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.
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.
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.
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.