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Los Angeles County child dies of rare measles complication years after infection

<i>CDC/Getty Images via CNN Newsource</i><br/>The United States has had 1

By CNN Newsource

Published September 11, 2025 6:35 pm

By Katherine Dillinger, CNN

(CNN) — A school-age child in Los Angeles County who had measles as an infant has died of a rare complication, the county health department said Thursday.

The child was infected before they were eligible to receive the measles vaccine, the agency says; the first vaccination is recommended between 12 months and 15 months of age, followed by a second dose between ages 4 and 6.

They recovered from that infection but developed a condition called subacute sclerosing panenecephalitis, which affects about 1 in 10,000 unvaccinated people who get measles overall but up to 1 in 600 of those who catch the virus in infancy.

SSPE, as the complication is also known, develops years after measles infection and can cause changes in personality or behavior, problems with speech and motor functions, and epilepsy, followed by a vegetative state. There’s no cure, and it’s fatal in about 95% of cases.

The United States has had 1,454 measles cases this year, more than at any other point since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000.

Los Angeles County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said in a statement that the child’s case is “a painful reminder of how dangerous measles can be, especially for our most vulnerable community members.”

Two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine are highly effective against measles, preventing 97% of infections. Experts recommend that at least 95% of a community be vaccinated to prevent the disease’s spread, but immunization rates have been falling across the US.

“Infants younger than six months are too young to be vaccinated and rely on maternal antibodies and community immunity to reduce their risk of exposure,” the Los Angeles County Health Department said in the statement. “By getting vaccinated, individuals not only protect themselves but also help shield vulnerable populations — including infants, pregnant people, and those with weakened immune systems — from measles infection.”