Author: Claudinne Miller
Ebola outbreak in the DRC: why is it so deadly?
Nature ‘Spillover event’ in which an animal infected humans is likely to be the cause of 47 confirmed cases and 25 deaths. An outbreak of Ebola has been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with 47 confirmed cases, including 25 deaths, as of yesterday, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). There […]
Sep 24, 2025
Amid Confusion Over US Vaccine Recommendations, States Try To ‘Restore Trust’
KFF When the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met last week, confusion filled the room. Members admitted they didn’t know what they were voting on, first rejecting a combined measles-mumps-rubella-chickenpox vaccine for young toddlers, then voting to keep it funded minutes later. The next day, they reversed themselves on the funding. Now Jim O’Neill, the deputy […]
Sep 24, 2025
‘Nightmare bacteria’ cases are increasing in the U.S.
NBC It’s likely many people are unrecognized carriers of the drug-resistant bacteria, which could lead to community spread, CDC scientists said. Infection rates from drug-resistant “nightmare bacteria” rose almost 70% between 2019 and 2023, according to a new report from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists. Bacteria that are difficult to treat due to the so-called […]
Sep 24, 2025
Why seniors who want covid shots should consider getting one this week
Washington Post The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is weighing changes to coronavirus vaccine recommendations that could make it harder for some seniors to access them. For people 65 or older considering getting a new covid shot, this week might be the best opportunity to get vaccinated without complications before a federal vaccine advisory committee’s […]
Sep 24, 2025
Western States Issue Their Own Vaccine Recommendations to Counter Kennedy
NYT The guidelines, from California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii, mirror those of major medical organizations. They were issued a day before an advisory panel was set to meet to review potential changes to federal recommendations. Four Democratic-controlled Western states on Wednesday issued their own recommendations on who should get three common seasonal vaccines, a sharp […]
Sep 17, 2025
Understanding the Impact of Federal Cuts to mRNA Vaccine Research
American Lung Assn Last month, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cancelled $500 million in funding for mRNA vaccine research and development. This decision will have devastating consequences for public health and goes against the science, which has demonstrated the efficacy of mRNA vaccines. Though mRNA medicine has only recently entered the public […]
Sep 17, 2025
The Preventable Return of Deadly Diseases
The Atlantic The historian Kyle Harper on the history of plagues, the rise of anti-vaccination politics, and why measles is back in America. On this episode of The David Frum Show, The Atlantic’s David Frum opens with reflections on President Donald Trump’s repeated delays to enforce the congressionally mandated TikTok ban. He explains how Trump’s pattern of […]
Sep 17, 2025
Child dies from complications of measles years after infection
The Conversation A school-age child has died from a devastating brain complication of measles in Los Angeles, highlighting the deadly consequences of declining vaccination rates. The child, who was too young to receive the measles vaccine, developed subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) – a progressive and almost always fatal brain condition that strikes years after initial measles infection. SSPE affects […]
Sep 17, 2025
Upsurge in Lassa fever cases as deaths hit 162 in August —NCDC
Tribune/Nigeria THE Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported a rise in confirmed Lassa fever cases, with 162 deaths recorded across 21 states as of epidemiological week 35, spanning August 25 to 31, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has reported. The NCDC, via its official website on Tuesday, reported 10 new […]
Sep 17, 2025
2 cases of measles confirmed in NYC, Department of Health says. Here’s what to know.
CBS News The New York City Department of Health has confirmed two adult cases of measles. The DOH says it is investigating measles exposures at unnamed restaurants on the Lower East Side and in SoHo. The agency said it is working to identify and notify people who may have been exposed. “Measles is a very […]
Sep 17, 2025