Wisconsin reports first measles death since 1990

An infant in Wisconsin has died of measles, marking the state’s first measles-related death since 1990, state health officials announced Thursday. A coroner listed measles as the infant’s immediate cause of death, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services said.

Recent deaths

The death is the third measles-related death reported in the U.S. this week. Pennsylvania reported a measles-associated death on Wednesday, its sixth this year, involving an unvaccinated resident in Jefferson County who tested positive for measles. New York announced on Monday that a child in Lewis County had died of measles.

In total, the U.S. has recorded eight measles-associated deaths this year, according to state health department data. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed four of those deaths and says it will update its count “as additional information becomes available and relevant reviews are completed.” None of the eight people who have died were vaccinated, according to state health departments; some were ineligible because of their age or health status.

Wisconsin outbreak and response

Wisconsin has confirmed 431 cases of measles and nine hospitalizations related to the illness, according to the Washington Examiner. Around 85% of kindergartners in Wisconsin have been vaccinated against measles, below the national average of 92%. Experts say 95% is the threshold needed to keep the population protected. The Washington Examiner reports that only 79.8% of children in Wisconsin received one or more doses of the MMR vaccine by the time they were 24 months old.

The Wisconsin health department is recommending an early dose of the measles vaccine for infants as young as 6 months who are at increased risk of exposure. Around 500 such early doses have been administered since August, said Dr. Stephanie Schauer, the immunization program director at the Wisconsin health department. The department has sent out 2,000 additional measles vaccine doses to local health departments over the last few months.

National context

Nationally, the CDC has confirmed 4,852 measles cases this year — more than double last year’s count and the most since 1991. Pennsylvania’s outbreak, which began in April, is the largest in the country, with a case total approaching 1,500 across 45 counties, according to the state Health Department. Measles has been considered eliminated in the U.S. since 2000. The Pan American Health Organization, a group within the World Health Organization, will meet next week to determine whether the U.S. should lose its elimination status.

Why it matters

The infant’s death is Wisconsin’s first from measles in more than 30 years and comes as the U.S. records its highest measles death toll since 1991. Health officials say vaccination is the key to stopping transmission, with two doses of the measles vaccine 97% effective against the disease.

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Sources

• washingtonexaminer.com: Wisconsin reports first measles death in over 30 years
• nbcnews.com: Wisconsin reports first measles death in decades, the U.S.’ third this week

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.