Texas is experiencing its largest measles outbreak in 30 years, primarily affecting the South Plains region. A child has died and several people have been hospitalized by the extremely contagious disease that was once considered eradicated,

The People’s Voice cited South Plains Public Health District vaccination clinics held Feb. 6 and 7 in Gaines County. On Feb. 5, the Texas state health department confirmed Gaines had six cases of measles, "all among unvaccinated school-aged children."

The latest update comes two days after the first death was reported in a school-aged child who lived in the outbreak area.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday upheld the role of vaccines in offering protection against measles after an unvaccinated child succumbed to the infection earlier this week.

Opting against vaccines may uphold ideas of personal freedom, but it has doomed the county at the center of the Texas measles outbreak

The measles outbreak in Texas has reached nearly 150 cases, according to a Friday morning update from the state health department. The agency said 146 cases have been identified since late January. Twenty of those patients have been hospitalized, and one school-age, unvaccinated child has died.

Austin Public Health is expected to provide an update Friday on the current situation of measles in Texas, as well as the level of threat locally.

Dr. Hal Scofield is a physician-scientist at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, and he also serves as associate chief of staff for research at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center. Adam Cohen is OMRF’s senior vice president and general counsel. Send your health questions to [email protected].