Measles fears in Texas cause flood of parents to seek vaccine causing vaccination rates to skyrocket
New data from the Electronic Health Record data analysis company Truveta has documented the surge, finding that the percentage of six-month-old children in Texas who got their shots in April increased by more than 30 times over last year's average. For 10-month-olds, the percentage increased by more than 10 times. The preliminary research findings have not been peer-reviewed.
'Our data show that starting in February 2025 and accelerating in March and April with the issuance of CDC's Health Alert Network about measles transmission on March 7, 2025, Texas parents are taking advantage of the early vaccine recommendation,' the company said in a news release alongside their findings. 'These results highlight that the outbreak is causing real concern for parents and changing vaccination behavior.'
'This is a huge increase,' Nina Masters, a senior scientist at Truveta and part of the research team, told NBC News. 'Just a really striking signal that vaccination behavior is changing.'
In the months leading up to the outbreak fewer than 2 percent of Texas babies under a year old were vaccinated. Now, that figure has jumped to around 10 percent by the time the child reaches 10 months old.
The analysis found that in more than 20 percent of all first measles vaccines in March and April were given to children between the ages of six and 11 months old: 11.5-times higher percentage than in 2019 during domestic outbreaks.
A request for comment on the matter from the Texas Department of State Health Services was not immediately returned to The Independent.
Lubbock's Kaia Hunter was one of the parents who took her child to get the shot. She told NBC News that she did not hesitate to get her 2-year-old son, Brady, fully vaccinated in March.
'Being in the hotbed of the measles outbreak,' said Hunter, 47, 'it was a no-brainer. If it was safe to get him vaccinated early, we were going to protect him.'
The news comes amid falling child vaccination rates across the U.S., which have been tied to increasing vaccine hesitancy, the spread of misinformation about vaccine safety, and partisan divisions following the Covid pandemic.
In the Lone Star State specifically, vaccine exemptions have been linked to the county with the largest number of infections. Texas law allows children to get an exemption from school vaccines for reasons of conscience. That includes religious beliefs.
Still, the safety and efficacy of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine has been established. The two-dose series is 97 percent effective against measles, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's the way to prevent infection, experts say. In Texas, the two children who died in the outbreak were unvaccinated.
An unvaccinated adult also died in New Mexico, and there have been more than 1,000 cases and 14 outbreaks reported across the country this year. As of last week, the U.S. was just short of the century's high mark of 1,274 in 2019, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The group said U.S. cases are likely undercounted. Although, the number of new cases reported in Texas each week has fallen since the beginning of the month.
Across the U.S., about 96 percent of measles cases this year have been among people who were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status, according to the CDC.
But, efforts to get people vaccinated have also hurdles from the nation's top health officials. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has said he supports getting vaccinated – but also pushed worrying treatments for measles. Recently, he has falsely claimed that the measles vaccine contains 'aborted fetus debris' and said the mumps vaccination does not work.
Remarks from the administration have frustrated physicians who recently said that the nation is 'reaching a breaking point' in its ability to control the measles outbreak.
'It is critical that Congress ensure that the federal government provides the resources necessary for state and local governments and non-governmental organizations to prevent measles infections through access to vaccines, and that these entities have the tools they need to effectively respond to the outbreak,' AAP President Dr. Susan J. Kressly wrote in a letter to Congressional leaders.
'Even one child dying from measles is one too many,' Dr. Kressly wrote. 'What makes these deaths so tragic is that immunization could have prevented these deaths.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Man Adopts a 'Fitness is Fun' Mindset and Loses 85 Pounds Playing This Trendy Game
For Ethan Noblesala, 32, a diagnosis of prediabetes and a blunt prediction from his doctor in November, 2023, motivated him to improve his health. "My doctor told me, 'If you don't change your lifestyle, you're going down a route that's leading to more surgeries, more operations and more medication,'" Noblesala tells TODAY. He says he was at his healthiest during college, but as he built his career as an entrepreneur, he neglected his health and focused on building his businesses. 'As I started that corporate lifestyle, I was slowly gaining weight,' he says. To foster business growth and connections, he was spending a lot of time at happy hours. He was lucky if he slept four hours a night. Uber Eats was the cornerstone of his diet. Exercise or even spending any time outside was practically non-existent. And his habits only got worse during COVID. His weight climbed to 235 pounds, which was a strain on his 5-foot, 6-inch frame. 'Even though I was running a successful business with my co-founder, I decided to take a leave to really focus on what was most important to me — my health,' he says. That attention to his health worked. He lost 85 pounds, and he says he feels 10 years younger. Here's how he did it. Noblesala has a background in finance, so he's motivated by numbers. He honed in on them to make changes, tracking his protein, fiber and calories. He discovered that when he ate mainly protein and fiber-dense meals, he felt satiated even when he was only eating 1,500 calories a day: 'Your body needs nutrition, but I never felt like I was starving myself or restricting myself.' He built on small goals and habit changes: Drinking a glass of water every day: 'I was 85 pounds heavier. I wasn't going to go out and run five miles, or try any of the crazy trends I see online. This was something I could do.' Shopping for groceries and checking the nutrition labels for protein, fiber and calories instead of eating out — and overeating — five times a week. Having a go-to, high-fiber, low-calorie meal that he liked to eat: Shirataki noodles with chicken breast in a low-fat buffalo sauce. Finding healthier swaps for foods he likes, such as Costco chicken nuggets instead of McDonald's: 'I found it exciting to make these new discoveries. It's something I love to do.' Noblesala grew up playing sports and loved how they kept him active while also being a way to connect with others. He'd often ask his friends if they wanted to play basketball, tennis or something else together. 'Through tennis, I discovered pickleball. That was the hook for me in terms of living a healthier and active lifestyle. I've become a pickleball fanatic,' he says. In December 2023, he joined Life Time. 'One thing I appreciate there is the community. I get to play pickleball, my favorite sport. Some people say going to the gym is a chore, but I'm excited to go." "There are endorphins you get from exercising, from being around others and from having that community," he says. "In the past, going to the gym was a solo grind, and I had to force myself to go. Now, it's not a chore. It's part of my lifestyle." Having friends at the gym and at pickleball builds accountability for him, too. 'My friends will say, 'Ethan, I'll see you tomorrow.' And, of course, then I go after work. They're expecting me,' he says. He has also joined some running clubs, such as Pitch & Run, and now he's working toward an ambitious goal — running the New York City marathon in November. He earned the opportunity to participate through his alma mater, Chaminade High School in Long Island. 'I'm nervous for the marathon because I know it's a daunting mental task. I'm focusing on the interval training and the strength training,' he says. Noblesala recognizes now how his lack of sleep was making his health worse: 'Your body needs to recover. I'm averaging six and a half to seven and a half hours of sleep a night now, and I definitely feel it when I don't get seven hours of sleep.' He's also careful about balancing his workouts with rest. He finds fitness data so valuable that he wears an Apple watch, a Whoop tracker and an Oura ring. After a day where he ran seven miles and played two hours of pickleball, he saw that his Whoop told him to take it lighter the next day. 'You can make these informed decisions with technology. It was harder to do this 10 years ago,' he says. Now that Noblesala is 85 pounds lighter and his life is centered around healthy living, he has no intention of returning to his old habits. In fact, it inspired Ethan's new company WeFit Labs, which is a gamified social fitness app designed to help motivate people to move together. If you're looking for a fitness community, join our Start TODAY walking club on Facebook and connect live with members and experts during coaching calls on the Start TODAY app! This article was originally published on
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
What are the symptoms of the new Stratus COVID variant?
Cases of a new COVID variant have been reported in the UK. The strain has been dubbed 'Stratus' and there are two variants in circulation – XFG and the spin-off XFG.3 According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Stratus variants currently account for just over 30% of COVID cases in England, up from 10% in May. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that XFG is growing rapidly globally and is thought to be slightly more infectious than previous variants. However, experts suggest there is no need to be unduly worried. The UKHSA says Stratus does not appear to pose any greater risk to health than other strains, and COVID cases in general are decreasing compared to recent weeks. "Based on the available information so far, there is no evidence to suggest that the XFG and XFG.3 variants cause more severe disease than previous variants, or that the vaccines in current use will be less effective against them," Dr Alex Allen, consultant epidemiologist at the UKHSA, told Yahoo UK. "It is normal for viruses to mutate and change over time. UKHSA is monitoring all available data relating to SARS-CoV-2 variants in the UK and abroad, and we continue to publish our findings in our regular Flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports." Stratus is a descendant of the Omicron COVID variant. It is a recombinant strain, sometimes called a 'Frankenstein' strain. This means it emerged when a person was infected with two COVID variants at once, creating a new hybrid variant. XFG has been declared a 'variant under monitoring' by the WHO, meaning health authorities across the world have been asked to help track it to determine any public health implications. However, while the variant is said to spread rapidly, the WHO has classed it as 'low risk' on a global level. There isn't enough evidence yet to suggest this strain has any symptoms that might differentiate it from others. However, one doctor said that, while symptoms vary from person to person, the Stratus variant may be associated with hoarseness. 'One of the most noticeable symptoms of the Stratus variant is hoarseness, which includes a scratchy or raspy voice," Dr Kaywaan Khan, Harley Street GP and Founder of Hannah London Clinic, told Cosmopolitan. "Regardless of whether the symptoms mimic a cold or flu, testing continues to be the critical step in eliminating the possibility of a coronavirus infection," he added. According to the NHS, common symptoms of COVID can include: a high temperature or shivering a new, continuous cough a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste shortness of breath Feelings of fatigue or exhaustion aches headache sore throat blocked or runny nose loss of appetite diarrhoea feeling sick or vomiting The UKHSA says that "COVID-19 activity decreased across most indicators" in the week ending 29 June and was at baseline levels. COVID hospital admissions in England dropped to 0.99 per 100,000 compared to 1.46 the week before. And the number of people tested in GP surgeries who returned positive results fell to 7.8% from 8.8%. Hundreds of events mark five years since Covid-19 outbreak (The Guardian, 3-min read) What are the symptoms of the Nimbus COVID variant? (Yahoo Life UK, 3-min read) Public trust in science has been eroded, from Covid-19 to climate (The Guardian, 3-min read)
Miami Herald
20 hours ago
- Miami Herald
More ICE Deaths ‘Inevitable' as Detention Numbers Soar
Deaths in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers look set to surpass the previous year's total, with three months still to go. With 12 people confirmed to have died while in ICE custody since October 2024, when the current Fiscal Year began, the number has already matched the previous year's total. Human rights groups are warning more are certain. "These deaths are clearly attributable to the Trump administration's increased and aggressive detention policies, and I have no doubt that when more complete investigations take place, it will likely provide information that these deaths were likely preventable," Eunice Cho, senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) National Prison Project, told Newsweek. The latest death came on June 26, when 75-year-old Cuban national Isidro Perez, in the country for decades, passed away in a hospital after suffering a heart issue while in a Miami ICE facility. In response to that news, President Donald Trump's border czar Tom Homan told reporters outside the White House: "People die in ICE custody." To be sure, ICE detention centers are not alone in experiencing deaths of detainees, with the the U.S. prison system — at both federal and state levels — frequently reporting deaths among inmates. In 2019, the mortality rate across the prison system was 259 per 100,000 inmates, based on Department of Justice figures showing 4,234 deaths in prisons at state and federal level nationwide. By comparison, the mortality rate of ICE detainees at the current numbers would work out to about 21.3 deaths per 100,000 people. The ICE population also has a far quicker turnaround than the prison system. In fiscal year 2022, running from the previous October through September 2022, three people died in ICE detention – the lowest number since reporting was mandated by Congress in 2018. The highest recent yearly death total came in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, with 21 deaths across the agency's various facilities. Those facilities are often run by private companies contracted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). ICE repeatedly says that individuals in its charge receive high-quality medical assessments and care, including 24-hour emergency medicine. But several independent reports over recent years, including from the ACLU and Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights, have given a very different picture of the conditions facing detainees who are awaiting immigration hearings or deportation. In 2024, the ACLU outlined a lack of oversight when it came to ICE detention deaths, suggesting evidence may have destroyed and highlighting efforts to blame low-level employees for the incidents. The organization, working alongside others, found that many deaths were likely preventable, should medical care have been more readily accessible. "People are dying preventable deaths in [Homan's] direct custody," Cho said. "People are dying because of the lack of constitutionally required medical care that should be provided to anybody in government custody." A year later, far more people are being placed in ICE detention. Since January, the Trump administration has been increasing its efforts to arrest and detain illegal immigrants. While Congress has allocated funding for around tens of thousands of more beds in the current tax bill, the number of detainees stood at roughly 56,300 as of mid-June. "There's never been a time where immigration detention hasn't been deadly, so it's just inevitable that the more people we detain, the more people who are going to die," Anthony Enriquez, the vice president of U.S. advocacy and litigation at RFK Human Rights, told Newsweek. ICE is struggling with limited capacity and resources to fulfill its mission of millions of deportations. In addition to the new funds being allocated to the agency by Congress, the White House is trying other novel ways to expand capacity, from repurposing Guantanamo Bay to new detention center contracts issued for private companies GEO Group and CoreCivic, to the new so-called "Alligator Alcatraz" in southern Florida. Following a tour of the new detention facility on Tuesday, which includes bunkbeds stacked together in wire-fenced cages, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem praised the standards on offer. "Alligator Alcatraz can be a blueprint for detention facilities across the country. It will provide DHS with the beds and space needed to safely detain the worst of the worst," she posted on social media. All of this is to deliver on the president's promise of mass deportations. Trump returned to the White House promising upwards of 11 million immigrants without legal status would be deported, targeting the "worst of the worst" first. Records have shown that a large share of those currently in detention do not have a criminal record, but civil immigration offenses instead. "A lot of people misunderstand the purpose and the nature of immigration detention, and they think that if it's a detention center, then it's a jail, and if it's a jail, then that means this is someone who has already been found guilty of some type of bad act and should be serving a punishment," Enriquez said. "But in fact, many of the people in immigration detention do have lawful status to be here in the United States." Cho, of the ACLU, told Newsweek that ICE was not exercising discretion with respect to those it was now detaining. Because more people are remaining in detention when they previously would have been released, the situation is leading to a "deterioration of conditions in custody," he said. "My fear is this trajectory is only going to increase," Cho said. "That is because Congress is on the cusp of passing a new reconciliation bill that is providing $45 billion to the expansion of immigration detention in the country, and I want to compare that to the current $4 billion that ICE already receives every year for its already massive immigration detention system. "This amount of money is going to provide ICE with the ability to not only double, triple, quadruple the capacity of people who are being held in immigration detention, it is going to allow a system that is larger than the entire federal Bureau of Prisons population put together, under the care of someone like Tom Homan who has expressed total disregard for the fact that people are dying in custody." Newsweek reached out to ICE via email Tuesday for comment on the increase in deaths and measures being taken to prevent any more. The agency did not reply before publication. Related Articles California Man in US for Over 35 Years Detained at Car WashDonald Trump Could Let Millions of Illegal Immigrants Stay in USAOC Warns of ICE 'Explosion' After Trump Bill PassesTrump Administration Sending Hundreds of Marines to Florida to Help ICE 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
