Health Systems Grapple As Measles Cases Spread Beyond Outbreak States

The New York Times: For Some Measles Patients, Vitamin A Remedy Supported By RFK Jr. Leaves Them More Ill
Doctors in West Texas are seeing measles patients whose illnesses have been complicated by an alternative therapy endorsed by vaccine skeptics including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary. ... One of those supplements is cod liver oil containing vitamin A, which Mr. Kennedy has promoted as a near miraculous cure for measles. Physicians at Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, Texas, say they’ve now treated a handful of unvaccinated children who were given so much vitamin A that they had signs of liver damage. (Rosenbluth, 3/25)

NPR: With Measles On The Rise, What We Can Learn From Past Epidemics
Reports of measles cases in 18 states so far are alerting people to a potential new, but also old, threat of contagion. As the U.S. health system grapples with new outbreaks and the risk of old diseases making a comeback, we're looking to the past to inform how people in marginalized communities can prepare themselves for how the current administration might handle an epidemic. On this episode, a conversation with historian and author Edna Bonhomme, about her latest book A History of the World in Six Plagues. (Parker, Lopez, Trelles, Mortada, Stein, Cala, Kung, Demby and Williams, 3/26)

The New York Times: Washington Bends To RFK Jr.’s ‘MAHA’ Agenda On Measles, Baby Formula And French Fries
Babies are not ordinarily a fixture of closed-door White House meetings. But when Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, convened a group of women this month for a discussion on nutrition and other topics, a healthy-eating activist who calls herself “the Food Babe” was stunned to see President Trump’s press secretary with her 8-month-old on her lap. (Gay Stolberg, 3/25)

Where measles is spreading —

CBS News: Measles Case Confirmed In Person Who Rode Amtrak Train To Washington, D.C., Health Officials Say
A person with a confirmed measles infection may have exposed Amtrak passengers on a train to Washington, D.C., earlier this month, officials at the D.C. Department of Health said. Health officials said Monday in a statement that the agency "was notified of a confirmed case of measles in a person who visited multiple locations in D.C. while contagious." Others who were at the same locations — an Amtrak train, a D.C. train station and an urgent care center — could potentially have been exposed at those times. (Mae Czachor, 3/25)

CBS News: 2 Measles Cases Confirmed In Western Pennsylvania
There are confirmed cases of measles on the western side of Pennsylvania. According to multiple reports, the Erie County Department of Health confirmed two cases. The Allegheny County Health Department says there haven't been any reported cases in the Pittsburgh area. County data says since 2016, there have been eight cases in the county. Most were in 2019 when there were seven cases. The other case was in 2018. (Hoffman, 3/25)

ABC News: Texas Measles Outbreak Grows To 327 Cases With 18 Confirmed Infections Over Last 5 Days: Officials
The measles outbreak in western Texas is continuing to grow with 18 cases confirmed over the last five days, bringing the total to 327 cases, according to new data published Tuesday. Nearly all of the cases are in unvaccinated individuals or in individuals whose vaccination status is unknown, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). At least 40 people have been hospitalized so far. Just two cases have occurred in people fully vaccinated with the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to the data. (Kekatos, 3/25)

The New York Times: Measles In The U.S.: Latest Maps And Cases
As new cases are reported, our maps and illustrations show the spread of the virus and how infections can run through a community. (3/25)

On vaccines —

ABC News: Measles Vaccinations Are Increasing In Some Areas Hit Hard By Cases: Officials
Measles vaccination rates appear to be increasing in some areas of the U.S. that have been affected by outbreaks this year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommends that people receive two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine -- the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective, the CDC says. (Kekatos, 3/25)

NBC News: Measles Vaccine: Can Young Children Get An Early Dose Of The MMR Shot?
Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics say that, in the case of an outbreak or international travel, children as young as 6 months can get a dose of the vaccine, and children under 4 years old who have gotten one dose can get their second one earlier. All doses must be separated by at least four weeks. (Fattah, Kopf and Ikeda, 3/25)

San Francisco Chronicle: Measles Vaccination Rates For Calif. Kindergartners Dipped Last Year
Measles vaccination rates among California kindergartners fell slightly in the 2023-24 school year but remained above 95% — the level considered high enough for community immunity — according to an annual kindergarten immunization report announced this week by the state public health department. The report was released amid a growing measles outbreak in West Texas that is expected to last for months and has prompted Bay Area health officials to urge residents to get vaccinated against the highly contagious virus. (Ho, 3/25)

The Washington Post: Should You Get A Measles Booster? What To Know As Cases Rise In More States. 
The answer depends on when you were born, your vaccine records and whether you plan to travel internationally. (Amenabar, 3/24)

On covid, bird flu, and HIV —

San Francisco Chronicle: Women Are At Much Higher Risk Of Long COVID Than Men. Why?
Five years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, long COVID — one of the most mysterious and debilitating consequences of the virus — remains with us, and is disproportionately affecting women. An estimated 15 million to 20 million Americans have had long COVID, which is defined as having symptoms that last more than three months, often including fatigue, brain fog and shortness of breath. (Ho, 3/25)

St. Louis Public Radio: Bird Flu Is Affecting Many Different Species. Here's Why
Avian influenza has been circulating for centuries. What concerns epidemiologists about the latest iteration of the virus is its remarkable ability to spread across multiple animal species, including humans. “It's spilled over into not just bird species, but so many different mammal species — from marine mammals along shorelines to dairy cattle that are part of our food source,” said Dr. Sharon Deem, wildlife veterinarian and epidemiologist. “It should be on all our minds right now.” (Woodbury, 3/25)

AP: HIV Soars After A Deadly War In Ethiopia's Tigray. Trump's Aid Cuts Aren't Helping
Tigray was once considered a model in the fight against HIV. Years of awareness-raising efforts had brought the region’s HIV prevalence rate to 1.4%, one of the lowest in Ethiopia. ... Today the HIV prevalence rate in Tigray is 3%, more than double the prewar average, according to local health authorities and the United Nations. ... The Trump administration’s decision to kill 83% of U.S. Agency for International Development programs globally is worsening the situation. Ethiopia has already laid off 5,000 health workers who were hired with U.S. funds to combat HIV. (Harter, 3/26)