Texas Parents Warn Against Shots Despite Death of Their Unvaccinated Child

The parents of an unvaccinated 6-year-old girl who died from measles-related complications at a Lubbock, Texas, hospital on February 25 are urging other parents not to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine despite this being strongly recommended by the relevant health authorities.

The parents, who are Christian Mennonites, said contracting measles can strengthen the immune system and protect against cancer. Health experts say measles can weaken immune system and there is no evidence it prevents cancer.

A spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services told Newsweek: "Our message to the people of Texas has been consistent. Getting vaccinated with two doses of the highly effective MMR vaccine is the best way to protect against measles infection. Measles can have serious complications."

Why It Matters

Texas is currently facing its worst measles outbreak in more than 30 years with 279 cases reported as of March 18, of which 36 resulted in hospitalization and two proved fatal.

Smaller numbers of cases have been reported in other states by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with physician Professor David Fisman telling Newsweek he expects the outbreak to spread further due to "the proliferation of anti-vax disinformation."

What To Know

The parents of the 6-year-old who died, who didn't state their names, were interviewed about what took place by Children's Health Defense, a vaccine skeptic group that was formerly chaired by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now the secretary of health and human services (HHS).

The interview was conducted in a mixture of English and Low German, a dialect widely spoken within the Christian Mennonite community. The child's father said she died of pneumonia, a common cause of death for those infected with measles.

During the interview the mother told other parents "don't do the shot," saying that catching measles boosts the immune system in the long run making an individual less likely to get cancer later on. Medical evidence does not support this claim.

She added that all four of the couple's other children had also contracted measles, but their cases were less severe and they were being treated by a Lubbock physician using cod liver oil and inhaled steroids, which are not conventionally recommended medical treatments.

On March 2, Fox News published an opinion article by Kennedy Jr. in which he endorsed the MMR vaccine, saying it would "not only protect individual children from measles but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons."

However, in a later Fox News interview, Kennedy Jr. also said that the treatments of cod liver oil and steroids also produce "very, very good results," without providing evidence.

What People Are Saying

On its official website, the CDC strongly endorses the MMR vaccine: "The best way to protect against measles is to get the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Children may get the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine instead, which protects against chickenpox too.

"Most people who are vaccinated with MMR & MMRV will be protected for life. Vaccines and high rates of vaccination have made these diseases much less common in the United States."

In an interview with NPR, Professor Stephen Elledge, from Harvard Medical School, said: "Whenever you get measles, you lose some of your immune memory. And the more severe your case of measles is, the longer it lasts, the more of your immune system is destroyed."

Speaking earlier to Newsweek about measles, Professor David Fisman said: "It's highly likely given the fall-off in vaccination rates, the proliferation of anti-vax disinformation, and the apparent disassembly of a lot of federal public health capacity in the U.S. over the past month, that this outbreak will grow, and that we'll see similar outbreaks elsewhere in Texas and in the U.S."

What Happens Next?

More measles cases are expected over the coming weeks, particularly in the current hotspot of Texas and New Mexico. Health care professionals are urging parents to have their children vaccinated with the MMR jab.

Update 3/22/25, 9:07 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with comment from the Texas Department of State Health Services.