A second child with measles has died in Texas, state officials said today, amidst an outbreak of the childhood disease.
The outbreak has resulted in nearly 500 cases in Texas, and has spread across 22 states.
The unvaccinated school-aged child, who had no underlying health conditions, died on Thursday (local time) in the hospital from measles pulmonary failure, the Texas Department of State Health Services said.
“The child was receiving treatment for complications of measles while hospitalized,” Aaron Davis, a spokesperson for UMC Health System in Lubbock, Texas, said in an email.
It is the second death of a child in Texas since the measles outbreak began in late January in Gaines County, where the vaccination rate is about 82%, below the 95% considered protective for those who cannot be vaccinated.
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