Wisconsin Infant Dies of Measles, State's First Such Death Since 1990

An infant in Wisconsin has died of measles, the state Department of Health Services announced Thursday. It is the state's first measles death since 1990 and the third reported in the United States this week. A coroner listed measles as the immediate cause of death, and the department declined to release more details to protect the family's privacy. Wisconsin had confirmed 431 cases across 13 counties as of Nov. 3, with nine people hospitalized. State epidemiologist Ryan Westergaard said it is the state's largest case count in more than 35 years and almost certainly an undercount. Pennsylvania reported its sixth measles-associated death this year on Wednesday, an unvaccinated Jefferson County resident. New York officials announced the death of a child in Lewis County on Monday. State health departments count eight U.S. measles deaths this year, the most since 1991, and none of those who died were vaccinated. The CDC has confirmed four and says it will update its count as reviews finish.

The Washington Examiner leads with Wisconsin's first death in over 30 years and builds the story around DHS Secretary Kirsten Johnson's statement, which called the death a tragedy, especially for a vaccine-preventable disease. It also notes that CDC totals do not reflect every state's count. NBC News and CNN put the national tally in their headlines ("third this week"). NBC adds Gov. Kathy Hochul's disaster emergency declaration, the eight-death total, and that none of the dead were vaccinated, some being too young or ill to be eligible. Both sides agree on the 1990 benchmark, the coroner's finding and the Pennsylvania and New York deaths. They differ in emphasis: a state official's voice versus the national trend and vaccination status. Reuters, via Investing.com, adds Westergaard's undercount warning and notes that HHS did not immediately comment.