Newborn deaths related to malnutrition, slow growth increased
Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers reported that over 280,000 newborn infants — 283,696 — died of perinatal complications from 1999 to 2022 in the United States. Researchers said over half of those who died were male, which the study suggests was because of differences in their lung development and immune response.
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CNN
37 minutes ago
- CNN
Sliding vaccine rates hang over vote on CDC director nominee as US measles cases hit dangerous milestone
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday tallied the highest number of US measles cases since the disease was declared eliminated a quarter-century ago, just as a key Senate committee split the vote to advance President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the public health agency. There have been more measles cases in the US this year than any other since the disease was declared eliminated a quarter-century ago, according to CDC data, with at least 1,288 confirmed cases. Just halfway through the year, the case tally has already surpassed the previous record from 2019, when there were a total of 1,274 cases. And it's well above the average of about 180 measles cases that have been reported each year since the disease was declared eliminated in the US in 2000. CNN reported this new milestone on Saturday using data from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Outbreak Response Innovation, which updates its numbers more frequently than the CDC. HHS has not responded to CNN's request for comment about the measles milestone. Childhood vaccine coverage has been declining in the US, and the vast majority of measles cases this year – more than 90% – have been in people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown, according to the CDC. When the measles case count reached its previous record in 2019 – during the first Trump administration – both the CDC director and the secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services at the time released statements emphasizing the safety and effectiveness of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and encouraging Americans to get vaccinated. However, almost six months into Trump's second term, the CDC still does not have a director and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a long and complicated history with measles vaccines. Concerns about vaccine skepticism were front and center Wednesday as members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted to advance President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the CDC, Dr. Susan Monarez, for a vote by the full Senate. Committee members voted 12-11 to move Monarez's nomination. All of the committee's Republicans backed the longtime immunologist and government scientist, who spoke in her confirmation hearing about restoring trust in the CDC and defended Kennedy's decision to replace the members of a federal panel of vaccine advisers. The vote puts Monarez one step closer to taking the helm at the public health agency, and she will now progress to a full Senate vote. HELP Chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and a doctor, voted to advance Monarez's nomination but nodded to falling vaccine coverage and the ongoing measles outbreak. 'Dr. Monarez will work to modernize our data health systems, to improve public health coordination and response while protecting American sensitive health information,' Cassidy said. 'This is especially crucial as the nation combats reemerging public health threats like measles, which has taken three lives in the United States this year.' He continued: 'One that's not included but is tragic: A Canadian woman who was pregnant got exposed to measles and lost her child. [The ongoing outbreak has] hospitalized many more due to misinformation regarding the measles vaccine.' Cassidy publicly pressed Kennedy last month to delay a meeting of the health agency's new vaccine advisers — several of whom have expressed skepticism and safety concerns about long-approved immunizations — amid concerns about their biases. During Wednesday's meeting, Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, called on the committee to hold a hearing about the ongoing measles outbreak and Kennedy's shakeup of vaccine oversight. 'I am concerned because this committee, it feels like, has all but abandoned its serious oversight of this crisis,' she said. 'We haven't had a hearing on the record-breaking number of measles outbreaks or a hearing on how the CDC vaccine panel is now stacked with people who are actually not vetted, and all the previous board members, every single one of them, was removed with no credible explanation.' There needs to be congressional oversight of these actions, Murray said after casting a vote against Monarez. 'I really do hope that Dr. Monarez will defy my expectations. I hope she will stand up for science and put public health first. But again, I hope I have hoped that for others, and here we are today,' she said. Some health experts have emphasized the importance of vaccination rates and their trepidation about precedents being set under Kennedy's leadership of HHS. 'It is no surprise that the most widespread measles outbreak affecting the United States in a generation has occurred under Secretary Kennedy's watch,' Dr. Richard Besser, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the CDC, said in a statement Wednesday. 'His decades-long campaign to discredit vaccines at every turn, which has continued unabated during his time as health secretary, directly contributes to the alarming decline in routine childhood vaccination rates in our country that is resulting in more frequent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases,' he said. 'In addition, the dramatic funding cuts to public health will mean that small outbreaks will grow and spread.' Three people have died of measles in the US this year – two children in Texas and one adult in New Mexico, all of whom were unvaccinated – matching the total number of US measles deaths from the previous two and a half decades. 'I worry that even more children will be forced to pay with their lives or health because of Secretary Kennedy's malfeasance,' Besser said. 'As a pediatrician, I strongly encourage all parents to talk to their healthcare providers, listen to their local public health officials, and learn the facts about measles vaccines, which are incredibly effective and safe.' The MMR vaccine is highly effective. One dose offers 93% protection against measles, and two doses are 97% effective, according to the CDC. 'Vaccines work—full stop. They are one of the most powerful tools we have to protect patients, families and entire communities. We can prevent diseases through vaccines, but too many diseases that we once had under control are starting to reappear because people are choosing to delay or skip immunization,' Dr. Jennifer Brull, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, said in a statement. 'There's a lot of confusion around vaccinations, but patients don't have to navigate this alone. Family physicians, pediatricians, pharmacists and other public health workers can help patients wade through all the information and cut through the noise,' she said. 'The bottom line is vaccines are safe, effective and save lives. It's critical that we continue to protect not just individual families, but the health of our entire nation.'
CNN
38 minutes ago
- CNN
Biden's physician refuses to answer questions from Republicans in House probe of former president's mental fitness
Joe Biden's White House physician on Wednesday declined to answer questions during a closed-door deposition with the House Oversight Committee, invoking his Fifth Amendment right as the Republican-led panel pushes forward in its probe of the former president's mental fitness and decline. While Dr. Kevin O'Connor appeared on Capitol Hill Wednesday, his attorneys said he 'respectfully declined to answer any questions' from the panel, which had refused to limit the scope of the interview – imperiling, they said, his physician-patient privilege. 'Revealing confidential patient information would violate the most fundamental ethical duty of a physician, could result in revocation of Dr. O'Connor's medical license, and would subject Dr. O'Connor to potential civil liability. Dr. O'Connor will not violate his oath of confidentiality to any of his patients, including President Biden,' O'Connor's attorneys said in a statement on his behalf. The investigation is the latest front in the GOP push to expose alleged cover-ups by Biden and his inner circle that had fallen dormant in the last Congress. Republicans say the interviews are critical to supporting claims of the former president's cognitive decline in the final days of his administration. Democrats, meanwhile, have dismissed the probe in its entirety as a political stunt. The panel subpoenaed O'Connor in June after first seeking a voluntary interview, and has requested interviews with nearly a dozen former White House aides in recent months. But the interviews, which began as voluntary appearances, have grown increasingly contentious after President Donald Trump waived executive privilege for the physician and others. O'Connor's team on Wednesday argued the panel should pause its probe until the Department of Justice concludes its separate criminal investigation into his predecessor's actions and use of the autopen, which Trump had ordered in a memorandum. 'We believe that the Committee should hold its investigation in abeyance until any criminal investigation has concluded,' O'Connor's team said. A committee aide pushed back on the notion that O'Connor pleaded the Fifth Amendment because of doctor-patient privilege, arguing the physician did not answer any questions beyond his name. Invoking the Fifth Amendment is typically done to avoid answering specific questions. Though it can be perceived by the public as a way of avoiding accountability, the US Supreme Court has long regarded the right against self-incrimination as a venerable part of the Constitution and, in legal proceedings, tried to ensure that a witness' silence not be viewed as evidence of guilt. Following O'Connor's departure, House Oversight Chair James Comer accused the doctor of wanting to 'conceal the truth.' 'The American people demand transparency, but Dr. O'Connor would rather conceal the truth. Dr. O'Connor took the Fifth when asked if he was told to lie about President Biden's health and whether he was fit to be President of the United States,' the Kentucky Republican said in a statement. The committee still has multiple interviews scheduled throughout the summer. Unable to invoke executive privilege to avoid answering questions, some witnesses have already sought to stave them off. Former Biden aide Anthony Bernal withdrew from a voluntary interview last month after the White House counsel's office made clear that privilege would be waived. Comer then subpoenaed Bernal for his testimony. At least one interview has already led to a dispute over testimony. Comer claimed that Neera Tanden, Biden's director of the Domestic Policy Council, told the committee during her voluntary closed-door interview last month that she had 'no visibility' into how the approval for Biden's autopen signatures worked – a point that Republicans have latched onto. A Democratic committee official, however, swiftly pushed back on that characterization, saying that Tanden 'repeatedly and explicitly confirmed that she received President Biden's written sign-off on every executive action she presented him with.' 'Any other characterization is a distortion of the testimony,' the official told CNN at the time. Interview transcripts from Tanden's appearance have not yet been released. The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, criticized the Republican effort, saying the GOP is more concerned with the former president's health than their constituents' access to health care. 'The only person's health that Republicans care about is Joe Biden's – even as 17 million Americans lose access to affordable health care thanks to their big budget betrayal,' Garcia said in a statement. One Biden ally accused Republicans of playing politics with the congressional inquiry. 'It's an attempt to smear and embarrass. And their hope is for just one tiny inconsistency between witnesses to appear so that Trump's DOJ can prosecute his political opponents and continue his campaign of revenge,' the person told CNN.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
U.S. measles cases surpass 2019 count, while Missouri is latest state with an outbreak
The U.S. is having its worst year for measles spread since 1991, with a total of 1,288 cases nationally and another six months to go. But in Gaines County, Texas, which was once the nation's epicenter for measles activity, health officials said they are no longer seeing ongoing measles transmission. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention count, updated Wednesday, is 14 more cases than in all of 2019, when the U.S. almost lost its status of having eliminated measles. There've been three deaths in the U.S. this year, and all were unvaccinated: two elementary school-aged children in West Texas and an adult in New Mexico. A vast majority of this year's cases are from Texas, where a major outbreak raged through the late winter and spring, but where no new outbreak cases were reported this week. Other states with active outbreaks — which the CDC defines as three or more related cases — include Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Utah. Missouri confirmed its first outbreak July 3. North American has three other large outbreaks. The longest, in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in 2,223 cases from mid-October through July 2. The province logged its first death June 5 in a baby who got congenital measles but also had other preexisting conditions. Another outbreak in Alberta, Canada, has sickened 1,246 as of Wednesday. And the Mexican state of Chihuahua had 2,966 measles cases and eight deaths as of Wednesday, according to data from the state health ministry. Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that's airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000. How many measles cases are there in Texas? Texas stayed steady Tuesday with 753 outbreak-related measles cases across 36 counties, most of them in West Texas, state data shows. Throughout the outbreak, 99 people have been hospitalized. State health officials estimated less than 1% of cases — fewer than 10 — were actively infectious as of Tuesday. More than half of Texas' cases are in Gaines County, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county has had 414 cases since late January — just under 2% of its residents. Statewide, only Lamar County has ongoing measles transmission, officials said Tuesday. The state also said Tuesday there are 39 cases across 19 counties that don't have a clear link to the outbreak now, but may end up added to it after further investigation. The April 3 death in Texas was an 8-year-old child, according to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Local health officials said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of 'what the child's doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.' A unvaccinated child with no underlying conditions died of measles in Texas in late February; Kennedy said the child was 6. How many measles cases are there in New Mexico? New Mexico had 95 measles cases on Tuesday. While most of the state's cases are in Lea County, 14 cases are tied to an outbreak in a jail in Luna County. An unvaccinated adult died of measles-related illness March 6. The person did not seek medical care. Seven people have been hospitalized since the state's outbreak started. San Juan, Eddy, Chaves, Curry, Doña Ana and Sandoval counties also had measles cases this year. How many cases are there in Oklahoma? Oklahoma held steady Tuesday for a total of 17 confirmed and three probable cases. The state health department is not releasing which counties have cases. How many cases are there in Arizona? Arizona has four cases in Navajo County. They are linked to a single source, the county health department said June 9. All four were unvaccinated and had a history of recent international travel. How many cases are there in Colorado? Colorado has seen a total of 16 measles cases in 2025, which includes one outbreak of 10 related cases. The outbreak is linked to a Turkish Airlines flight that landed at Denver International Airport in mid-May. Four of the people were on the flight with the first person diagnosed — an out-of-state traveler not included in the state count — while five got measles from exposure in the airport and one elsewhere. Health officials are also tracking an unrelated case in a fully vaccinated Boulder County resident who had traveled to Europe. Other counties that have seen measles this year include Archuleta and Pueblo. How many cases are there in Georgia? Georgia has an outbreak of three cases in metro Atlanta, with the most recent infection confirmed June 18. The state has confirmed six total cases in 2025. The remaining three are part of an unrelated outbreak from January. How many cases are there in Illinois? Illinois health officials confirmed a four-case outbreak on May 5 in the far southern part of the state. It grew to eight cases as of June 6, but no new cases were reported in the following weeks, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. The state's other two cases so far this year were in Cook County, and are unrelated to the southern Illinois outbreak. How many cases are there in Iowa? Iowa has had six total measles cases in 2025. Four are part of an outbreak in eastern Johnson County, among members of the same household. County health officials said the people are isolating at home, so they don't expect additional spread. How many cases are there in Kansas? Kansas added five more cases this week for a total of 87 across 11 counties in the southwestern part of the state, with three hospitalizations. All but three of the cases are connected, and most are in Gray County. How many measles cases are there in Kentucky? Central Kentucky has an outbreak of eight cases, the state said Monday. The cases are in Fayette County, which includes Lexington, and neighboring Woodford County. The state has confirmed 11 total cases this year. How many cases are there in Michigan? In northern Michigan, Grand Traverse County has an outbreak of four cases as of Wednesday. The state declared an earlier outbreak of four cases in Montcalm County, near Grand Rapids in western Michigan, over June 2. The state has had 18 cases total in 2025; eight are linked to outbreaks. How many cases are there in Missouri? Missouri has seven cases as of Wednesday. Five cases are in southwestern Cedar County, and four of those are members of the same family. The fifth case is still under investigation, according to county health director Victoria Barker. How many cases are there in Montana? Montana had 25 measles cases as of Wednesday. Seventeen were in Gallatin County, which is where the first cases showed up — Montana's first in 35 years. Flathead and Yellowstone counties had two cases each, and Hill County had four cases. There are outbreaks in neighboring North Dakota and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. How many cases are there in North Dakota? North Dakota, which hadn't seen measles since 2011, was up to 34 cases as of June 6, but has held steady since. Two of the people have been hospitalized. All of the people with confirmed cases were not vaccinated. There were 16 cases in Williams County in western North Dakota on the Montana border. On the eastern side of the state, there were 10 cases in Grand Forks County and seven cases in Cass County. Burke County, in northwest North Dakota on the border of Saskatchewan, Canada, had one case. How many cases are there in Utah? Utah had nine total measles cases as of Tuesday. At least three of the cases are linked, according to the state health department. State epidemiologist Dr. Leisha Nolen said there are at least three different measles clusters in the state. Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.? Measles cases also have been reported this year in Alaska, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming. Health officials declared earlier outbreaks in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania over after six weeks of no new cases. Tennessee's outbreak also appears to be over. Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to someone who caught the disease abroad. The CDC said in May that more than twice as many measles have come from outside of the U.S. compared to May of last year. Most of those are in unvaccinated Americans returning home. What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine? The best way to avoid measles is to get the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old. Getting another MMR shot as an adult is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don't need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective vaccine made from 'killed' virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said. People who have documentation that they had measles are immune and those born before 1957 generally don't need the shots because so many children got measles back then that they have 'presumptive immunity." Measles has a harder time spreading through communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — due to 'herd immunity.' But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots. What are the symptoms of measles? Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash. The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC. Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death. How can you treat measles? There's no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
