Health

What to know about measles amid deadly outbreak in Texas

Health officials say it's important for parents to have their children vaccinated against measles

NBC Universal, Inc.

A recent resurgence of measles has people worried about health.

An outbreak has now infected more than 120 people in Texas. It claimed the life of a child, the first death from measles in the U.S. in a decade.

WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE

icon

Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are.

"We are seeing a very big measles outbreak," said Dr. Shira Doron, chief infection control officer at Tufts Medicine Health System.

Most of the infected are part of a Mennonite community with low vaccination rates.

There are a handful of cases in other states, including one in Rhode Island and one in New York.

"Measles is the most contagious virus that we know," said Doron. "When people are not immune to it, it spreads like wildfire."

Health officials in Lubbock, Texas, held a press conference on Wednesday following confirmation of the first death related to the current measles outbreak.

Doron says measles cases do pop up occasionally, but this time, it's different.

"It's unusual in that we don't see outbreaks every day," said Doron. "We're seeing more measles outbreaks in 2025 already than we typically see. This outbreak is growing very quickly."

The measles vaccine is common for most children, and has helped to make the virus rare.

"It's a required vaccine in Massachusetts to go to school for this very reason," said Dr. Robyn Riseberg, a pediatrician in Boston.

She says it's critical to urge parents to get their children vaccinated.

"We have to remember there's a lot of science behind vaccines, and we absolutely know they work," said Riseberg.

Contact Us