Second Child Dies in Texas Measles Outbreak as RFK Jr. Finally Admits Vaccine Works

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Second Child Dies in Texas Measles Outbreak

Science News

In a heartbreaking turn of events, a second unvaccinated child has succumbed to a measles-related illness in West Texas, intensifying fears as the region’s outbreak spirals out of control.

The school-aged child, who passed away while receiving treatment for measles complications, marks the latest casualty in a preventable crisis that has now claimed multiple lives. With the U.S. tally soaring past 600 confirmed cases—nearly 500 in Texas alone—alarm bells are ringing louder than ever.

Second Child Dies in Texas Measles Outbreak

The child’s death, confirmed by UMC Health System in Lubbock, comes amid a still-growing epidemic that has spread across 22 states, leaving health experts and communities reeling.

This tragedy follows the death of another unvaccinated Texas child in February—the first measles-related fatality in the U.S. in a decade—along with an adult in New Mexico, bringing the outbreak’s death toll to three. Both children hailed from the same Mennonite community, known for shunning vaccines due to religious beliefs, spotlighting the dire consequences of vaccine hesitancy.

Enter Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the controversial U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, whose tenure has been marred by criticism over his handling of this very crisis.

Long a vocal vaccine skeptic, Kennedy visited West Texas on Sunday, April 6, 2025, to console grieving families and attend the funeral of 8-year-old Daisy Hildebrand—the second child lost to this outbreak.

In a stunning reversal, he took to X to declare, “The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine,” a statement that has left jaws on the floor given his decades-long history of casting doubt on vaccines.

But is this admission too little, too late? Critics like Dr. Paul Offit, a leading vaccine expert, aren’t holding back, slamming Kennedy’s response as “abysmal” and blaming his past misinformation for fueling the outbreak.

“The disease has returned because a critical percentage of parents have chosen not to vaccinate their children, in large part because of misinformation provided by people like RFK Jr.,” Offit told Yahoo News.

Posts on X echo the outrage, with users like @JaneSan99923908 raging, “DOES HE WANT TO SURVEY HOW HIS IGNORANCE IS KILLING THE CHILDREN?”

The MMR vaccine—proven 97% effective after two doses—has been a cornerstone of public health for over 60 years, yet Kennedy’s earlier reluctance to fully endorse it has drawn fierce backlash. Just last month, he penned an op-ed for Fox News hinting at vaccine risks, even as cases surged.

Now, with the CDC redeployed to Texas at Governor Greg Abbott’s request and pharmacies stocked with vaccines, Kennedy claims his efforts have “flattened” the outbreak’s growth. But with 642 cases nationwide and counting, many wonder why this shift didn’t come sooner.

As the Senate health committee summons Kennedy to testify on Thursday, the nation watches a drama unfold: a health secretary pivoting under pressure, grieving families left in the wake, and a preventable disease roaring back with a vengeance. Will this tragedy finally spark action—or is the damage already done? One thing’s clear: the stakes couldn’t be higher, and the clock is ticking.

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