LA County reports child died from rare measles complication after infection in infancy

(Reuters) -Los Angeles County health officials reported the death of a school-aged resident from a known but rare complication after a measles infection acquired during infancy, and urged residents to ensure their families are vaccinated against the disease.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said on Thursday that the child was first 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 of age.

Although the child recovered from the initial measles illness, they developed and ultimately died from subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, or SSPE — a rare, progressive brain disorder that can be a late complication of a measles infection early in l