The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has sent some of its “disease detectives” to West Texas to help with the measles outbreak there — the first sign that the Trump administration is getting involved in the response.
The agency made the announcement on its X account, in a statement that included a quote from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary who has drawn criticism for his muted response to the outbreak. Last week a child died, the first measles death in the United States in a decade.
The C.D.C. has no authority to go into Texas or any other state on its own; when an outbreak occurs, the agency must be invited in by state health officials. The partnership, known as an Epi-Aid, is a rapid-response effort in which the Epidemic Intelligence Service Officers — the “disease detectives” — will provide local officials support for one to three weeks.
“The measles outbreak in Texas is a call to action for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to public health,” Mr. Kennedy said in the statement. “By working together — parents, health care providers, community leaders and government officials, we can prevent future outbreaks and protect the health of our nation.”
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness that can be life-threatening. Vaccines can offer broad protection and are usually administered to children. The two doses are typically given in a combination measles-mumps-rubella, or M.M.R., vaccine and prevent more than 97 percent of measles infections.