# First Measles death in Texas - Feb, 2025, and now in other parts of the US **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 26, 2025, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834 "2025-02-26T16:56:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/61 "2025-03-04T18:08:26Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Could you expand on the ethical issues? I never had mumps as a kid, and when our first daughter was born, and got MMR, her pediatrician vaccinated me also I would also consult an infectious disease specialist if there is one within reasonable reach. They are not only going to be the most clinically proficient in the details of the issue, they will also know how and where to obtain whichever vaccines are appropriate. Sometimes that might mean going through a speciality office preparing people to travel abroad for the more exotic and esoteric vaccines. As for the Band parent/pediatrician who declined vaccinating an adult, I suspect it was far less ‘ethical’ issues as it was a sanitized way for them to shield themselves from potential liability in case of a problematic vaccine reaction, even as rare as they are. Some doctors are more risk adverse than others and they might have been one. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2025, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/62 "2025-03-04T18:39:37Z")
Basically, I’m not her patient, and she did not feel that she would be able to give me the vaccine in a non-emergency situation. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/63 "2025-03-05T01:33:40Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > There will be some trusted advisor, likely a pastor, plus all their friends, close at hand to tell them it was God’s will … And Biden’s fault ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/64 "2025-03-05T01:58:13Z")
More so than the justifications, what terrifies me is that in the current political climate, that this easily-avoidable tragedy could be an _excuse_. From the MAGA POV, this leads realllllly easily into a variant of the traditional ‘impure blood’ so beloved of Fascists. > “This all happened because those OTHER people (Mennonites) with their weird worship _Poisoned_ our good, healthy, Real God-loving people, who were trusting to Trump and God to keep them safe as they should. The innocent blood is on _their_ hands, because if we didn’t let those OTHERS (immigrants, non-Christians, Liberal, Criminals, etc.) and their evils invade our righteous Christian nation, than this never would have happened. We are being punished for the sin of tolerance, but no more. By executive order, the following groups will be segregated for the protection of all good (as defined by us) god-fearing Americans: [list to follow, and to be amended at whim]” A chance to claim power, remove any claim of responsibility, AND let MAGA followers feel victimized by “others” for their own failures? I bet @Maserschmidt’s hypothetical pastor and their ilk have already or are in the process of demanding such things. Excuse me, I feel sick for typing this, I need a drink. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/65 "2025-03-05T16:50:53Z")
> [@Maus\_Magill](#): > > Basically, I’m not her patient, and she did not feel that she would be able to give me the vaccine in a non-emergency situation. That’s odd, since I get a lot of my vaccinations from the pharmacy. Maybe she was overly worried about it. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/66 "2025-03-05T17:19:54Z")
Or maybe she didn’t want to practice medicine on her day off. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/67 "2025-03-05T17:34:37Z")
There has got to be a name for the fallacy of “I’ll get the disease now so I won’t get it later.” That’s like an airplane pilot saying that if he crashes his plane now, he guarantees the airplane won’t get into a crash later, or a homeowner saying if his house burns down now, it won’t burn down later. It’s getting Outcome X to prevent Outcome X. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/68 "2025-03-05T18:15:09Z")
You don’t have to do that. Get the Shingrix vaccine. MMR is widely available. It shouldn’t be that difficult to find. I heard some talking head doctor on TV say if you had your infant shots in the mid 1960s, your shots may not protect you. They used a different vaccine thats not as long lasting preventatative/protection. Here in SW Arkansas the school my grand kids go to is verifying vaccination records. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/69 "2025-03-05T18:21:49Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > MMR is widely available. It shouldn’t be that difficult to find. My local grocery store pharmacy offers MMR for $93 with GoodRx. Shingrix is $0 with 98% of insurance carriers. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/70 "2025-03-05T18:38:13Z")
I’ve never had an insurance refuse to pay for a vaccination. (Don’t wanna think about what will happen if they outlaw, that)I do find $93 to be an obscene price, tho’. Any county health department has MMR and Tetanus. Not so with Shingrex. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/71 "2025-03-05T18:48:48Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I heard some talking head doctor on TV say if you had your infant shots in the mid 1960s, your shots may not protect you. They used a different vaccine thats not as long lasting preventatative/protection. There were a couple of measles vaccines used in the 1960s. One, an inactivated (killed virus) vaccine was withdrawn in 1967 for not being sufficiently protective against measles; the other (using a weakened Edmonston measles strain) was withdrawn later on in favor of another attentuated vaccine that was equally effective but less prone to cause fever and rash in a relatively few vaccine recipients. Info [here](https://www.chop.edu/vaccine-update-healthcare-professionals/newsletter/what-should-i-know-about-new-mmr-vaccine-priorix) on a recently approved new MMR vaccine. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/72 "2025-03-05T22:06:47Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > That’s like an airplane pilot saying that if he crashes his plane now, he guarantees the airplane won’t get into a crash later, or a homeowner saying if his house burns down now, it won’t burn down later. [‘We’ll take the house… Honey, the chances of another plane hitting this house are astronomical. See…it’s been pre-disastered!’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBSAeqdcZAM) ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/73 "2025-03-05T22:14:45Z")
Exactly what I was thinking. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/74 "2025-03-05T23:08:28Z")
There are diseases that are much better to have as a child than an adult. IOW, in the absence of vaccines, sooner is much better than later. Given that, statistically speaking, you _will_ catch it eventually. In the presence of effective vaccines, the right answer changes to “get vaccinated early and never catch it”. As with so many things in current US society we are approaching having two separate populations: those who refuse vaccines and those who have access to effective vaccines. Gonna suck to be the former group even as they visit unnecessary disease upon the latter group. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/75 "2025-03-05T23:11:55Z")
To make sure this is very clear: measles is _not_ only a Texas problem. Just biggest number there. [https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5173803-9-states-report-measles-cases-as-outbreaks-grow/](https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5173803-9-states-report-measles-cases-as-outbreaks-grow/) > [@](#): > > While the focus in recent weeks has been on Texas, eight other states have confirmed cases of the virus, the CDC reports. Nine cases have been confirmed in [New Mexico’s Lea County](https://www.nmhealth.org/about/erd/ideb/mog/), and at least one case has been confirmed in Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. > > Twenty percent of the reported cases have required hospitalization, according to the CDC. Most of those infected have been children. On one hand the 20% hospitalization rate is likely inflated, as there are likely many more cases out there unreported. Of course OTOH _there are likely many more cases out there unreported!_ Those states with only one case _reported_ most assuredly have many more out there. We have a few vaccine delayers and refusers in our practice. But on the plus side we also have many more wondering about getting the second dose early (an option) or even the first one early (still need two additional beginning at 12 months plus. We are neither recommending for against those options but will schedule for them if parents request. This last year we also had record numbers of pertussis in our area and in our practice. Apparently coming down now but most severe influenza season since sometime pre-Covid. Not all of the weird infectious disease stuff is the fault of vaccine refusers. We have also had huge numbers of Mycoplasma pneumonia. But our monitoring and response systems are being gutted. I was not as worried about Covid early on as some (and was not on board with all highly aggressive responses with adequate consideration of the harms), but I am now personally very nervous that something very bad infectious disease wise is coming our way and we will be flatfooted when it does. ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2025, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/76 "2025-03-05T23:16:09Z")
I walked into my local CVS last week and got an MMR booster. Free with insurance. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/77 "2025-03-06T01:38:02Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > those who have access to effective vaccines. Theoretically both populations have equal access to vaccines\*. It’s the uptake that is uneven and that is a matter of choice\*\*. \*being uninsured, homeless, etc could be a barrier, especially in locales without robust outreach and public health services. Lately I could understand undocumented residents being afraid to be seen by much less approach public health services. That’s on us, not them. \*\*they have equal access, either through insurance or public health. It’s ignorance or cult fealty that is the barrier and that’s completely of their choosing. I have no empathy to spare for them, only fury at the risk and harm they bring down on their children or immunocompromised and vulnerable people like me. Fie on them! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/78 "2025-03-06T03:04:17Z")
> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > Theoretically both populations have equal access to vaccines\*. It’s the uptake that is uneven and that is a matter of choice\*\*. As I said: two populations: those who have access and those who refuse access. Substantially no one is denied access. The catch-a-disease parties were a reasonable response to some diseases, not all, before the relevant vaccines were invented. Not now for any communicable disease we do have a vaccine for. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/79 "2025-03-06T04:06:57Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Not now for any communicable disease we do have a vaccine for. Very minor quibble, and IMHO fully implied by you, but what I want to make explicit. There’s also a class of vaccines that while available, are comparatively rarely needed (until they are) that are often Not Covered by insurance (or not at a reasonable cost). Access that isn’t affordable to the masses is a very _rare_ exception however. Most insurance in the USA is required to provide a no deductible, no copay service when in network, see: > **[Resources for Adult Vaccination Insurance and Payment](https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-adults/hcp/adult-payment-insurance-resources/index.html#:~:text=Private%20Insurance%20Coverage,they%20are%2026%20years%20old)** > > For health care providers to help understand vaccines insurance coverage. BUT. Considering who has been placed in charge of such, who knows what will be “approved by ACIP and adopted by the CDC Director” and thus subject to such requirements going forward. Or even if legislation requiring health insurance companies to do such will be required, rewritten, or just ignored. So, on the balance, @LSLGuy and @BippityBoppityBoo are correct in their descriptions, but _going forward_, well, uncharted territory. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2025, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834/80 "2025-03-06T11:55:04Z")
I fully agree w your good points. But I will suggest that as to nearly _everything_ about our society, it’s all uncharted territory going forward. 100% of our government, 100% of our laws, 100% of our regulations, and 100% of both business and citizen behavior is uncharted territory going forward. So _any_ statement about how anything is today has the implied caveat “until it’s turned inside out by upcoming events”. Sux to be us. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-measles-death-in-texas-feb-2025-and-now-in-other-parts-of-the-us/1014834.md?page=5)