On Wednesday, Health officials with the City of Lubbock and the Department of State Health Services confirmed the first death related to the ongoing West Texas measles outbreak.
According to the city, the patient was an unvaccinated school-age child who traveled to Lubbock for care.
In a press conference in Lubbock Wednesday evening, health officials confirmed that the death was caused by complications with the measles virus. Due to privacy concerns and HIPAA laws, no further details were provided on that case.
Dr. Amy Thompson is the chief executive officer of Covenant Health in Lubbock. At the conference, she said around twenty patients had been admitted to Covenant Children’s Hospital.
“We have several of those who have required intensive care as a result of having the measles," Thompson said. "And as you can see from today's news, this virus can have severe and deadly consequences.”
The last reported measles death in the U.S. was in 2015. Covenant Health’s chief medical officer, Dr. Lara Johnson, said the virus has a high risk of complications, such as respiratory issues, swelling of the brain, and even neurological issues years after infection.
Johnson said there is a higher risk of complications for unvaccinated patients than for those who are vaccinated.
She also said vaccines are the best way to contain the spread of measles.
“If you have high vaccination rates, then even when you do have a case here or a case there, or a little outbreak here or a little outbreak there, it can't spread," Johnson explained.
The outbreak was first identified in late January in Gaines County. Since then, related cases have been confirmed in at least nine Texas counties from the top of the Panhandle to the Permian basin. In Lea County, across the state line in New Mexico, nine cases have been confirmed.
While early cases were traced to remote West Texas communities, it has now sparked health concerns statewide.
Earlier this week, a public health alert was issued in Hays County, in the San Antonio-area, after a person with measles traveled there from Gaines County. So far, there are no confirmed cases in that region.
Rockwall County, next to Dallas, confirmed its first measles case in an unvaccinated adult on Wednesday. The county’s health authority says the case is not believed to be tied to the outbreak in West Texas.
Health officials insist this outbreak is not like COVID-19. Most people with both doses of the vaccine are considered protected for life. Five cases have been reported in vaccinated individuals, but Johnson said all the hospitalized patients at Covenant have been unvaccinated.
Tuesday's release from the state’s health department confirmed 124 cases connected to the West Texas outbreak since the outbreak began. Given the low vaccination rate of the most affected areas, Johnson expects that number to continue rising.
“Unfortunately, statistically, there's a significant risk of having, of having a death," Johnson said. "I certainly hope we don't see any more. But I think we're fairly early still in this outbreak.”
The largest measles outbreak in the U.S. in the last 30 years was in 2019, when 1,249 cases across 31 states were reported to the Centers for Disease Control. According to the CDC, no deaths were reported in connection with that outbreak.
Health officials recommended those who are experiencing symptoms or who have been exposed to measles stay at home and call a healthcare provider rather than going into a doctor’s office waiting room and risking further exposure.