Alabama's Top Doctor Urges Vaccinations After Measles Kills Child

Alabama's top doctor is urging families to vaccinate their children after a measles outbreak in Texas claimed the life of a child this week - the first US fatality caused by measles in 10 years.

After news of the fatality broke, as measles spread through more than 100 people in two states, State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris published a blog Wednesday asking for help preventing the same fate here in Alabama.

"Measles is a highly contagious viral respiratory disease. A single case will infect up to 95 percent of unvaccinated people and is expected to result in 12 to 18 additional cases," he wrote. "It is remarkably easy for measles to spread. Measles may live up to 2 hours in the air or on surfaces after an infected person coughs or sneezes. People can spread measles to others 4 days before and 4 days after a rash appears. Measles is spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing and touching items and surfaces the infected person has coughed or sneezed on. Measles symptoms appear 7 to 14 days after a person is infected."

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Cases of the virus, which had been more or less eradicated by widespread vaccination, are rapidly rising in largely unvaccinated communities in Texas. According to NPR, before this week, the last US death to measles came in 2015.

"The best preventive measure against measles is receiving the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine," Harris said. "Although no measles cases have been confirmed in Alabama in 2025, vaccine hesitancy contributes to increased susceptibility."

Harris noted measles was once a leading cause of death in Alabama but was declared eliminated from the United States back in 2000 thanks to widespread vaccination.

"Regrettably, many people have become skeptical about vaccine safety, and are reluctant to have their own children vaccinated. I urge parents to discuss any concerns they have about the measles vaccine with a trusted medical provider," Harris wrote. "Please consider not only the health of your own children but also the well-being of other people in your community. Every child under 15 months of age is vulnerable to measles, as are people taking immunosuppressive drugs or on chemotherapy. Let’s all do our part to keep Alabama safe and healthy for everyone, especially our most vulnerable."

Read his full post about the disease and its spread here.

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