Washington DC - Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday dismissed a measles outbreak in Texas as "nothing unusual," despite the first fatal case in the US in almost a decade.

Though measles was deemed eliminated in the US in 2000, a resurgence of the disease in recent years has been linked to a rising opposition to vaccines.

On Tuesday, a child described as "school-aged" became the first person in the US to die of measles since 2015.

During President Donald Trump cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, a reporter asked if the administration was "concerned" about the outbreak.

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Trump passed the question to RFK Jr., who was confirmed as head of the Department of Health and Human Services two weeks ago.

"We are following the measles epidemic every day," Kennedy said. "I think there's 124 people who have contracted measles at this point, mainly in Gaines County, Texas, mainly, we're told, in the Mennonite community. There are two people who have died, but we're watching it."

He added: "Incidentally, there have been four measles outbreaks this year in this country. Last year, there were 16. So it's not unusual. We have measles outbreaks every year."

According to the Associated Press, RFK Jr. was wrong on several counts, including regarding his claimed that those who had been hospitalized were there only for "quarantine."

A spokesperson for the HHS also clarified with the outlet that only one death has been recorded so far, not two as Kennedy stated.