A child who was not vaccinated has died from measles in West Texas, the first death in an outbreak that began late last month and the first from measles in the U.S. since 2015.

The death was a “school-aged child who was not vaccinated” and had been hospitalized last week, the Texas Department of State Health Services said Wednesday in a statement. Lubbock health officials also confirmed the death, but neither agency provided more details. A news conference is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office.

MBFC
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    • MuskyMelon@lemmy.world
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      3 hours ago

      Nah, they’ll wish there was a way to protect their child from dangerous childhood diseases and that the fascist medical system failed them.

      • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
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        3 hours ago

        Ah, also another classic.

        A big storm approaches. The weatherman urges everyone to get out of town. The priest says, “I won’t worry, God will save me”.

        The morning of the storm, the police go through the neighborhood with a sound truck telling everyone to evacuate. The priest says “I won’t worry, God will save me”.

        The storm drains back up and there is an inch of water standing in the street. A fire truck comes by to pick up the priest. He tells them “Don’t worry, God will save me.”

        The water rises another foot. A National Guard truck comes by to rescue the priest. He tells them “Don’t worry, God will save me.”

        The water rises some more. The priest is forced up to his roof. A boat comes by to rescue the priest. He tells them “Don’t worry, God will save me.”

        The water rises higher. The priest is forced up to the very top of his roof. A helicopter comes to rescue the priest. He shouts up at them “Don’t worry, God will save me.”

        The water rises above his house, and the priest drowns.

        When he gets up to heaven he says to God “I’ve been your faithful servant ever since I was born! Why didn’t you save me?”

        God replies "First I sent you a fire truck, then the national guard, then a boat, and then a helicopter. What more do you want from me!!??

  • hperrin@lemmy.ca
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    4 hours ago

    That child died because their parents are fucking morons. They should be held accountable.

    • NatakuNox@lemmy.world
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      30 minutes ago

      Yup. Or if you don’t vacate yourself or your children you shouldn’t be allowed to travel, go to events, and you get medical care in a tent outside

  • TheCelticPirate@lemmy.world
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    5 hours ago

    That poor kid. Easily preventable if they didn’t have stupid parents. At what point can we hold the parents accountable?

    • ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org
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      5 hours ago

      When the parents are irresponsible, most other nations step in and make the responsible choice for their children in their place, whether the dumb parents like it or not.

      But in the US, the state is even more irresponsible than the parents.

      What a sad, sad country it has become…

      • Dr. Zoidberg@lemmy.world
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        5 hours ago

        The only one that suffered, and paid any consequences, was that poor kid. They should be charged with child endangerment, and probably manslaughter, since this was completely avoidable.

        • TipRing@lemmy.world
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          4 hours ago

          I think in Texas it would be criminally negligent homicide, but I doubt the conservative justice system there will punish anyone for intentionally not preventing a deadly disease.

          • Billiam@lemmy.world
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            3 hours ago

            I think in Texas it would be criminally negligent homicide

            Nah, it wasn’t a fetus so this is just a perfectly normal case of God’s Will.

      • MagicShel@lemmy.zip
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        4 hours ago

        I’m pretty sure they’d say that god’s plan, like every other bit of knowledge that might improve their lives, is unfathomable.

        Despite most of the rest of the world fathoming it just fine.

  • The Picard Maneuver@lemmy.world
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    5 hours ago

    The danger of a measles outbreak is especially scary if you have a baby, because they can’t even get this vaccination until 12 months old. Similar if you’re immunocompromised, I’m sure.

    This is why herd immunity is so important.

  • danekrae@lemmy.world
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    5 hours ago

    Hopefully the poor parents can find some comfort in the fact, that at least the child wasn’t infected with autism…

  • normalexit@lemmy.world
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    5 hours ago

    This is really sad for an easily preventable disease. Below the fold, they mention this (which a lot of people won’t see without reading the article)

    The outbreak is largely spreading in the Mennonite community in West Texas, where small towns are separated by vast stretches of oil rig-dotted open land but connected due to people traveling between towns for work, church, grocery shopping and other errands.

  • Kyrgizion@lemmy.world
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    4 hours ago

    Hope the parents’ lives are completely ruined now. But they’re probably already busy on the replacement. That’s what they want to bring back: a world where a woman has to carry 18 pregnancies to term in hopes of having one or two that survive to adulthood. Good times.

  • WHARRGARBL@lemmy.world
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    5 hours ago

    The report states that this was a “school-age child”. Because the outbreak is primarily in rural west Texas Mennonite families, the child was likely homeschooled and with parents who, while not opposed to vaccines, are on the fundamental side of religion. Mennonite is like Amish-lite.

    I believe this may have been a combination of poor education, jesus stuff, and misplaced faith in isolation.

    • breakfastmtn@lemmy.caOP
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      5 hours ago

      Is that true of these Mennonites in West Texas? Mennonites are a pretty diverse group. I had a friend who was Mennonite and his parents were biker metalheads. He was a straightedge, vegan hardcore guy. You’d never confuse them for Amish.

      • WHARRGARBL@lemmy.world
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        4 hours ago

        I’m not west Texas Mennonite, so I couldn’t say with authority. Both Amish and Mennonite are Anabaptist, but Mennonites don’t eschew electricity, cars, and technology.

        The Mennonite families I’ve known were rural and lived in a more humble fashion with a hard-working ethic reminiscent of 1950’s USA. They were also inclusive, so they probably would embrace biker metalheads.

  • yesman@lemmy.world
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    5 hours ago

    Saying that this child’s death was because of it’s parents decision is cutting off the chain of causality way too soon. It forgives all the grifters and the culture of anti-science.

    These parents have lost their child, but they didn’t disappear, the kid transformed into a political football. People calling for “accountability” like this family got away with something haven’t thought this through. And frankly I have serious doubts that they give one tiny shit about a dead kid; they’re here to play football.