Latest news with #MennoniteChristian
Japan Today
07-07-2025
- Health
- Japan Today
U.S. measles epidemic its worst of 21st century
The United States in 2025 has recorded its worst measles epidemic in more than 30 years, according to a count released Monday by Johns Hopkins University, highlighting a crisis that President Donald Trump's vaccine-skeptic U.S. health secretary is accused of fueling. The serious and highly contagious disease, once deemed eliminated from the country thanks to vaccines, is making a comeback against a backdrop of falling vaccination rates and growing mistrust of health authorities. A total of 1,277 cases have been confirmed since the beginning of the year in nearly 40 of the 50 U.S. states, with Texas accounting for over 60 percent of the outbreak, according to Johns Hopkins. The total U.S. figure is the highest since 1992. The epidemic has so far claimed three lives -- all unvaccinated people -- including two young children. According to several experts the toll has been largely underestimated, as they expressed concern about under-reporting. The previous measles-related infant death in the United States was in 2003, three years after measles had been declared officially eradicated thanks to vaccinations. The last major outbreak was recorded in 2019 in Orthodox Jewish communities of New York and New Jersey, with 1,274 cases but no deaths. Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus spread through droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes or simply breathes. U.S. Secretary of Health Robert F Kennedy Jr is accused of having exacerbated the health crisis by stoking fears about the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine -- a highly effective shot he has falsely claimed is dangerous and contains fetal debris. The epidemic broke out in late January in a rural area of Texas, where a vaccine-skeptical Mennonite Christian community was hit particularly hard. This year's resurgence has also seen neighboring Canada and Mexico experience stronger-than-usual outbreaks. More than 3,500 cases including one death have been recorded this year in Canada, the vast majority in Ontario province. In Mexico nearly 2,600 cases and nine deaths have been recorded, according to the Pan-American Health Organization. © 2025 AFP
LeMonde
07-07-2025
- Health
- LeMonde
US records worst measles outbreak in over 30 years
The United States in 2025 has recorded its worst measles epidemic in more than 30 years, according to a count released Monday, July 7, by Johns Hopkins University, highlighting a crisis that President Donald Trump's vaccine-skeptic US health secretary is accused of fueling. The serious and highly contagious disease, once deemed eliminated from the country thanks to vaccines, is making a comeback against a backdrop of falling vaccination rates and growing mistrust of health authorities. A total of 1,277 cases have been confirmed since the beginning of the year in nearly 40 of the 50 US states, with Texas accounting for over 60% of the outbreak, according to Johns Hopkins. The total US figure is the highest since 1992. The epidemic has so far claimed three lives – all unvaccinated people – including two young children. According to several experts the toll has been largely underestimated, as they expressed concern about under-reporting. The previous measles-related infant death in the US was in 2003, three years after measles had been declared officially eradicated thanks to vaccinations. The last major outbreak was recorded in 2019 in Orthodox Jewish communities of New York and New Jersey, with 1,274 cases but no deaths. Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus spread through droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes or simply breathes. US Secretary of Health Robert F Kennedy Jr is accused of having exacerbated the health crisis by stoking fears about the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine – a highly effective shot he has falsely claimed is dangerous and contains fetal debris. The epidemic broke out in late January in a rural area of Texas, where a vaccine-skeptical Mennonite Christian community was hit particularly hard. This year's resurgence has also seen neighboring Canada and Mexico experience stronger-than-usual outbreaks. More than 3,500 cases including one death have been recorded this year in Canada, the vast majority in Ontario province. In Mexico, nearly 2,600 cases and nine deaths have been recorded, according to the Pan-American Health Organization.
Los Angeles Times
26-06-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
California has seen more measles cases this year than all of 2024, sparking concerns
California has already reported more measles cases this year than in all of 2024, a worrisome development that comes as the nation is suffering its largest outbreak of the super-infectious disease in decades. The extent of the national outbreak has rocketed measles from a back-of-mind issue — one rarely, if ever, encountered by a whole generation of Americans — to a pressing public health concern. 'Measles is completely preventable,' Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious diseases at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, told The Times. The virus is spreading almost universally among people who either haven't been vaccinated, or whose vaccination status is not known, authorities note. But the MMR shots, so named because they also afford protection against mumps and rubella, has long been in the crosshairs of anti-vaccine activists and skeptics — some of whom are now in charge of shaping U.S. policy regarding childhood immunizations. There have been 17 cases of measles reported so far this year among California residents, up from the 15 reported all of last year, according to the state Department of Public Health. Doctors have been increasingly on alert for measles, which for decades has been so rare that many physicians haven't encountered a single case. Because of that recent rarity, many may be unfamiliar with how readily measles can spread — or the serious symptoms it can cause. 'This is not just a mild childhood disease,' Dr. Erica Pan, director of the California Department of Public Health and state public health officer, said in a recent briefing to doctors. Measles has a death rate of 1 for every 500 to 1,000 cases, Pan said. Nationwide, more than 145 people have been hospitalized with measles so far this year, federal data show, and many of those hospitalized have needed intensive care. 'This can cause very severe disease — often causes a viral pneumonia that is severe enough to need intensive care,' Pan said. Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known to science. It is so infectious you can catch it just by being in a room where an infected person has been — even up to two hours after they left, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The uptick in confirmed measles cases in California, while still somewhat concerning for local public health officials, pales compared with the significant outbreak that began in Texas earlier this year and has since spread to surrounding states. Texas has reported at least 750 measles cases; New Mexico, 81; Kansas, 80; North Dakota, 28; and Montana, 23, according to the respective states' health departments. Michigan has reported 15 cases; Ohio and Illinois, 10, and Arkansas and Indiana, eight. The overwhelming majority of the measles cases are associated with outbreaks tied to close-knit communities with low rates of vaccination, according to the CDC. Recent outbreaks have occurred in areas with a notable population of certain Mennonite Christian communities, starting last fall in Ontario, Canada, which was linked to a large gathering in New Brunswick; then in Texas and New Mexico in late January; and more recently in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, according to the Associated Press. The AP reported that officials in Mexico and the U.S. say the outbreaks in their countries match the strain found in Canada. The CDC says that 95% of this year's measles cases in the U.S. occurred among people who were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. About 29% of cases occurred in children younger than 5, with an additional 37% in those age 5 to 19. In all, the U.S. has reported 1,227 confirmed measles cases so far this year. That's already rivaling the highest single-year total seen this century — 1,274 were reported in 2019. You would have to look back a generation to find a higher total than that: 2,126 cases were reported nationwide in 1992. 'And those are probably an underreporting,' Pan said of this year's case count. Doctors, she said, have learned that most people affected by the measles outbreaks are reluctant to get themselves or their children tested. Three measles deaths have been reported so far this year, according to the CDC. Two were Texas school-aged children — both of whom were unvaccinated and had no known underlying health conditions, according to state health officials. The other was an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico who didn't seek medical care before dying, according to health authorities there. One death has been reported in Mexico, according to the World Health Organization. That person was also unvaccinated. More than 3,300 confirmed and suspected measles cases have also been reported in Canada so far this year. One infant, who was infected with measles before being born premature, died in Canada earlier this month, according to Dr. Kieran Moore, the chief medical officer for the province of Ontario. The infant's mother was not vaccinated. The infant faced other serious medical complications unrelated to the virus, but measles 'may have been a contributing factor in both the premature birth and death,' Moore said in a statement. This year marks the first time a child has died from measles in the United States since 2003 — and the child in that case had a rare genetic condition that impaired the immune system. It's also the first time since the 1990s that more than two people have died from measles in the U.S. in a single year. While most associated with its telltale rash, health officials warn measles can cause symptoms that cross the boundary from discomfort to danger. Measles can cause encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain. And years after contracting measles, people can later develop subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, or SSPE, a rare but fatal complication resulting from a weakened form of the virus remaining in the body, and later infecting the brain. 'This is a really, really unusual time to see this many deaths — and seeing previously healthy children with a vaccine-preventable death in the United States,' Pan said. Measles can also cause something called 'immune amnesia.' 'It can actually suppress people's immune systems for a few years after having that measles infection,' Pan said. The measles outbreaks in Texas, Kansas and New Mexico are so severe that state health officials are recommending early vaccination in babies as young as 6 months in the hardest-hit counties. Those officials are also recommending a second dose for many children earlier than the typical schedule. The standard CDC recommendation is that children receive the first of two measles vaccine shots when they turn 1, unless they are traveling internationally, in which case they can get vaccinated at 6 months old. In California, there is no active measles outbreak, so there's no recommendation for additional or accelerated vaccine doses, Pan said. Most of California's measles cases this year have involved people who traveled internationally. Helping matters is California's relatively high vaccination rate among kindergartners. For the 2023-24 school year, 96.2% of California's kindergartners were vaccinated against measles, according to the CDC — one of the higher rates of any state. The latest figure is down slightly from the 96.5% seen the year earlier, but it remains above the levels seen prior to 2014-15, when a severe measles outbreak linked to Disneyland prompted state legislators to strengthen vaccination requirements for children who attend school. Experts aim for a 95% vaccination rate for measles to guard against outbreaks. Today, California's measles case rate remains much lower than the national rate. But that doesn't mean the state is invulnerable. There are settings in which unvaccinated people can cluster together, such as group outings of children who are homeschooled. Another vulnerable setting can be doctor's offices. In 2008, an unvaccinated 7-year-old boy returned home to San Diego from a trip to Switzerland, became sick, then went to school and was taken to the pediatrician. Investigators found that measles then spread to 11 other children who were either unvaccinated or too young to be vaccinated — five in his school, four who were in the pediatrician's office at the same time he was, and both of his siblings. Among those infected were three infants younger than 1, one of whom was hospitalized for two days, according to a report published by the CDC. Another infant traveled by plane to Hawaii while infectious. Some California counties also have measles vaccination rates for kindergartners that are below the 95% goal. For the 2023-24 school year, San Diego County's rate is 94.8%; San Bernardino County's is 93.5%; Santa Cruz County's is 91.8%; and Kern County's is 90.7%. In 2017, a measles outbreak in Los Angeles County was centered in an Orthodox Jewish community, with a number of patients living in Westside L.A., the Santa Monica Mountains and the San Fernando Valley. In early 2019, California's biggest measles outbreak was in Butte County, and started after a man visited the Philippines, a country that was then in the midst of a massive outbreak. The last time measles caused scores of deaths nationwide was in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Between 1989 to 1991, there were about 55,000 cases and more than 130 suspected measles-associated deaths, according to the CDC. In California, that epidemic was the worst between 1988 and 1991 — with 18,000 cases, 3,500 hospital admissions and 70 deaths reported, according to state health officials. A big problem officials identified at that time was that poor parents could not afford vaccinations for their children. One of the nation's largest outbreaks in 1989 involved mostly preschool-aged children in Los Angeles. In light of the outbreak, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended a second dose of the measles vaccine be given between the ages of 4 and 6. And in the early 1990s, the federal government created the Vaccines for Children program, which funds a number of vaccinations for children with low-income parents. In 2000, officials declared that measles was no longer being continuously transmitted locally in the U.S., and new cases were only found when someone was infected abroad. L.A. County has recorded four cases of measles so far this year among residents, up from one all of last year. Most of the cases this year were associated with someone who either traveled internationally or to domestic areas suffering community transmission of measles, according to the local Department of Public Health. There were also two reported cases among non-county residents this year, including an infant traveling through Los Angeles International Airport on a flight from South Korea who was returning home to Orange County. In 2024, there were six non-L.A. County residents who had measles while traveling through L.A. County; four had traveled through Los Angeles International Airport while infectious. 'With measles cases rising across the country and globally, it's important for unprotected individuals to consider preventive measures. Immunization provides the best protection. Additionally, anyone who was exposed should monitor for symptoms,' the Orange County Health Care Agency said in a statement to The Times. Symptoms include fever, rash, cough and red, watery eyes. People can be contagious from about four days before the rash begins through four days afterward. Those suspecting they have measles should call their medical provider before they go to the doctor's office to avoid potentially exposing other patients, the Health Care Agency said. The rash traditionally starts at the hairline and moves its way down the body, according to Pan. Kaiser has seen one case of measles this past month, which was in the Santa Clarita area, Hudson said. Health officials said people were possibly exposed to the contagious individual at a Costco, Trader Joe's and Walmart on the afternoon of May 29. 'The MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, has an excellent safety record. Hundreds of millions of children have safely received the vaccine worldwide,' she said in a statement to The Times.
Sinar Daily
02-06-2025
- Health
- Sinar Daily
Measles roars back in the US, topping 1,000 cases
WASHINGTON - The United States' measles outbreak has surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases with three deaths so far, state and local data showed on May 9, marking a stark resurgence of a vaccine-preventable disease that the nation once declared eliminated. The surge comes as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to undermine confidence in the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine -- a highly effective shot he has falsely claimed is dangerous and contains fetal debris. An AFP tally showed there have been at least 1,012 cases since the start of the year, with Texas accounting for more than 70 per cent. A vaccine-skeptical Mennonite Christian community straddling the Texas-New Mexico border has been hit particularly hard. A federal database maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lagged behind state and county reporting, as the globally renowned health agency faces deep workforce and budget cuts under President Donald Trump's administration. North Dakota is the latest state to report an outbreak, with nine cases so far. Around 180 school students have been forced to quarantine at home, according to the North Dakota Monitor. "This is a virus that's the most contagious infectious disease of mankind and it's now spreading like wildfire," Paul Offit a pediatrician and vaccine expert at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia told AFP. He warned the true case count could be far higher, as people shy away from seeking medical attention. "Those three deaths equal the total number of deaths from measles in the last 25 years in this country." The fatalities so far include two young girls in Texas and an adult in New Mexico, all unvaccinated -- making it the deadliest US measles outbreak in decades. It is also the highest number of cases since 2019, when outbreaks in Orthodox Jewish communities in New York and New Jersey resulted in 1,274 infections but no deaths. - Vaccine misinformation - Nationwide immunisation rates have been dropping in the United States, fueled by misinformation about vaccines, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The CDC recommends a 95 per cent vaccination rate to maintain herd immunity. However, measles vaccine coverage among kindergartners has dropped from 95.2 per cent in the 2019-2020 school year to 92.7 per cent in 2023-2024. Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus spread through droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes or simply breathes. Known for its characteristic rash, it poses a serious risk to unvaccinated individuals, including infants under 12 months who are not ordinarily eligible for vaccination, and those with weakened immune systems. Before the measles vaccine's introduction in 1963, it is thought that millions of Americans contracted the disease annually, and several hundred died. While measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, outbreaks persist each year. Susan McLellan, an infectious disease professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, pushed back against messaging that promotes remedies like Vitamin A -- which has valid but limited uses -- over vaccines. Kennedy has led that messaging in frequent appearances on Fox News. "Saying we're going to devote resources to studying therapies instead of enhancing uptake of the vaccine is a profoundly inefficient way of addressing a vaccine-preventable disease," she told AFP. McLellan added that the crisis reflects broader erosion in public trust in health authorities. She said it is hard for an individual untrained in statistics to understand measles is a problem if they don't personally see deaths around them. "Believing population-based statistics takes a leap, and that's public health." - Issam Ahmed / AFP
Express Tribune
10-05-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
Measles roars back in the US, topping 1,000 cases
The United States' measles outbreak has surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases with three deaths so far, state and local data showed Friday, marking a stark resurgence of a vaccine-preventable disease that the nation once declared eliminated. The surge comes as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to undermine confidence in the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine -- a highly effective shot he has falsely claimed is dangerous and contains fetal debris. An AFP tally showed there have been at least 1,012 cases since the start of the year, with Texas accounting for more than 70 percent. A vaccine-skeptical Mennonite Christian community straddling the Texas-New Mexico border has been hit particularly hard. A federal database maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lagged behind state and county reporting, as the globally renowned health agency faces deep workforce and budget cuts under President Donald Trump's administration. North Dakota is the latest state to report an outbreak, with nine cases so far. Around 180 school students have been forced to quarantine at home, according to the North Dakota Monitor. "This is a virus that's the most contagious infectious disease of mankind and it's now spreading like wildfire," Paul Offit a pediatrician and vaccine expert at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia told AFP. He warned the true case count could be far higher, as people shy away from seeking medical attention. "Those three deaths equal the total number of deaths from measles in the last 25 years in this country." The fatalities so far include two young girls in Texas and an adult in New Mexico, all unvaccinated -- making it the deadliest US measles outbreak in decades. It is also the highest number of cases since 2019, when outbreaks in Orthodox Jewish communities in New York and New Jersey resulted in 1,274 infections but no deaths. Nationwide immunization rates have been dropping in the United States, fueled by misinformation about vaccines, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The CDC recommends a 95 percent vaccination rate to maintain herd immunity. However, measles vaccine coverage among kindergartners has dropped from 95.2 percent in the 2019-2020 school year to 92.7 percent in 2023-2024. Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus spread through droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes or simply breathes. Known for its characteristic rash, it poses a serious risk to unvaccinated individuals, including infants under 12 months who are not ordinarily eligible for vaccination, and those with weakened immune systems.
