Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
US Measles Cases Top 2,000, On Pace To Break 2025's Record-Setting Year
NBC News: Where Is Measles Still Spreading In The U.S.? Cases Reached 2,030 Across 30 New Outbreaks This Year
Measles cases in the U.S. reached 2,030 on Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. That’s just a few hundred shy of the 2,288 logged in all of 2025, a record-breaking year that saw more measles diagnoses than any year since 1991. There have been 30 new outbreaks this year, compared to 48 last year, the CDC said. The majority of cases are children and teenagers. More than 92% are unvaccinated and 6% (127 of the 2,030 patients) have been hospitalized. (Edwards, 6/5)
CIDRAP: CDC: Only 1 In 10 Hospital Patients Early In The West Texas Measles Outbreak Had Underlying Conditions
A new study in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from scientists with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and their state partners analyzes the patients hospitalized during the first two months of the measles outbreak that swept through West Texas in 2025, finding that nearly all were unvaccinated children, only 11% had preexisting conditions, and respiratory complications were common. (Bergeson, 6/5)
ProPublica: What ProPublica Found In The Genetic Code Of America’s Measles Outbreaks
American children lined up for the world’s first measles shots in the early 1960s, but it took nearly 40 years of shoring up immunization programs before the infamous contagion had been so thoroughly controlled that a panel of experts declared in 2000 that the United States had eliminated measles within its borders. For a quarter century, the U.S. only saw outbreaks when infected travelers brought the virus in from abroad. The resulting waves of measles didn’t last more than a year. Those days are gone. (Lash and Callahan, 6/8)
The latest on the Ebola outbreak —
ABC News: Ebola Outbreak Could Exceed 20,000 Cases In 3 Months Without Urgent Public Health Measures: CDC
Without urgent action, there is a strong likelihood the Ebola outbreak in Africa will exceed 20,000 cases and 4,000 deaths within three months, a new modeling estimate from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests. The cases and deaths would be centralized to the current outbreak region, the model, released Friday, suggests. (Benadjaoud, 6/5)
AP: Health Workers In Congo Fight Ebola Outbreak With Little Pay Or Rest
Dr. Richard Lokudu, the medical director of Mongbwalu General Referral Hospital, has received barely any compensation for his work on the front line of one of Congo’s deadliest Ebola virus outbreaks. Lokudu and several of his colleagues work all day at the hospital treating an influx of patients. Notifications of suspected cases come even late at night. “I have not received my allowance (and) what happened to others could happen to me as well,” Lokudu told The Associated Press. (Kabumba and Adetayo, 6/8)
KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘On Air’: Gounder Fills In Details Behind Ebola, GLP-1, And Trump Headlines
Céline Gounder, KFF Health News’ editor-at-large for public health, discussed a recent study that suggests ultraprocessed foods are linked to increased dementia risk on CBS News 24/7’s The Daily Report on June 3. Gounder also discussed the Ebola outbreak in central Africa and the impact of U.S. health funding cuts on CBS News’ CBS Mornings on June 3. (6/6)
On health concerns at the World Cup —
NBC News: Why Measles And Flu — Not Ebola — Are Front Of Mind For Doctors Ahead Of The World Cup
The World Cup is presenting a unique challenge for public health officials. Dozens of teams from around the globe — along with millions of their dedicated fans — will descend on major U.S. cities in the coming weeks. It’s the largest in FIFA history, with 39 teams setting up training camps in the United States. The first match in this country will be June 12 in California, with the last match more than a month later, on July 19, in New Jersey. (Edwards, 6/5)
Politico: The Disease Detectives Suiting Up To Fight Ebola At The World Cup
When the United States, Canada and Mexico formally submitted their co-hosting bid to soccer governing body FIFA in 2018, they touted the safety of the region, noting “no major endemic infectious diseases across any of our Host Countries.” Now, as the three countries prepare to welcome one of the largest international gatherings around the globe since the Covid-19 pandemic, infectious diseases are front of mind. (Bluth, Gardner, Negesse, Sarkissian and Kaufman, 6/6)
