Los Angeles County health officials confirmed the death of a school-aged child from subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a rare but fatal brain disorder that can occur years after a measles infection in infancy.
The child had contracted measles before reaching the recommended vaccination age of 12 to 15 months. While they initially recovered, SSPE developed later, a complication that affects about 1 in 10,000 measles cases — and as frequently as 1 in 600 when infants are infected before vaccination eligibility.
The case comes amid a nationwide measles resurgence, with the CDC reporting 1,454 confirmed cases so far in 2025, the highest since 2000. Los Angeles County has documented eight local and travel-related cases this year.
Health officials urged families to review immunization records and ensure eligible children receive the measles vaccine, particularly before traveling to outbreak-prone regions.
