Measles outbreak in US: Kills Second Child
- International Affairs North America
Shreya Naskar- 0
- 3 minutes read
In April 2025, a troubling public health crisis continues to unfold in the United States as a severe measles outbreak claims its second young victim in Texas. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., travelled to the heart of the outbreak in Gaines County, West Texas, on Sunday—coinciding with the funeral of an 8-year-old girl who died after contracting measles. The child, like many others affected in the region, was unvaccinated. Kennedy’s visit marks his first official appearance in the outbreak zone since assuming the nation’s top health role earlier this year. The epidemic, which began in late January 2025, has shown no sign of slowing. Nearly 500 confirmed measles cases have been reported in Texas alone, with the virus spreading across state borders into New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and even into northern Mexico. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed that this is now the third measles-related death linked to the ongoing epidemic: two children in Texas and one adult in New Mexico, all unvaccinated.
On Sunday afternoon, Kennedy was seen standing outside a Mennonite church in Seminole, Texas—the epicentre of the outbreak—where the funeral for the 8-year-old victim was taking place. While he did not attend a concurrent CDC press conference, Kennedy stated on social media that his visit was focused on “bringing comfort to the grieving families” and “working toward controlling the outbreak.” He noted that he met with families of both deceased children—the 6-year-old who died in February and the 8-year-old whose funeral was conducted that day. Kennedy also emphasized the connections he had built with the Mennonite community, which had been particularly affected by the outbreak. This group, known for its close-knit social structures and sometimes limited engagement with modern medical practices, has seen disproportionate rates of infection due to widespread vaccine hesitancy within the community. Kennedy’s position on vaccines has long been controversial. Prior to his appointment as Health Secretary under the Trump administration, he was a well-known vaccine sceptic. His past advocacy for “vaccine choice” and his promotion of unverified health remedies had placed him at odds with mainstream medical and scientific institutions. However, during his Texas visit, Kennedy released a notably different public statement. In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), he acknowledged that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is “the most effective tool we have to stop the spread of measles.” This statement marks a dramatic shift in tone for the health secretary, signalling a possible change in the administration’s public health messaging amid mounting criticism over the federal response to the outbreak.