Authorities have announced that an unvaccinated child in Texas has died from measles. It is the first death in the US from the highly contagious disease in nearly a decade. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. downplayed the growing epidemic.

The death comes amid declining immunization rates nationwide. The latest cases are concentrated in the Mennonite religious community, which has shown hesitancy about vaccines in the past.

It comes at a delicate time for public health in the US as Kennedy, who has long spread false claims about the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, begins his term as health secretary, AFP reports.

"The school-age child, who had not been vaccinated, was hospitalized in Lubbock last week and tested positive for measles," the state health department said in a statement.

A statement from the city of Lubbock confirmed that the child died "within the last 24 hours."

Since the beginning of the year, more than 130 measles cases have been reported in West Texas and neighboring New Mexico. The majority of these are in unvaccinated children.

18 people have been hospitalized in Texas, and health officials warn the outbreak is likely to grow.

During a meeting of President Donald Trump's Cabinet, Kennedy downplayed the situation, saying, "This is not unusual. There are measles outbreaks every year."

He also pointed out that the number of deaths was two. However, the Texas and New Mexico health departments said they were not aware of another death.

"Although the multiple measles outbreaks in the U.S. have not resulted in a fatality, it was only a matter of time before one occurred," said infectious disease physician Amesh Adalia of Johns Hopkins University.  

"Measles still causes the deaths of over 100,000 people each year worldwide. The death should serve as a reminder that there was a reason the vaccine was developed and that it is a value to people. These deaths are almost entirely preventable," the doctor added. | BGNES