The 17-year-old was admitted to hospital in April with pneumonia which developed after he contracted measles.
He died in hospital five weeks later and Government scientists are urging doctors to take all opportunities to vaccinate any children who have not had a double dose of MMR.
The teenager, from West Yorkshire has not been named, had been born with poor immune system which meant he was susceptible to infections and in cases like this it usually means they cannot have be immunised.
But he would have been protected if there had been high vaccination rates in the community.
Because of the MMR scare in the late 1990s when the measles, mumps and rubella jab was linked to bowel disorders and autism, vaccinations levels have dropped below the threshold required to control the diseases. In London less than half of children have had the recommended two doses of MMR.
A spokesman for the Health Protection Agency said: "It is very rare for measles to prove fatal, but, as this tragic case demonstrates, it can happen where complications occur.
"Our condolences go to the family at this sad time. This unfortunate case underlines the fact that measles is a highly infectious and dangerous illness. Unfortunately, the young person concerned had pre-existing health problems which made them especially vulnerable to measles.
"This case also demonstrates again the importance of the MMR vaccine. Measles is highly infectious and therefore being vaccinated is very important - not just to protect individual children against measles - but also to create 'herd immunity' which protects those who cannot be vaccinated for various reasons."
Latest data shows nationally 72 per cent of children have had two doses of MMR by their fifth birthday where as 95 per cent need to be covered in order to prevent outbreaks of the diseases.
The research by Dr Andrew Wakefield has since been discounted by the majority of the medical community but vaccination rates remain low, allowing measles to make a resurgence.
Cases of measles have been rising continuously in the England and Wales this year with a particular problem in London.
The Health Protection Agency's latest data shows there have been 461 confirmed cases of measles in England and Wales this year up until the end of May.
In 2007 there were 971 confirmed cases of measles, the highest for more than ten years.
The spokesman added: "We remain concerned by the levels of measles circulating – 2007 saw the highest number of measles cases recorded in England and Wales since the current method of monitoring the disease was introduced in 1995. Children are getting sick (some very seriously) because they are unvaccinated. It is important to remember that children should complete their full course of MMR vaccines for optimum protection. It is never too late to get vaccinated."
The majority of cases have been in London and are linked to an outbreak at a secondary school which has spread to neighbouring schools and nurseries. The outbreak has also sparked cases in Cornwall and South Yorkshire as infected children travelled to see friends or go on holiday.
In May a doctor working in a cancer ward in London was also found to be infected with measles.
It prompted the Director of Immunisation at the Department of Health David Salisbury to write to all NHS managers reminding them of the need to ensure all healthcare staff are fully vaccinated.
The report from the HPA said: "Due to almost 10 years of sub-optimal MMR vaccination coverage across the UK, the number of children susceptible to measles is now sufficient to support the continuous spread of measles. Health services should exploit all possible opportunities to offer MMR vaccine(s) to children of any age who have not received two doses. Greater awareness of the increasing measles incidence by health professionals and the public is essential to control the spread of infection."
The last death caused by measles was in April 2006 when a 13 year old boy from the North West died.
In the early 1980s, before MMR was introduced, up to 100,000 would catch it annually and around a dozen children would die.