Worst measles outbreak in years

Officials have confirmed 293 cases of measles across Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma, all linked to the outbreak that began in Gaines County, Texas. Two people have died from the measles since the outbreak &mdash including an unvaccinated child, the first in a decade in Texas.

Vaccination rates against diseases like the measles has dropped in recent years, and in most US states, fallen below the 95% threshold scientists consider necessary for the herd immunity required to prevent the spread.

US health secretary, RFK Jr., chaired the Children's Health Defense nonprofit group known for anti-vaccine misinformation 2015 to 2023, earning more than $1M from the organization during that time. As US health secretary, he has paid lip service to the importance of vaccines but insisted that its use is a personal choice and has instead promoted unproven alternative treatments. He also continues to promote the widely debunked idea that vaccines cause autism.

Source: Vox