Houston, Texas - An unvaccinated child in Texas has died from measles, authorities said Wednesday, marking the first US fatality from the highly contagious virus in nearly a decade and sparking renewed fears of its resurgence.

The death comes amid declining immunization rates nationwide and as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long spread falsehoods around the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, begins his tenure as US health secretary.

"The school-aged child who was not vaccinated was hospitalized in Lubbock last week and tested positive for measles," the state health department said in a news release.

A statement from Lubbock city confirmed that the child passed away "within the last 24 hours."

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Addressing reporters during a meeting of President Donald Trump's cabinet, Kennedy said: "There are two people who have died," but provided no further details. He also downplayed the situation, stating, "It's not unusual. You have measles outbreaks every year."

Since the start of the year, more than 130 measles cases have been reported in west Texas and neighboring New Mexico, the vast majority in unvaccinated children.

Eighteen have been hospitalized in Texas, and health officials warn the outbreak is likely to grow.

"While multiple measles outbreaks in the United States have not resulted in a death, it was only a matter of time that one would occur," infectious disease physician Amesh Adalja of Johns Hopkins University told AFP.

"Measles still kills over 100,000 individuals every year worldwide. The death should serve as a reminder that there was a reason that the vaccine was developed and that the vaccine is a value to individuals. These deaths are almost entirely preventable."

The last US measles-related death was in 2015 when a woman in Washington state died from pneumonia caused by the virus. She had been vaccinated but was taking immunosuppressive medication. Before that, the previous recorded measles death was in 2003.