A child has died of measles in West Texas, the first known death from an outbreak of the disease that is spreading in the state and in neighboring New Mexico, officials said on Wednesday. The patient was an unvaccinated school-age child who had died in the previous 24 hours. At least 124 cases of measles have been identified in Texas since late January, mostly among children and teenagers who are either unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. Eighteen have been hospitalized. Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness that can be life-threatening to anyone who is not protected against the virus. The best way to protect against the disease is with two doses of a vaccine, which is usually administered to children as a combination measles-mumps-rubella, or MMR, vaccine. Two doses of the MMR vaccine prevent more than 97 percent of measles infections.
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