A hospital in Texas on Wednesday confirmed the death of an unvaccinated child who was infected with measles—the first fatality in a two-state measles outbreak that began in January, according to the Associated Press.

In today’s Health Alert, measles cases are climbing across the U.S., with Texas seeing the largest outbreak. Health officials have confirmed 124 cases in the South Plains and Panhandle regions.

As of Feb. 20, there were a total of 93 measles cases reported in eight states: Alaska, California, Georgia, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island and Texas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For comparison, 285 cases were reported in the U.S. in 2024.

With a large, high-profile measles outbreak in West Texas, declining childhood vaccination rates, and the appointment of a vocal vaccine skeptic to America’s top health post, should schools brace for a possible resurgence of once-eradicated diseases?