Texas records second measles-related death in a child

The second measles-related death in Texas occurred in an unvaccinated 8-year-old girl, Daisy Hildebrand, who died from measles pulmonary failure. This tragic event highlights the importance of vaccination in protecting against the life-threatening complications of measles. Here are the key details:

1. **Outbreak Details**:
- The outbreak has resulted in 481 confirmed cases of measles in Texas since late January.
- Fifty-six people have been hospitalized due to the outbreak.
2. **Child’s Background**:
- Daisy Hildebrand was an unvaccinated school-aged child from Gaines County.
- She had no underlying health conditions that would have predisposed her to severe illness.
3. **Cause of Death**:
- Daisy died from measles pulmonary failure, a complication that can occur in severe measles cases.
- This is the second measles-related death in the outbreak, with the first being an unvaccinated 6-year-old girl, Kayley Fehr, who died in February.
4. **Outbreak Spread**:
- The outbreak has spread across multiple states, including Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and others, with cases linked to each other through unvaccinated individuals.
- The World Health Organization has reported cases in Mexico that are linked to the Texas outbreak.
5. **Public Health Response**:
- Health officials, including Texas Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have deployed resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to manage the outbreak.
- The outbreak has highlighted the importance of vaccination in protecting against measles and its complications.

This tragic situation underscores the critical role vaccination plays in preventing the spread of measles and protecting vulnerable populations, especially children. It also emphasizes the need for public health measures to increase vaccination rates and control outbreaks.