Increase in measles cases in Texas, 1 death

State authorities have reported a recent measles outbreak in Texas, resulting in a minimum of 159 confirmed cases. This outbreak has led to the hospitalization of 22 individuals and the death of an unvaccinated school-aged child with no pre-existing medical conditions. In response to the escalating outbreak, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has dispatched federal infectious disease specialists to assist the Texas Department of State Health Services. Government sources indicate that physicians are employing alternative therapies, including budesonide and cod liver oil, in the successful management of measles cases. The importance of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine in the prevention of severe illness has been emphasized by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., despite the assertion that vaccination is a matter of individual discretion.