RFK JR to visit Texas while Morbillo’s outbreak states that the life of the second child and epidemic continues to spread
Another child died measles In Texas. President Donald TrumpSecretary of Health and Human Services Robert F Kennedy Jr According to reports, it is planning a journey Texas After learning about the second death. According to reports, Kennedy is planning to participate in the child’s funeral, according to The guardian.
An 8 -year -old girl died early on Thursday morning from “Morbillo pulmonary insufficiency“While he was treated in hospital in Lubbock, Texasaccording to the New York Times.
His death is the second linked to a Morbillo outbreak in Western Texas And the second linked to the disease in the United States in a decade. Dozens of residents in the region – even in the neighboring states – have been infected.
On Sunday the UMC health system said that the girl had not been vaccinated against the disease and had no underlying health conditions that contributed to her death.
THE First death In the region it was also an unvaccinated child who died in February. There may be a third death: a Individual not vaccinated in New Mexico – Anyone was positive for measles. Health officials are still trying to confirm whether the measles were the cause of the individual’s death.
The western Texas has reported 480 cases of measles, with consequent 56 hospitalizations, from the beginning of the epidemic in January. The infections fell ill 54 people in New Mexico and 10 others in Oklahoma.
Public health officials in the region provide that the epidemic will continue for a year, putting at risk the state of elimination of the morbillo in the area – which has gained in 2000 – at risk.
Morbillo is extremely contagious. It can linger in the air for a maximum of two hours after someone infected has left a room and can spread through breath, cough or sneezing.
In most cases, the symptoms of measles – such as rashes, high fever, coughing, noses that collapse and red eyes – will appease in a few weeks. But in rare cases, it can cause pneumonia, which is particularly dangerous for children, the elderly and individuals with compromised immune systems.
The disease can also cause swelling of the brain, which can cause blindness, deafness and intellectual disability.
Kennedy has has faced criticism For its management of the epidemic, especially considering that the HHS boss is a skeptic of vocal vaccine. He widely supported the measles vaccine, but also underlined alternative and not tested treatments to combat the disease, such as the use of cod liver oil.
Texas doctors said to Times The fact that Kennedy’s approval of alternative treatments has contributed to some patients waiting to look for medical care, also consuming toxic levels of Vitamin A.
Experts are concerned that the decision of the Trump administration to extract funding from the local health departments will also increase the probability of large multi-state outbreaks.
Sunday, dr. Peter Marks, who resigned from his position at the Food and Drug Administration, where he supervised the Agency’s vaccine program, blamed Kennedy and his staff for the death of the child.
“This is the epitome of an unnecessary absolute death,” said Marks al Associated Press Sunday. “These children should be vaccinated – that’s how it prevents people from dying of measles.”
He said he the Senate warned That more deceased deaths would occur if the Trump administration refused to undertake a more aggressive action to curb the epidemic.
The Senate Health Committee called Kennedy to testify on Thursday.
One of the members of this committee is the republican senator Bill Cassidy, a doctor and a supporter of the vaccine. Although he joined his republican colleagues confirming Kennedy During his hearing, he took a stronger position on the need for vaccinations than the HHS head.
Sunday, Cassidy released a statement by saying that “everyone should be vaccinated”.
He said that “there is no advantage to obtain measles” and that “the best health officials should say it unequivocally (first) another child dies”.
Starting from Friday, the The United States have more than 600 measles Cases this year, more than double the number of cases throughout 2024.
Director of the public health of Lubbock, Katherine Wells, NBC news That the actual number of infected individuals is probably much higher than what has been reported, since many who are infected may not be tested for the disease.
He said that she and other health officials ask families to have their children vaccinated against measles.
According to the US centers for the control and prevention of diseases, only two doses of the MMR vaccine are needed for vaccination and is 97 %effective. The MMR vaccine is safe and has been safely administered to children for decades.
