In recent days, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health released a statement announcing a school-aged Los Angeles County resident died from subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a rare but universally fatal complication that can occur in individuals who had measles early in life. The child was originally infected with measles as an infant before they were eligible to receive the measles vaccine, which is routinely recommended to be administered between 12 and 15 months. Although the child recovered from the initial measles illness, the child developed and ultimately died from SSPE.1
SSPE is a rare, progressive brain disorder that is a late complication of infection from the measles virus. SSPE usually develops 7 to 10 years after the initial measles infection from which the patient seemed to fully recover. It is characterized by a gradual and worsening loss of neurological function, with death occurring 1 to 3 years after the initial diagnosis. It is rare, affecting approximately 1 in 10,000 people with measles, but the risk may be much higher—about 1 in 600—for those who contract measles as infants.1
Paul Offit, MD, the director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, treated several children involved in a measles outbreak that occurred in that city that began in fall 1990 and lasted into spring 1991. It caused more than 1400 cases, with a majority in unvaccinated children, and led to 9 children dying.2
“This is not a disease you want to get. Every year, before there was a vaccine, about 50,000 children would be hospitalized and 500 would die,” Offit said in an interview with Contagion earlier this year.
As a clinician, Offit said it was very difficult to watch the progression of SSPE, especially without any treatment or cure for it.
Although it is important to note this individual child’s measles infection in the Los Angeles area happened before the age of vaccination, it is equally important to point out that measles continues to circulate. In 2025, we have seen the largest number of cases—1454 confirmed cases as of September 9—in the US in 25 years, even though measles was declared eliminated in 2000. And it reminds the greater public that vaccination not only protects your child but family members, people who are vulnerable to disease, and everyone in the wider community.
What You Need to Know
Even after apparent recovery, measles can cause subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a rare but fatal brain disorder that can emerge years later, with infants at the highest risk.
With 1,454 confirmed cases so far in 2025, the country is experiencing its largest outbreak in 25 years, underscoring the consequences of declining vaccination coverage.
Infants too young for the MMR vaccine and people who are immunocompromised depend on herd immunity, making widespread vaccination essential for public health.
In thinking about community immunity, Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County health officer, says it is vital to maintain it. “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.”1
“We need to protect everyone against getting a vaccine-preventable disease, because if a kid got it in school, they can bring it home,” Tina Tan, MD, FIDSA, FPIDS, FAAP, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said in a recent interview with Contagion. “And you know, there are people with immunocompromising conditions who can't receive certain vaccines, so you need to protect them. The other problem is that if a growing number of individuals aren't vaccinated, this is really going to cause these diseases to spread far and wide."
Children typically receive their first dose of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine at 12 to 15 months and a second dose at 4 to 6 years. However, infants 6 to 11 months should receive one dose of the MMR vaccine before traveling internationally or through an international hub. Infants younger than 6 months are too young to be vaccinated and rely on maternal antibodies and community immunity to reduce their risk of exposure.1
References
1. Public Health reminds residents about the importance of measles vaccination following the death of a child from a measles-related complication. News release. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. September 11, 2025. Accessed September 15, 2025.
http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubhpdetail.cfm?prid=5135
2. 1990–1991 Philadelphia measles outbreak. Wikipedia. Accessed September 15, 2025.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1990%E2%80%931991_Philadelphia_measles_outbreak
