Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Federal Websites Amplify Lab Leak Theory Of How Covid-19 Started
The New York Times: Trump Declares Lab Leak As ‘True Origins’ Of Covid On New Website
The Trump administration has replaced the government’s main portal for information about Covid with a website arguing that the coronavirus leaked from a lab, throwing its weight behind a theory of the pandemic’s origins that is so far not backed by direct evidence and that has divided intelligence agencies. Covid.gov and Covidtests.gov, federal websites that used to deliver information about Covid and allow people to order tests, now redirect to the lab leak web page. (Mueller, 4/18)
On measles —
ABC News: 3 More States Report Their First Measles Case Of 2025
Louisiana, Virginia and Missouri all reported their first measles cases of 2025 this weekend, with at least 27 states reporting at least one case. All three cases were linked to international travel. (Hoffman and Benadjaoud, 4/20)
NBC News: What Causes Breakthrough Measles Infections Even If Someone Is Vaccinated?
Infectious diseases doctors are at pains to emphasize that the MMR vaccine is one of the most effective vaccines on the market, but as Rodney Rohde, a professor at Texas State University explains, a small number of people who are fully vaccinated may get sick during a large outbreak. “The vaccine is highly effective,” said Rohde. “But it means that after two doses, while 97 out of 100 people will develop strong immunity and be protected if exposed to measles, the remaining three out of 100 could still be vulnerable.” (Cox, 4/20)
On flu, bird flu, and tularemia —
CIDRAP: Flu Continues To Ebb In US As Pediatric Deaths Reach 198
US flu activity declined steadily again last week, with rates of influenza-like illness (ILI) dropping further and staying below baseline levels, but flu-related deaths in children climbed to 198, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in its weekly update today. (Wappes, 4/18)
CIDRAP: Public Ignorance, Apathy Toward Avian Flu Could Threaten Containment, Researchers Say
While most US survey respondents had heard of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian flu, only about a quarter knew it can spread to people, and over half were unaware that pasteurized milk is safer than raw milk, finds a study published yesterday in the American Journal of Public Health. The survey, fielded by a CUNY Graduate School of Public Health–led team, also found that less than one fifth of respondents understood that H5N1 has been detected in cattle, and nearly a third each were unwilling to change their diet to reduce their risk of exposure to the virus or take a vaccine if it were available. (Van Beusekom, 4/18)
CIDRAP: Five People, 27 Animals Tested Positive For Tularemia In Minnesota Last Year
In 2024, five people and 27 animals in Minnesota contracted the rare bacterial disease tularemia in the seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, state health authorities and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported yesterday in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Two of the infected people reported recently mowing over animal carcasses; all were hospitalized for a median of 6 days and released without complications. (Van Beusekom, 4/18)
