A single airborne droplet from an infected person can be unknowingly dispersed, containing specks of deadly measles. Measles, one of the most contagious viruses known today, begins to proliferate rapidly after contact, quickly spreading through an infected person’s body. However, symptoms can be unapparent for days, making it far too late for treatments. As of March 2025, a measles outbreak was reported in western Texas and has been spreading nationwide—a shocking 607 cases were identified by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. This flare-up raises many concerns over public health, as it is the first time in over a decade that a measles death has been recorded.
The reason for these skyrocketing numbers? A lack of vaccination regulations that leave individuals vulnerable to serious diseases during an epidemic. In fact, Shiv Sudhakar M.D. for NBC News explained that “measles vaccination rates for young children may be far lower than publicly reported”. It is imperative to spread awareness about the risks of vaccine refusal, and take action to prevent any more unprecedented deaths from occurring.
A life-threatening measles outbreak is currently spreading in 33 jurisdictions throughout the country, and while the cause is still unknown, the virus continues to escalate, with most cases occurring in children and teenagers. This vaccine paranoia is explained from a survey conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at Upenn in 2024: “28% of survey respondents mistakenly believed that COVID-19 vaccines have caused thousands of deaths.”
The finding reflects a growing belief of misconceptions, fueling greater hesitancy to vaccinate and trust public health policies. Yet, this hesitancy unfortunately correlates to the declining percentage of vaccination against measles, where many people do not understand the amount of protection that vaccinations offer.
Measles is an airborne virus that can linger for hours, giving it a much higher infection rate and replicative capacity compared to COVID-19. In Texas, nonmedical exemptions from school-mandated vaccines have led many parents to opt out, lowering the kindergarten vaccination rate to 94.3% and thus, encouraging the measles outburst.
One devastating result of this vaccine paranoia and measles outbreak is the death of 8-year-old Daisy Hildebrand. On April 6th, 2025, Texas state officials confirmed the child’s passing from measles pulmonary failure in Texas, a dangerous type of measles that causes respiratory issues like pneumonia and ARDS. This is only one of over 600 cases across 22 states, and it is crucial for families to be informed about solutions to avoid contracting the contagious disease.
As outbreak cases continue to increase, steps must be taken to mitigate the crisis. There are ways that the measles outbreak can be controlled, such as an MMR medicine injection, a vaccine designed to eliminate measles. In fact, the US Health and Human Services has teamed up with Texas state officials and its secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to confirm that taking a vaccine is the most effective method to prevent the spread of measles.
Nonetheless, many challenges hinder its effectiveness, as Scientific American states: although the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is 97% effective against a measles infection, 95% of a given population “needs to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity”. Therefore, in order to circumvent the possibility of a more hazardous outbreak, three things must be done.
First, public awareness needs to be raised—whether it be with friends or a local community or county, inform others about the risks associated with contracting measles. Second, community leaders need to encourage unvaccinated individuals to visit a healthcare professional if they believe to have contracted or made contact with measles. Third, communities must work toward rebuilding trust in vaccinations, through raising pro-vaccine campaigns or holding events to address individual concerns about getting immunizations.
Vaccinations may seem frightening, unpleasant, and not worth a pharmacy trip—but in reality, they are the sole safeguard against lethal pandemics, such as the one growing rapidly in the United States. Hundreds of unvaccinated families have been caught off-guard and affected by this seemingly unlikely predicament, due to a lack of awareness. Educating others on the significant threats and treatment of viruses like measles is the most necessary step to mitigate further deaths.