I visited American towns and was hit by the world’s most contagious disease… Zero Ground Terrible Reality

I was in a busy supplement store in West Texas and coughed while a woman was weaving on vitamin shelves.

A shop clerk approached and the two spoke with a quiet emergency call to the “very sick” child.

She then quietly displayed her cod liver oil bottle in front of the store with a “Children”.

Despite her cough-potential signs of measles, no one stared in the eyes.

Customers keep browsing, seemingly unaware that they may have just been exposed to the most contagious disease on Earth.

I’m in the small rural town of Seminole – the center of the deadliest measles outbreak in the United States in a decade, which has claimed the lives of two young girls.

The 7,000-person town is located in Gaines County near the New Mexico border and is a breeding ground for anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, reflected in the fact that measles vaccination rates are the lowest in the country.

Only about 82% of residents are immune, much less than the 95% needed to stop measles from spreading. Many people here choose to rely on “natural remedies”, such as those for sale in this busy store.

Cod liver oil contains vitamin A, and some evidence suggests that this may help support the immune system as it fights measles infection. These supplements have been promoted by vaccine skeptic and HHS secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.

Official data show that 62 patients in West Texas were hospitalized in measles and nearly 600 were sick.

But here, on the ground, the number feels like a massive understatement.

It is almost impossible to go anywhere in Seminole without seeing someone who knows someone with measles.

On coffee in a local cafe, I met a woman who described how her neighbor (the whole family) got caught up in the disease.

Later, in a nearby parking lot, another woman told me that three different families she knew were all sick.

Officials continued to stress that vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles, but the message appears to be falling into deafness.

Seminole is a closely linked Mennonites, a reserved, wealthy Christian denomination that often prefers natural remedies to modern medicine.

While there is nothing explicitly banned in the Mennonite Bible, many in the community have chosen to avoid it, which is stunning by rumors of dangerous side effects locally and believe the vaccine simply doesn’t work.

Meanwhile, public health officials urged those who were not vaccinated and exposed (or showed symptoms) to isolate.

But in reality, there is little evidence that the guide is being widely followed.

A Mennonite woman in a blue and white dress holding a bag of groceries told me that she thinks measles is actually “good for the immune system” and that children can benefit from capturing it.

Outside the gym, another woman said she would rather not vaccinate her children for “all potential side effects.”

Her concerns about side effects are of course exaggerated.

One dose of MMR vaccine is 93% effective for measles. Two doses provide 97% protection and significantly reduce the risk of severe complications or death.

Yes, MMR vaccines have side effects – most common are arm soreness, mild fever or mild rash.

In rare cases, more severe reactions were reported, including epilepsy in children under 23 months of age. But these occurred in less than one of less than 10,000 cases.

Measles itself is more dangerous.

According to the CDC, about one in 5 unvaccinated children with measles need to be hospitalized. One-twentieth of pneumonia occurs.

About 1,000 people suffer from encephalitis – a swelling of the brain can cause permanent damage, sadly often die.

In Seminole, this grim statistics have become a reality.

Daisy Hildebrand, eight years old, and Kayley Fehr, six, both died from measles complications

They not only mark local tragedy, but also the first confirmed death in the United States related to measles since 2015.

I met Daisy’s father outside the gas station, his eyes broke red and made a sound from sadness.

He insisted that she was not killed by measles.

“She didn’t die of measles,” he said. “If one thing you should know, it’s. She failed.

He also opposes the vaccine. ‘this [MMR] Vaccines are not worth dying. ” he added.

“My brother’s family got it, and they were all worse ill than the kids I hadn’t come into contact with. It has nothing to do with the vaccine.

Daisy and Kelly were both buried in Reinland Cemetery.

Their graves are modest, with only simple plaque marks – a quiet reminder of the town’s tragedy.

But even in mourning, misinformation takes root.

Religion has obviously played a role in the opposition against Seminole vaccination, but dangerous things are also happening.

The anti-vaccine group co-founded by RFK JR has been in contact with the families of the deceased and is now actively pushing for narratives that measles should not be blamed.

The information echoes in the community.

Local rumor factories are spinning a different story – measles is not as dangerous as health officials claim.

Jack said: “I got measles when I was young.

“That’s not bad, I remember I had to stay at home for a while, but I had a lot of ice cream.”

To combat the outbreak, local health officials have opened measles testing and vaccination centers.

Since then, the initial small operation in the parking lot has expanded to a large express train facility – perhaps people are starting to take the crisis seriously.

Workers who went straight to the clinic told me that in the early days of the outbreak, Seminole felt like a ghost town.

People are afraid – not the virus, but are seen at the test site and judged by neighbors to interact with public health services.

Like many towns across the United States, trust in public institutions that stem from lockdowns and vaccine mandates during Kuved.

Now that the clinic has been transferred to the shed, the number of attendees has climbed up.

Although public cooperation is gradually beginning to spread, not everyone is joining.

One farmer told me, “Those two deaths are miserable now, but most of the time, measles is indeed a mild disease.”

Among the children entering kindergarten in Gaines County, where Seminole is located, only about 82% of children receive measles vaccination — well below the threshold of 95%, experts say to avoid herd immunity.

The national average at 24 months old is below the national average of 91.6%.

Local officials tried to stop the spread by warning the outbreak and directing people to the testing center.

However, these flyers are limited to government buildings such as courts and county offices.

I didn’t see them in places that really attract people: restaurants, local stores, or even Walmart.

At the supplement store (a hot spot against anti-vaccine sentiment where symptomatic people continue to gather), staff told me they did not have any visits from public health representatives.

Although anti-vaccine rhetoric echoed in Seminole, it was not the only voice.

Outside Walmart, I met a Mennonite woman who told me she chose to vaccinate all her children.

She said that’s right. ” “Protect their health. ”

Nationwide, the grocery crisis is growing.

As of mid-April, there have been nearly 800 confirmed cases of measles in 24 states, the highest number since 2019.

And, if the current pace continues, 2025 could surpass the 1,274 cases of that year, making it the worst outbreak in the United States since 1992.

Seminole’s two deaths are the only confirmed measles deaths so far this year, but many fear there may be more.

Widesome federal health cuts – including about $12 billion cuts cut by the Trump administration under health services – related to local health officials in Texas.

But for the moment, the vaccination site here is still open.