Death followed the outbreak of 159 measles in West Texas, leading to the death of a child.
A New Mexico-based adult infected with measles has died, state health officials said on March 6.
The person’s age or other demographics were not released immediately. Individuals were not vaccinated and were not seeking medical care, a representative from the state health department said in a statement.
The person lived in Lee County, which crossed the state border near the West Texas area, where 159 measles outbreaks led to the death of a child. This is Texas’ largest number of measles cases in nearly 30 years, and marks the first US death from a highly contagious but preventable respiratory disease since 2015, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, New Mexico’s health officials have not yet linked Thursday’s death to the Texas outbreak, which began in late January.
The person is Lee County’s 10th confirmed case of measles infection. Seven cases are people who have not been vaccinated, and the other three conditions are unknown. Six cases are adults, with the rest being under the age of 17.
The CDC said on March 4 that it was sending teams to Texas to help local public health officials respond to the outbreak.
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He said he is deeply concerned about the Texas outbreak and directs the CDC and the administration to strategically prepare and respond to support local health officials.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (HHS) includes providing technical assistance, clinical testing, vaccines and therapeutic agents, where necessary. The CDC is in continuous communication with Texas health officials to ensure a coordinated and effective response to contain the outbreak,” Kennedy added.
He never told parents to vaccinate their children, saying, “The vaccination decision is personal.” Calling herself a “vaccine safety advocate,” Kennedy has been under scrutiny for past criticism of infant vaccines, which she claims may be linked to autism.
A month before returning to the White House, President Donald Trump said in December 2024 that if Kennedy confirms that HHS will be led by the Senate, he will give Kennedy the freedom to investigate whether childhood vaccines are linked to autism.
Jeff Louderback and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
