A measles outbreak in Texas has taken a devastating turn, with the first fatalities reported. According to Texas and federal health officials, the ongoing outbreak, which has affected over 100 individuals, has now resulted in deaths.

The Texas Department of State Health Services announced the tragic loss of an unvaccinated school-aged child on Wednesday morning. During the first cabinet meeting of the second Trump Administration, held Wednesday afternoon, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the newly appointed U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, revealed that two measles-related deaths have occurred, although he did not provide additional information. To date, at least 124 cases and 18 hospitalizations have been documented, prompting even vaccine-hesitant families in the region to seek vaccination for their children.

The measles outbreak has been ongoing since at least mid-January, primarily affecting individuals in Mennonite communities within the rural South Plains region of western Texas. Many of these individuals are unvaccinated against the highly contagious virus. Health officials attribute the low vaccination rates in these communities to limited interaction with the broader healthcare system, rather than an explicit anti-vaccination stance among residents.

Just a week ago, with 48 reported cases, the measles outbreak had already become the largest in the state in nearly 30 years. Since then, dozens more cases have been reported in both western Texas and a neighboring county in New Mexico. Officials fear that hundreds of residents may ultimately become infected. The death reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services marks the first measles-related fatality in the U.S. since 2015.

Although this outbreak is not directly linked to the anti-vaccination movement, it has persuaded some individuals in the area to reconsider the value of the highly effective measles vaccine, which is administered in combination with vaccines for mumps and rubella. In Lubbock County, one of the areas severely affected by the outbreak, vaccine-hesitant parents have begun sending their children to receive vaccinations. Notably, the child who died from measles was hospitalized in Lubbock County.

“We have vaccinated numerous children who had never been vaccinated before, including some from families that previously did not believe in vaccines,” stated Katherine Wells, director of public health at Lubbock’s health department, in an interview with NBC News on Tuesday.

In the United States, measles has been locally eradicated for over two decades. However, outbreaks can still occur, particularly in areas with vaccination rates below the herd immunity threshold of approximately 94% of the population. Globally, measles remains a significant public health concern. In 2023, an estimated 10 million cases of measles were reported worldwide, representing a 20% increase from the previous year, as well as over 100,000 deaths. Additionally, measles infection is believed to weaken individuals’ immune memory to other common infections.