Category: Featured Headlines
Measles Updates: Texas Cases Pass 700 As Illness Reported In 30 States
Forbes Texas has reported over 700 measles cases since January, according to the latest numbers from the state’s health department, representing the bulk of measles cases that have been reported in the U.S. this year. There have been 1,024 confirmed cases of measles across 30 states so far this year, according to the latest update from the […]
May 21, 2025
In El Paso, measles is infecting more adults than children
Texas Tribune As soon as measles started spreading in West Texas, El Paso health officials began preparing schools and day care facilities for the day the virus would inevitably arrive. But now that it’s here, it’s not kids who are making up the brunt of the cases — it’s adults. Two-thirds of El Paso’s cases […]
May 21, 2025
Panel Discussion: ‘What turns spillovers into epidemics?’
University of Oxford How do we move from tracking disease emergence to predicting the next epidemic? This talk brings together experts in pathogen genomics, virology, ecology, climate science, and data science to explore how AI, genomic surveillance, and new environmental data streams can enhance predictive models of emerging infectious diseases —bridging the gap between spillover […]
May 20, 2025
WHO signs international pandemic response treaty without the U.S.
Washington Post As countries overwhelmingly passed a WHO global pandemic agreement, top U.S. health official Robert F. Kennedy Jr. invited states to reject the “moribund WHO.” After three years of intensive negotiations, the World Health Organization on Tuesday adopted the world’s first agreement on how to cooperate and respond to future pandemics — without the support […]
May 20, 2025
FDA Officials Detail Plan to Limit COVID Shots
MedPageToday FDA officials have outlined their new approach to COVID-19 vaccine approvals, allowing immunogenicity endpoints for high-risk groups, while calling for randomized controlled trials for those at lower risk. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH, and Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Director Vinay Prasad, MD, MPH, detailed the new framework in a “Sounding Board” […]
May 20, 2025
What to Know About the Hepatitis A Outbreak in L.A. County
NYT A highly contagious liver infection is surging among groups who are not typically at risk. At least seven people have died. Public health officials in Los Angeles County have declared an outbreak of hepatitis A, a highly contagious liver infection driven by a virus that can, in rare cases, cause severe illness. The condition, […]
May 14, 2025
Staff exodus at US farm agency leaves fewer experts to battle bird flu
Reuters Hundreds of veterinarians, support staff and lab workers at the animal health arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture have left under the Trump administration’s push for resignations, according to three sources familiar with the situation, leaving fewer specialists to respond to animal disease outbreaks. The departures come as the country battles its longest-ever […]
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
Measles cases hit six-year high in South Korea amid outbreaks across south-east Asia
The Guardian South Korea passes annual tally for 2024 already, as Vietnam and Thailand continue to battle outbreaks. South Korea has recorded the highest number of measles cases in six years, adding to concerns that low vaccination rates combined with international travel are contributing to further outbreaks elsewhere in the region. The country has confirmed 52 cases so far this […]
May 7, 2025
States loosen vaccine rules — even as measles outbreak rages
Politico With a longtime vaccine skeptic serving as the country’s top health official, the movement is likely to make further inroads. The U.S. is on track to surpass 1,000 measles cases this year as the viral illness — once so rare that most young doctors don’t recognize the telltale rash — makes an alarming comeback. […]
May 7, 2025