GAINES COUNTY, Texas (TNND) — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. met with the family of an 8-year-old girl Sunday after her death was confirmed to be part of the measles outbreak in Texas.

Her death was the second one linked to the ongoing outbreak. In February, an unvaccinated 6-year-old girl from Lubbock was the first fatality from measles in the U.S. since 2015.

The Texas State Department of State Health Services said in a news release Sundaythat the 8-year-old girl had no known underlying health conditions and was not vaccinated against measles. The child's doctor said she passed away from measles pulmonary failure.

Kennedy posted about his visit to Gaines County on X, saying that he was there "to comfort the Hildebrand family after the loss of their 8-year-old daughter Daisy."

"I am also here to support Texas health officials and to learn how our HHS agencies can better partner with them to control the measles outbreak, which as of today, there are 642 confirmed cases of measles across 22 states, 499 of those in Texas," he added.

Kennedy followed up with photos of his visit to Texas, including the families of the 8-year-old, 6-year-old and two doctors he called "extraordinary healers" who have used aerosolized budesonide and clarithromycin to treat "some 300 measles-stricken Mennonite children."

Kennedy, an anti-vaccine advocate before ascending to the role of the nation’s top health secretary earlier this year, has resisted urging widespread vaccinations as the measles outbreak has worsened under his watch. On Sunday, however, he said that it was “the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles."

Asked about the outbreak by reporters on Air Force One, Trump said, “they’re doing reports on it,” adding that if the outbreak “progresses, we’ll will have to take action very strongly.”

Measles is a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours. Up to 9 out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed, according to the CDC. The first shot is recommended for children ages 12 to 15 months, and the second for ages 4 to 6 years.

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Editor's note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.