Author: Claudinne Miller
US health officials advise older travelers not to get a chikungunya vaccine
AP The U.S. government advised American travelers age 60 and older not get a chikungunya vaccine as it investigates possible side effects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration posted notices late last week on the vaccine, Valneva’s Ixchiq. Chikungunya, spread by the bites of infected mosquitoes, is a debilitating tropical […]
May 14, 2025
Measles outbreak in North Dakota prompts local health officials to quarantine unvaccinated schoolchildren
CNN Measles cases continue to accumulate in the United States in what is already the second-worst year since the disease was declared eliminated a quarter-century ago. Now, a recent outbreak in one North Dakota county has led local health officials to quarantine nearly 200 unvaccinated students. North Dakota has reported nine measles cases this year, and a […]
May 14, 2025
Chimpanzees use medicinal leaves to perform first aid, scientists discover
Phys.org Scientists studying chimpanzees in Budongo Forest, Uganda, have observed that these primates don’t just treat their own injuries, but care for others, too—information which could shed light on how our ancestors first began treating wounds and using medicines. Although chimpanzees elsewhere have been observed helping other community members with medical problems, the persistent presence of […]
May 14, 2025
RFK Jr. defends widespread HHS cuts, response to measles outbreak during House hearing
ABC News Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., before a House committee Wednesday morning, defended the massive cuts to the department’s workforce and laid out his priorities for the Trump administration’s proposed budget — all while he is expected to field questions about his history of promoting conspiracy theories and controversial comments about vaccines. […]
May 14, 2025
Texas measles outbreak rises by eight cases to 717, hits three new counties
Houston Chronicle Texas health officials reported eight new measles cases on Tuesday, with the outbreak spreading to three new counties. The Texas Department of State Health Services has reported 717 measles cases amid the largest outbreak in the United States in at least 25 years. But the outbreak has appeared to slow recently; Texas reported 26 cases […]
May 14, 2025
The Rapid Spread of Measles
Reuters (Interactive) How a small drop in vaccination can lead to outbreaks. Continue reading
May 13, 2025
As new Nipah case is reported in Kerala, route of viral transmission still a mystery
Down to Earth Understanding transmission is time-sensitive for developing effective disease prevention strategies, experts stress. Health experts and physicians have raised concerns about the deadly Nipah virus’ transmission from animals to humans in Kerala’s northern districts. In the latest case, a 42-year-old woman from Valanchery in Malappuram district is in a coma and continues to […]
May 13, 2025
The rising threat of Nipah virus: a highly contagious and deadly zoonotic pathogen
Virology Journal The Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly virulent zoonotic infectious agent that poses a significant threat to public health. The virus is characterized by its pleomorphic structure and a single-stranded negative-sense RNA genome. It encodes six structural proteins and three nonstructural proteins. Attachment glycoproteins play a crucial role in allowing the virus to […]
May 13, 2025
Here’s Why Kennedy Says the Mumps Vaccine Doesn’t Work
MedPage Today During an interview with Dr. Philopens in a new tab or window in late April, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made the bold claim that “the mumps part” of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine “has never worked.” He went on to reference a whistleblower lawsuitopens in a new tab or window that claimed Merck […]
May 13, 2025
Trump administration’s universal flu vaccine project puzzles scientists
NPR Vaccine experts are perplexed by a project the Trump administration has launched to develop a universal flu vaccine, which has long been a goal, though an elusive one, in medical research. Dubbed Generation Gold Standard, the project is aimed at creating a flu shot that doesn’t have to be updated every year to match the […]
May 13, 2025