An unvaccinated New Mexico resident has tested positive for the virus in a posthumous test, according to a report from the state Department of Health. Officials have not yet confirmed that measles is the official cause of death, but it seems to be the second linked to the epidemic spreading in Texas and New Mexico.
The first death in a decade was reported last week in an unvaccinated school-age child in Texas. The child was one of 159 confirmed cases in West Texas, most of them in Gaines County. In neighboring Lea County, New Mexico, 10 cases have been identified, and health officials are investigating whether there is a direct link between the outbreaks in the two states.
Meanwhile, Dr. Chad Smelser, deputy state epidemiologist for the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH), urged residents to get vaccinated, stressing that contracting the disease exposes them to serious health risks. “We don’t want to see new residents get sick or die from measles,” he said in a statement. “The measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is the best protection against this serious disease.”
Currently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms 164 cases in nine states. These are Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, and Texas. As of a few weeks ago, the CDC had already warned that measles is highly contagious and dangerous especially for young children, pregnant women, and in immunocompromised individuals. Those who contract it can report even fatal complications. Therefore, experts stress that the MMR vaccine remains the most effective defense.
In detail, the CDC recommends that children receive their first dose between 12 and 15 months and a second dose between 4 and 6 years of age. Recently, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who is notoriously opposed to vaccines, directly addressed American parents urging them to vaccinate their children, stating however, “The decision to vaccinate is a personal one.”
