A recent measles outbreak in Texas centered in the western part of the state has topped 500 cases, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
The outbreak has produced 505 identifiable cases of measles “since late January” and 57 hospitalizations, according to a Tuesday update.
“There have been two fatalities in school-aged children who lived in the outbreak area. The children were not vaccinated and had no known underlying conditions,” the update reads. “Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in the outbreak area and the surrounding communities.”
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine as the “most effective” way to prevent the spread of measles in a post on the social platform X on Sunday.
“In early March, I deployed a CDC team to bolster local and state capacity for response across multiple Texas regions, supply pharmacies and Texas run clinics with needed MMR vaccines and other medicines and medical supplies, work with local schools and healthcare facilities to support contact investigations, and to reach out to communities, including faith leaders, to answer any questions or respond to locations seeking healthcare,” Kennedy said in his post.
“Since that time, the growth rates for new cases and hospitalizations have flattened. The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine,” he added.
Kennedy has a history of controversial views on health, notably on vaccines, and founded an anti-vaccine organization. Last month, Kennedy told HHS staff that a new presidential commission will look at the childhood vaccine schedule as a possible cause of the U.S.’s epidemic of chronic disease.
