By Matthew Reichbach
The New Mexico Department of Health announced a Lea County resident tested positive for measles after they died. The department said the official cause of death is still under investigation.
The unidentified person was unvaccinated and did not seek medical care before their death, the department said. NM DOH said according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, this would be the first measles death in New Mexico in at least 40 years.
Before this case, the Department of Health had said there were nine confirmed cases of measles in New Mexico, all in Lea County. That number was unchanged for a week before Thursday’s announcement. The department updates the numbers each Tuesday and Friday.
A top Department of Health official said residents should get vaccinated if they are not already.
“We don’t want to see New Mexicans getting sick or dying from measles,” Dr. Chad Smelser, NMDOH Deputy State Epidemiologist said. “The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is the best protection against this serious disease.”
The Department said one in five of those who contract measles require hospitalization.
Measles is an extremely contagious disease, and there are a number of cases throughout the country, including an outbreak in the South Plains region of Texas, which borders eastern New Mexico.
As of Tuesday, the Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed 159 cases of measles spread throughout nine counties, including several that border New Mexico. One school-age child in Texas died of measles.
The federal government’s response has been criticized, with the actions of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. coming under focus. Kennedy is an anti-vaccination conspiracy theorist, though he offered lukewarm support of measles vaccinations.
Those who have questions about measles are encouraged to call the NMDOH Helpline at 1-833-796-8773 to speak to nurses, who are available in English and Spanish.
Hmmm…the way this was worded suggests that the person in question’s death was not caused BY the measles, merely that they had it at the time of death.
I’m no journalist, but I think it’s generally advisable to wait on your story until all of the facts have been confirmed. But unfortunately, that doesn’t fit the “freak out” narrative that everyone is craving so much these days.
But this is how the news is always reported. Nothing new here.
Just ignorant not to get vaccinated and risky.