Los Angeles County child dies from complications caused by measles infection, public health officials say

A Los Angeles County child has died due to complications from a measles infection, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. 

They say that the "school-aged" child acquired measles in infancy, before they were old enough to receive the vaccine, which is generally administered between 12 and 15 months of age. 

Though the child recovered from their initial illness, they later developed subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, which is also known as SSPE. Officials said that the complication is universally fatal and can occur in people who had measles early in life. 

SSPE is a rare, progressive brain disorder that can develop two to 10 years after a person's initial measles infection, even if the patient has seemingly fully recovered, officials said. It is characterized by a gradual loss of neurological function, with death occurring one to three years after it is initially diagnosed. 

Health officials said that there is no known cure or treatment for SSPE, which impacts about 1 in 10,000 people with measles. They say that the risk may be much higher for those who get measles as infants, at a rate of 1 in 600 people. 

"This case is a powerful reminder of how dangerous measles can be, especially for our most vulnerable community members," said a statement from County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis. "Infants too young to be vaccinated rely on all of us to help protect them through community immunity. Vaccination is not just about protecting yourself — it's about protecting your family, your neighbors, and especially children who are too young to be vaccinated."

Read more: Measles cases in the U.S. hit the highest total recorded in more than 30 years

They took the incident as a time to remind the public that measles is a highly contagious viral infection that can be prevented with the MMR vaccine, which is used to protect against measles, mumps and rubella, health officials said. While most children will receive their first vaccine dose between 12 and 15 months, a second dose isn't administered until they're between four and six years old. 

Measles symptoms include a fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash that develops three to five days after the fever is first noticed. If people exhibit any of those signs, they're advised to stay home and avoid school, work or any other public gatherings. 

Department of Public Health officials urged people to check their own immunization status and to notify their healthcare provider if someone they know is at a higher risk. 

So far in 2025, there have been 1,454 reported cases of measles in the United States, most of which are linked to a measles outbreak affecting Texas, New Mexico, Kansas and Oklahoma, officials said. 

In Los Angeles County, officials say that the majority of reported cases have been in people who were either unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status, and that 12% of infected patients required hospitalization or isolation. Three people have died from acute measles-related complications, they said. 

The last known case of the virus in a county resident was reported in August. DPH officials say that eight cases of measles in individuals who were in the county while infectious, four were non-residents.