Parents Of Unvaccinated Girl Who Died From Measles Say They Don’t Regret Their Anti-Vax Views

Baila Eve ZismanMarch 24, 2025, 10:02 pmNews >

The parents of an unvaccinated child who died in the Texas state’s measles outbreak have made clear that they do not regret their decision to not protect their daughter from the disease.

The parents, who are Mennonites, shared that at first, their six-year-old showed all signs of a normal case of measles, but as her fever persisted for days, she started to struggle to breathe. Upon being taken to the emergency room, she was diagnosed with pneumonia and put on a ventilator. She quickly died.

>More: Unvaccinated Child In Texas Becomes First To Die During State’s Measles Outbreak, First Death In U.S. From Disease Since 2015

Following their daughter’s funeral, the couple’s four other four children, aged between two and seven, got cases of measles. They were treated by Dr. Ben Edwards, which, according to the mother, resulted in “a really good, quick recovery.” The mother further asserted that measles is “not as bad as they’re making it out to be.”

The couple made further assertions proven to be scientifically false in an interview with Children’s Health Defense, saying that measles boosted the immune system and protected against other diseases.

Although many have viewed the death of the couple’s daughter as a sign to take concerns about anti-vaccination more seriously, the couple has chosen to view the incident as proof that measles is treatable without vaccines, as “evidenced” by their four other children.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is likely that none of the six-year-old’s siblings would have caught as serious a case of measles, as statistics show that one in five children with measles go to the hospital.

The couple, who communicated partly in German, said through the translator of their daughter, “It was her time on Earth.”

The translator said, “They believe that she’s better off where she is now versus all the negativity and all the stuff going on. They think she was too good for this earth.”

In a statement released on February 27, The CDC reported, “Vaccination remains the best defense against measles infection,” informing, “Measles does not have a specific antiviral treatment. Supportive care, including Vitamin A administration under the direction of a physician, may be appropriate.”