Latest news with #CenterforDiseaseControlandPrevention
NBC News
10 hours ago
- Health
- NBC News
Flint replaces most lead pipes, 10 years after the Michigan water crisis
Flint has replaced most of its lead water pipes, more than ten years after contaminated water was found in the Michigan city's water system, prompting national outrage. State officials submitted a progress report in court on Tuesday showing that they replaced 11,000 lead pipes in the city and restored more than 28,000 affected properties. "Thanks to the persistence of the people of Flint and our partners, we are finally at the end of the lead pipe replacement project," said Pastor Allen C. Overton of the Concerned Pastors for Social Action, one of the lawsuit's plaintiffs in a 2017 lawsuit against officials over the scandal. "While this milestone is not all the justice our community deserves, it is a huge achievement." The Michigan Attorney General's Office did not immediately return a request for comment. In 2013, officials stopped buying water from Detroit and created a pipeline to Lake Huron as a cost-cutting measure. Until the pipeline's completion, the city's primary water source came from the Flint River in 2014. Quickly, residents reported a murky, foamy quality of the water coming from their pipes. After testing positive for high levels of trihalomethanes — a disinfectant byproduct — E. coli bacteria, and lead, city officials lamented that the water was still safe for consumption. It wasn't until October 2015 that the majority-Black city switched back to Detroit water. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the water crisis exposed nearly 100,000 residents of Flint to lead due to the crisis. Criminal charges were brought for several deaths related to the contamination, but were later dismissed. The 2017 lawsuit was settled in 2021 for $626 million, which included an agreement to replace the lead pipes free of charge. "We would not have reached this day without the work of so many Flint residents who worked to hold our leaders accountable," Overton said. "I have never been prouder to be a member of the Flint community." The report says that roughly 4,000 homes still have lead pipes. Those homes were likely either vacant or homes that belonged to Flint residents who opted out of having the pipes replaced, according to a spokesperson for the advocacy group that led the lawsuit, the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Health
- Miami Herald
Where do Americans stand on childhood vaccines as RFK Jr. shakes up CDC panel?
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and its eight new members, met for the first time Thursday after Health and Humans Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced a 'clean sweep' of the panel earlier this month. The change comes as infectious diseases like measles and whooping cough make major comebacks this year, and after the secretary said health agencies are facing 'a crisis of public trust.' The 17 previous members of the committee were 'retired' from their job of evaluating 'the safety, efficacy and clinical need of the nation's vaccines,' Kennedy said in a June 9 opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, also posted on the HHS website. ACIP makes recommendations to the director of the CDC, who then can accept or deny the recommendations. The committee's decisions do not directly allow or prevent vaccines to be given, but they can impact health insurance coverage, NBC News reported. The panel said previously it would evaluate recommendations for childhood vaccines, according to the outlet, and members of the committee have had varying views on the regimen over the years. But where do most Americans actually stand on the childhood vaccine requirements? Majority of Americans support childhood vaccines The vast majority of U.S. adults support vaccines requirements as they currently stand, primarily as prerequisites to kids attending public school, a June 26 Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health poll found. The poll included 2,509 Americans over the age of 18, questioned between March 10 and March 31, and with margins of error between plus or minus 2.3 and 4.2 percentage points, according to the report. Overall, 79% of U.S. adults 'say parents should be required to have children vaccinated against preventable diseases like measles, mumps and rubella to attend school,' according to the survey. When broken down by political affiliation, 90% of Democrats and 68% of Republicans said they support the requirements, including 66% of adults who self-identified as part of the 'Make America Great Again' movement, the poll showed. Only 21%, or about one in five, said they didn't support the current requirements, data showed. 'Childhood vaccine requirements are less controversial than many people think,' Brian Castrucci, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, which collaborated on the poll, said in a news release about the poll. 'This poll shows that they're widely supported across political groups — and it's heartening to see that so many Americans understand the importance of vaccination, which remains a fundamental pillar of public health and disease prevention.' Opponents cite parental choice, political influence Kennedy said part of his reasoning for the ACIP shake-up was because the previous committee 'never recommended against a vaccine — even those later withdrawn for safety reasons.' But when it came to the poll results, of the 21% of adults who stated they didn't support the childhood vaccines, very few cited safety concerns. About three-fourths of those who don't support the shots said 'a major reason is that they think it should be the parents' choice whether to vaccinate their child,' according to the poll. Others said 'they think government agencies who enforce vaccine requirements are influenced too much by politics,' or that the requirements are made to benefit large companies and vaccine manufacturers, according to the report. Less than half of respondents who don't support the requirement noted safety as a major concern, the poll found. Overall, 88% of parents said they believe vaccines are safe, including 97% of Democrats, 88% of Republicans and 84% of 'MAGA' supporters, according to the poll. Few changes made in ACIP voting The HHS announced votes from the first meeting of the new ACIP, with decisions made on RSV recommendations and flu shots, according to a June 26 news release. The committee approved one dose of clesrovimab for infants not protected from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) from their mothers, one of two monoclonal antibody products currently available. They also reaffirmed a previous recommendation for all people over the age of 6 months to receive an annual flu shot, including for pregnant women, according to the release. The committee said these shots, however, must be free of thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative used in vaccines since the 1930s that multiple U.S. and international studies have confirmed the safety of, according to the CDC. They also voted to update the 'Vaccines for Children Program' specifically for RSV prevention, the HHS said. 'Honesty, transparency and compassion with regard to public health. These are the three pillars that we, the new ACIP members, are guided by. Our central duty is to protect public health, and we understand that we must answer the call for reestablishing confidence in the scientific examination process. This committee strongly supports the use of vaccines, and other counter measures, predicated on evidence-based medicine, including rigorous evaluation and expansive credible scientific data, for both safety and efficacy,' the committee members said in a joint statement shared by the HHS.
Bloomberg
11-06-2025
- Health
- Bloomberg
RFK Jr.'s Policies Shouldn't Surprise Anyone
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to oust the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's entire panel of outside vaccine advisers is at once utterly shocking and entirely predictable. Every new action by the secretary of Health and Human Services seems more impudent than the last — all in service of undermining confidence in some of our most reliable public health tools. The magnitude of his dismissal of all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) — an independent panel of experts that makes recommendations on vaccine deployment in the US — is unlikely to register with the public. After all, this is a wonky committee that only fleetingly entered the public consciousness during the Covid-19 pandemic, when everyone anxiously awaited its verdicts on the first vaccines. But Americans will feel the effects of Kennedy's decision in their everyday lives — and it will happen sooner rather than later.
Los Angeles Times
09-06-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach Transforms Maternal Care, Champions Equity and Dignity for All Mothers
Although in some areas, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives may be declining in healthcare, birth equity remains a priority for many hospitals in California, including Miller Children's & Women's Hospital in Long Beach. Raising awareness and developing strategies for birth equity is crucial to addressing racial and social disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes. In the United States, Black and Hispanic mothers are significantly more likely to experience complications during childbirth and have higher mortality rates as compared to other groups. At Miller Children's & Women's Hospital in Long Beach, over 5,500 babies are born each year. Our community is diverse, with many of our mothers coming from Black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander and other non-white backgrounds. According to the United States Census Bureau, approximately 43.4% of Long Beach's population identifies as Hispanic or Latino, 11.9% as Black or African American and 12.8% as Asian. The city also has a significant Cambodian community, which is the second-largest outside of Cambodia. As a community hospital serving the greater Long Beach area, we prioritize training and awareness around unconscious bias among our patients and caregivers. We have the necessary tools to effectively record and analyze data. Statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black women is 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births – significantly higher than for White (19), Hispanic (16.9) and Asian (13.2) women in 2022. These disparities highlight the urgent need for focused interventions and systemic changes in maternal healthcare. Several factors contribute to the higher maternal mortality in minority communities. Structural racism and implicit bias within the healthcare system can lead to inadequate prenatal care, delayed diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy-related complications, and disparities in access to maternal healthcare services. Furthermore, socioeconomic factors further exacerbate these disparities in maternal outcomes among minority women. Addressing the crisis requires removing systemic barriers to quality maternal healthcare. Miller Children's & Women's Hospital recognizes the ongoing work needed in minority health and has made it a priority. No one should be denied basic or standard healthcare due to their race or ethnicity. Therefore, we are committed to becoming the change, recognizing that much work lies ahead. At the Cherese Mari Laulhere BirthCare Center at Miller Children's & Women's, our healthcare providers and care teams undergo cultural competency training to better understand the unique needs and experiences of minority patients. Additionally, we have partnered with the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative as one of five hospitals selected for their significant demographics of racial and ethnic minority populations. This partnership focuses on addressing birth inequities, educating staff, sharing data and creating a Hospital Action Guide to empower hospitals nationwide to engage in this vital work. Since focusing on these initiatives, we have seen an almost 10% increase in Black mothers reporting that they always feel like they are treated with courtesy and respect. These patient-reported measures enhance the relationship between the patients and care providers to ensure that patients' voices are heard and that their birth experience preferences are honored. Evidence indicates that these improvements will help close the disparity gap in birth outcomes for Black women and their newborns. Currently, Miller Children's & Women's is working to implement all recommendations from the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses' (AWHONN) respectful maternal care framework and evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. Our care teams, including our Respectful Maternal Care Champions, are here to enhance the overall experience of our Black and Brown patients, utilizing technology like Irth App, a unique Yelp-like platform for parents of color to leave and find reviews of OB/GYNs, birthing hospitals and pediatricians. By analyzing patient responses shared through this app, we can redefine our care based on patient experiences and make births safer, more respectful and equitable. Want to learn more? Visit
Economic Times
06-06-2025
- Health
- Economic Times
Deadly brain-eating amoeba kills Texas woman: how to be safe?
What is Naegleria fowleri? Naegleria fowleri is a free-living, single-celled amoeba found in warm freshwater environments worldwide, such as lakes, rivers, hot springs, and poorly maintained pools. It is commonly called the 'brain-eating amoeba' because it can cause a fatal brain infection. How do people get infected? Infection occurs when water containing the amoeba enters the nose, usually during swimming, diving, or nasal irrigation with contaminated water. Drinking contaminated water does not cause infection. What are the symptoms? Early symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting. As the disease progresses, symptoms may include stiff neck, confusion, seizures, hallucinations, and coma. Death usually occurs within 5 days of symptom onset. How common are infections? Infections are extremely rare, with fewer than 10 cases reported annually in the U.S. over the past five decades Can the infection be treated? Treatment options are limited and often unsuccessful. Some experimental therapies, such as miltefosine, have shown promise if administered early, but survival remains rare. How can infection be prevented? Use only distilled, sterile, or previously boiled and cooled tap water for nasal irrigation. Avoid submerging your head in warm freshwater, especially during the summer months. The Science Behind Naegleria fowleri Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A 71-year-old Texas woman died after contracting a rare but deadly infection caused by the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri . According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the woman used untreated tap water from her RV's supply for nasal irrigation, a practice that allowed the amoeba to enter her body through her days, she developed severe neurological symptoms, including headache, fever, confusion, and seizures. Despite rapid medical intervention, she succumbed to the infection just eight days after symptoms began. The CDC stresses that such infections are extremely rare but almost always fatal, with only four survivors among 164 reported U.S. cases from 1962 to fowleri is a thermophilic (heat-loving) amoeba that thrives in warm freshwater environments, particularly during summer months. It exists in three life stages: cyst (dormant and resistant), flagellate (transient and mobile), and trophozoite (active and feeding).The trophozoite stage is the infectious form, capable of invading the nasal passages and migrating to the brain via the olfactory nerve, where it causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).The amoeba is classified as a free-living organism, meaning it does not require a host to survive. Instead, it feeds on bacteria and organic matter in the environment. While most exposures do not result in infection, when the amoeba enters the nose, it can rapidly cause severe brain inflammation and tissue destruction, leading to death in nearly all fowleri's ability to adapt to various environments and its near-universal presence in warm freshwater underscores the importance of safe water practices, especially for activities that involve nasal exposure.
