Kennedy Plans To Ask CDC To Create New Measles Treatment Guidance
According to CBS News, the new guidance he is requesting is to include existing drugs, vitamins, and other modalities. In other news: RFK Jr. renews the disproved claim of aborted fetal cells in vaccines; measles infections have reached Canada and Mexico; and more.
CBS News:
RFK Jr. Asks CDC For New Measles Treatment Guidance Amid His Unfounded Claims
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will ask the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop new guidance for treating measles with drugs and vitamins, an HHS spokesperson said. The move comes as Kennedy has faced criticism during this year's record measles outbreaks for remarks misleading people into thinking that measles infections are easily curable and inflating myths about measles vaccines. Vaccination is the only way to prevent the highly infectious disease that can cause serious health complications or death in some cases. (Tin, 5/1)
Reuters:
US Health Secretary Kennedy Revives Misleading Claims Of 'Fetal Debris' In Measles Shots
U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reprised various misleading claims about vaccines this week, including that the measles vaccine contains cells from aborted fetuses and the mumps vaccination does not work. (Aboulenein and Lapid, 5/1)
WFAA.com:
Person With Measles In North Texas Attended Texas Rangers Game, Went Several Other Places After Exposure -- Here's Everywhere They Went
According to Denton County health officials, the person went to several places after exposure. Most notably, they attended the April 19 Texas Rangers game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, officials said. 39,244 people attended that game. (Sawyers, 5/1)
CBS News:
Chicago Public Health Officials Stress Importance Of Vaccines After 2 Cases Confirmed In Cook County
Doctors in the Chicago area are keeping a close eye on measles cases, checking to make sure more aren't reported, after the first two cases of the year were confirmed this week in Cook County. One local agency is stepping up their efforts in the fight against the potentially deadly disease. The Chicago Department of Public Health is increasing the use of public health nurse educators who go to Head Start programs and daycare centers in the city to educate parents and staff about the importance of the measles vaccination. (Le Mignot, 5/1)
AP:
Measles Jumps Borders In North America With Outbreaks In Canada, Mexico And US
North America’s three biggest measles outbreaks continue to balloon, with more than 2,500 known cases; three people have died in the U.S. and one in Mexico. It started in the fall in Ontario, Canada; then took off in late January in Texas and New Mexico; and has rapidly spread in Chihuahua state, which is up to 786 cases since mid-February. (Shastri and Janetsky, 5/1)
On bird flu and covid —
The New York Times:
Upheaval In Washington Hinders Campaign Against Bird Flu
The campaign to curb bird flu on the nation’s farms has been slowed by the chaotic transition to a new administration that is determined to cut costs, reduce the federal work force and limit communications, according to interviews with more than a dozen scientists and federal officials. ... In its first months, the Trump administration has fired teams of scientists crucial to detecting the spread of the virus, canceled important meetings, and limited access to data even for federal scientists. (Mandavilli, 5/1)
Politico:
Tulsi Gabbard Is Out To Prove Covid Came From A Lab
National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard’s office is working with NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to investigate the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. In an interview Thursday on former Fox News host Megyn Kelly’s podcast, The Megyn Kelly Show, Gabbard also said she wants to end so-called gain-of-function research in which scientists alter pathogens to make them more transmissible or deadly so they can study them. (Schumaker, 5/1)
CIDRAP:
Analysis: Long-COVID Burden Reduced 7 Months After Acute Infection
A new study conducted in Italy reveals a reduction in long-COVID burden 7 months following the acute phase. The study, published in BMC Infectious Diseases, also shows that one-third of patients experienced long-lasting symptoms during almost 2 years of follow-up. The study was based on the outcomes of 853 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and outpatients who had at least one follow-up visit after acute infection at San Paolo Hospital of the University of Milan from February 2020 to June 2023. (Soucheray, 5/1)
