Texas Measles Death: Parents of Texas children who died from measles stand by decision not to get vaccinated

Lubbock, Texas – Texas parents Deceased 6-year-old unvaccinated girl from measles In a video released on Monday, February 26, the health defense of children from anti-vaccine organisations said it did not convince them that vaccinations against measles were necessary.

“She says he'll still say, 'Don't take a shot,'” said the unidentified translator for her parents. “They think it's not as bad as the media is making it.”

The West Texas measles outbreak is the state's largest outbreak in 30 years, infecting more than 270 people and hospitalising dozens. Public health officials have repeatedly told the Texans that research has had its own experiences that the safest and most effective way to avoid contracting a highly infectious, life-threatening disease is to connect a vaccine with a shot of measles Mumps Lubera.

The couple, who are traditionally members of the Mennonite community in Gaines County, where vaccinations are low, spoke on camera with both CHD executive director Polly Tommy and CHD chief science officer Brian Hooker in both English and low German.

“It was her time on earth,” the translator said her parents told her. “They believe it's better to be where she is.”

“We're definitely not going to take MMR,” the mother said in English. She said her attitude towards vaccination has not changed since her daughter's death.

“The measles wasn't that bad. They got through it pretty quickly,” the mother said of the four other surviving children who were recovered after being treated with castor oil and inhaled steroids.

The couple told CHD that the day her daughter was tired she had measles and the girl's hard-working breathing prompted the couple to take her to Lubbock's contracted children's hospital. There, the girl was intubated and died a few days later. After my sister passed away, the other children came down with measles.

An interview with the parents was recorded on Saturday and was later posted on the Child Health Defense website. It is an organization founded in 2007 by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and is now the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy resigned from the organization in 2023 to run for president.

The father of the deceased girl claimed that measles helps build a person's immune system. “Measles are also good for people,” his father said, explaining, “You get infected.”

Infectious disease experts have urged the public to avoid trying to achieve immunity through measles exposure. Measles is at too high risk, including lifelong complications and death, compared to the generally mild side effects from vaccines.

Located in remote Gaines County, about 400 miles west of Dallas, the Mennonite community is at the heart of the West Texas measles outbreak. As of Tuesday, measles had spread to 279 cases in Gaine and nearby counties.

Covenant Children's Hospital in Lubbock, which cared for the couple's daughter, issued a prepared statement on Thursday. They said in an interview circulating online that “misleading inaccurate claims about the care of children in contracts” hospitals were unable to speak directly about the girl's case due to patient confidentiality laws.

“What we can say is that our physicians and care teams follow evidence-based protocols and make clinical decisions based on the patient's evolving condition, diagnostic findings and the best available medical knowledge,” the statement said.

The children of the contract repeatedly said that measles is a highly contagious, potentially life-threatening disease, often causing serious and well-known complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis.

The hospital urged anyone with questions about measles to contact their health care provider.

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