A second child has died during the ongoing measles outbreak in the United States, as health officials report a sharp increase in cases, particularly in under-vaccinated communities across Texas.
The latest victim, an unvaccinated 8-year-old, died on Thursday after being treated for severe complications linked to measles. The child lived in a Texas community at the center of a significant outbreak that began in late January, according to a hospital spokesperson.
This marks the third measles-related death in the U.S. since the start of 2025. A 6-year-old child died in Texas in February, and New Mexico reported the death of an adult from measles on March 6.
The U.S. has now reported more than double the total number of cases seen in all of 2024. As of early April, 607 cases have been confirmed across 21 states, with Texas accounting for the majority. Several other states are also dealing with active outbreaks, fueled largely by declining vaccination rates.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne virus that spreads easily through coughing, sneezing, or even breathing in close proximity to an infected person. While most children recover, the illness can lead to life-threatening complications such as pneumonia, brain swelling, blindness, and death. The disease is entirely preventable through routine vaccination.
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, but sporadic outbreaks continue, usually triggered by someone infected abroad. Once introduced, the virus can spread rapidly in communities where vaccine coverage falls below the critical threshold of 95% needed for herd immunity.
Health authorities warn that the current outbreak could persist well into next year, echoing a similar surge seen in Europe and Central Asia. In 2023, more than 120,000 cases were reported in those regions—the highest total in a quarter century—according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Between early 2024 and early 2025, over 32,000 measles cases were documented in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, with Romania currently facing the region’s largest outbreak. Officials expect case numbers to rise across Europe in the months ahead, especially in areas with low vaccine uptake.
Globally, measles remains a serious public health threat. An estimated 10.3 million people were infected in 2023, and 107,500 died—many of them young children who had not been vaccinated.
