texas.
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Dr. Tina Tan, an infectious disease expert at Northwestern University in Chicago, highlighted the alarming mortality rate in this outbreak. “Measles typically kills 1 to 3 people per 1,000 cases,” she explained. “Two deaths out of 164 cases suggest a much higher mortality rate than we would normally expect, indicating that many cases may be going undetected.”
The ten reported cases in New Mexico include six adults and four children under 17. Seven of these individuals were unvaccinated, while the vaccination status of the remaining three is still under investigation.
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Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, stated that the CDC is closely monitoring the situation and maintaining communication with state health authorities. “CDC recommends vaccination as the best protection against measles infections,” Nixon emphasized.
In response to the outbreak, the New Mexico health department has scheduled two community vaccination clinics for March 11 to provide free immunization services.
