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Associated Press
16-07-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Rio Grande Valley's biggest free health clinic event of the year is canceled due to federal cuts
MCALLEN, Texas (AP) — Every year since 1999, the Rio Grande Valley has hosted a massive five-day event to offer free health services across several counties. More than 6,600 people received services from the event last year. People lined up as early as 4 a.m. to access physician check-ups, immunizations, sports physicals, screenings for diabetes, dental services, eye exams and prescription glasses. The event, called Operation Border Health, was scheduled to take place next week at five locations across the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo. But health officials abruptly announced the event's cancellation last week, marking the first time the event will not be held in 26 years. Local county health departments said the event was canceled because of cuts to the Texas Department of State Health Services' federal funding. This fiscal year, which started on July 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only gave Texas about 72% of the base funding the state received last year for its Public Health Emergency Preparedness program, Imelda Garcia, the state health agency's chief deputy commissioner, told county leaders earlier this month. The program helps communities prepare for infectious diseases, natural disasters and other health threats. The notice came after Garcia warned local public health departments in June of potential federal cuts. CDC officials could not immediately be reached for comment. In Cameron County, funding was cut by about $100,000, which meant losing two employees on the health department's preparedness team, said Esmeralda Guajardo, the county health administrator. That was in addition to 10 health department employees — including two on the preparedness team — she lost in March after the federal government told Texas officials it was cutting back $700 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funding. The cuts brought Guajardo's preparedness team down to six employees, which she said made running Operation Border Health this year unmanageable. The preparedness team, which is comprised of several epidemiologists, is usually responsible for conducting contact investigations for diseases in the community. Guajardo said the workload is heavy — especially for a short-staffed team — and she couldn't afford to leave those responsibilities unattended while her staff handled Operation Border Health. 'I have a real hard time asking my employees, that I've lost 40% of, to go out and oversee Operation Border Health, knowing that when they come back, they're going to have this workload to attend to,' Guajardo said. Meanwhile, the federal cuts meant Hidalgo County lost more than $165,000 in emergency preparedness funds, prompting the county to terminate a vacant emergency preparedness coordinator position. The county said the cuts impacted temporary and permanent staff involved in the event, but declined to provide specifics on the impact of those cuts. Losing Operation Border Health is a blow to a region that consistently ranks among the highest in the state without health insurance. In 2023, the rate of Rio Grande Valley residents who were uninsured was between 27% and 31%. Ivan Melendez, the Hidalgo County health authority — who is independent of the county health department — said he's concerned about the elimination of health efforts meant to benefit a community that ranks high in poverty, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, end-stage renal disease and hemodialysis. 'Then you throw into it the closure of such safety nets, it becomes a very, very big issue for us,' Melendez said. A handful of clinics in the county offer health services at free or reduced cost, but their resources are strained, Melendez said. Operation Border Health, a bilingual program, offered a way for people to access those services during the summer, which could be especially useful for students in need of new glasses or sports physicals ahead of the school year. Melendez said he and the county hope to create new resources to fill the void by partnering with school districts and universities to host clinics. However, he would prefer Operation Border Health to resume. 'We're deeply disappointed that we can't do it,' he said. 'Our hope is that this is short-lived and that we can return back to this program as soon as possible.' ___ This story was originally published by The Texas Tribune and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
CBS News
17-06-2025
- Health
- CBS News
At least 3% of measles cases this year were in people who were fully vaccinated, CDC says
At least 3% of measles cases confirmed so far this year have been in people who received two doses of the measles vaccine, meaning they were fully vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. About three dozen of the nearly 1,200 measles infections in 2025 have been in people with two vaccine doses, the agency said Friday in its weekly update on cases. An additional 2% of cases were in people who received at least one dose of the measles vaccine. Many of the cases were in Texas, which on Tuesday counted a 21st confirmed measles case in someone with at least two doses of the vaccine. The first 20 cases did not result in hospitalizations, Lara Anton, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services, said Monday. Those cases were in children 8 years old or younger. Anton did not immediately respond to a request for more information about the additional case, which was reported on Tuesday after she spoke to CBS News. The first 20 cases also did not include people who received their second dose as a result of post-exposure prophylaxis, Anton said. Post-exposure prophylaxis is offering someone a drug or vaccine after they are exposed to a germ, to reduce the chance they will be infected or develop severe disease. The CDC says people exposed to measles can get vaccinated within 72 hours of when they were first exposed, if they are not fully immunized. "If administered within 72 hours of initial measles exposure, MMR vaccine might provide some protection against infection or modify the clinical course of disease," the agency's recommendations say. Texas has seen a deadly outbreak of the highly contagious virus this year. While cases there have recently slowed, CDC officials have said that authorities have been tracking more outbreaks in other communities across the U.S. linked to travel outside and inside the country. "Additional cases have been seeded from the outbreak in Texas, as well as related outbreaks in Mexico and Canada. Additionally, measles importation from international travel continues, especially as the busy summer of travel season ramps up," Brian Wakeman, deputy lead of the CDC's measles laboratory task force, said Monday. Wakeman, who spoke on a nationwide call for testing laboratories, said the U.S. is now on pace to top the 1,274 cases of measles seen in 2019. That was the most cases the U.S. has seen in a single year since endemic spread of the virus was declared "eliminated" at the end of the 20th century. "We're also on pace to be the greatest number of measles cases since the early 90s," Wakeman said. Six cases of measles in people who received at least two doses of the vaccine have also been in Colorado, that state's health department says. "None of the six cases with 2+ doses were seniors or required hospitalization," Hope Shuler, a spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said in an email. Health authorities and experts have called for some seniors to check if they need a measles booster, especially if they are planning to travel, because of the kind of measles vaccines that were used before 1968. "That group is unlikely to have robust immunity from infection, because at that point in time, they were using less effective vaccines," said Dr. Celine Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News. Colorado says many of its vaccinated cases have been in residents who were exposed during travel to other parts of the world facing large outbreaks like Canada and Europe. The state previously said it had linked multiple cases to an infectious traveler who exposed others at Denver International Airport and on a Turkish Airlines flight. The CDC has also issued new guidance for summer camps to prepare for the threat of measles spread this year, including urging camp operators to check for documentation of immunity among staff and children. Measles vaccines are 97% effective at preventing measles after two doses and 93% after one dose, the CDC says.
The Sun
03-06-2025
- General
- The Sun
Woman, 71, dies from brain-eating infection days after rinsing her nose with tap water
A PREVIOUSLY healthy woman died after contracting a brain-eating infection - believed to have been caused by tap water. The 71-year-old from Texas, whose identity hasn't been disclosed, is thought to have fallen victim to an amoeba, a single-celled organism. After she died last year, it was suggested she'd contracted the infection after using tap water from an RV's system at a campground to rinse her sinuses. The amoeba she was infected by is Naegleria fowleri, known as the brain-eating amoeba, which thrives in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, and hot springs, according to a report in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Texas investigators said the woman developed severe neurological symptoms, including fever, headache, and an altered mental state, within four days of using a nasal irrigation device filled with the tap water. Despite medical treatment for suspected primary amoebic meningoencephalitis - a rare but severe and usually fatal brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri - she developed seizures and later died eight days after her symptoms first appeared. A follow-up epidemiologic investigation conducted by the Texas Department of State Health Services found the woman had no recreational exposure to fresh water, such as swimming. But she had reportedly performed nasal irrigation several times using non-boiled water from the RV water faucet during the four days before she fell ill. Two potential water sources for the N. fowleri infection were suggested. The first was the RV's water tank for drinking, which flowed directly to the faucets and shower. The tank had been filled with water collected on an unknown date before the patient bought the RV three months earlier. The second possible source of contamination was the municipal water system, which was connected by a hose and water filter to the RV's potable water system. To explore these potential sources further, investigators collected 12 environmental samples. These included samples from the squirt bottle that the woman used for nasal rinsing, water from the RV water heater, swabs from the shower head and bathroom and kitchen sink faucets, water from the RV's potable water tank, and water from the campsite's municipal water supply. The scientists didn't find N. fowleri DNA or viable amoeba in the samples, but they found the water supply wasn't adequately disinfected. The authors wrote: "This case reinforces the potential for serious health risks associated with improper use of nasal irrigation devices, as well as the importance of maintaining RV water quality and ensuring that municipal water systems adhere to regulatory standards." Despite the alarming incident, The Texas Department of State Health Services reassured the public the area's tap water remains safe to drink. They emphasised infections from amoebas are extremely rare and can only infect humans through the nose. 2 Sinus rinsing, also known as nasal irrigation or sinus flushing, is popular for relieving sinus congestion and other respiratory issues. It's generally recommended to use boiled and cooled water for sinus rinsing, along with distilled or sterile water. Boiling water kills bacteria and other microorganisms that may be present in tap water, reducing the risk of infection. It's also advised to avoid water entering your nasal passages in general, especially when swimming or engaging in water activities. Are you at risk of Naegleria fowleri? Naegleria fowleri infections, leading to primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), typically present with symptoms like severe headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, and stiff neck. These initial symptoms, which can resemble those of bacterial or viral meningitis, progress rapidly to confusion, hallucinations, lack of attention, and seizures. The disease progresses to coma and death within one to 18 days after symptoms appear, with the median being five days. Diagnosis can be challenging due to the rarity of the infection and the difficulty in initial detection. Rapid identification through laboratory tests is crucial for effective treatment. While PAM is rare, exposure to warm freshwater is a risk factor. Avoiding swimming in warm, stagnant water and practising safe water practices can help reduce the risk of infection.
Forbes
30-05-2025
- General
- Forbes
Measles Outbreak Grows: Here's Where Cases Are Spreading In The U.S.
There was an uptick in measles cases across the U.S. over the last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday, though the spread of the highly contagious illness appears to have slowed in Texas. Most of the cases in the U.S. are centered in Texas. There have been 1,088 confirmed cases of measles across 30 states so far this year, according to the latest update from the CDC on Friday, increasing by 42 cases over the previous week and far surpassing the 285 measles cases in total reported in 2024 (the CDC does not provide data on how many cases are actively infectious). The Texas Department of State Health Services reported Friday its number of measles cases, which date back to late January, had grown by nine to 738, with 94 patients being hospitalized and two school-aged children confirmed dead from the illness since the start of the state's outbreak. Fewer than 10 of the confirmed cases are estimated to be actively infectious, while 37 of the cases were in vaccinated people, with the remainder of the 701 sick patients being unvaccinated or having an unknown vaccination status, according to Texas health officials. In New Mexico, which has the second-highest number of measles cases in the country, Lea County is home to 66 of the state's 79 confirmed cases and has reported one death; it is about 47 miles from Gaines County, Texas, where the vast majority of Texas' measles cases have been detected. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 64 confirmed cases as of Wednesday, and Jill Bronaugh, the department's communications director, previously told Forbes genetic sequencing of one case is 'consistent' with a link to outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico. A measles case in Iowa was confirmed in an unvaccinated adult in central Iowa last week, a first for the state since 2019, according to the Iowa's department of health and human services, which noted 84% of 2-year-olds in the state are vaccinated, well below the 95% threshold required to prevent outbreaks. Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We're launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day's headlines. Text 'Alerts' to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here. There have been 409 measles cases confirmed in Gaines County, a rural area about an hour-and-a-half west of Lubbock. Cases have reached double digits in Terry County (60), El Paso County (57), Lubbock County (53), Dawson County (26), Yoakum County (20), Lamar County (20), Cochran County (14) and Ector County (11), with a total of 35 Texas counties confirming cases. An eight-year-old girl died in Lubbock of 'measles pulmonary failure' in April after contracting the disease, The New York Times first reported. The hospital where she died, UMC Health System, confirmed the death to media outlets, noting the child was unvaccinated and did not have any underlying health conditions. An unvaccinated resident of New Mexico's Lea County died from measles in March, according to the New Mexico Department of Health. An unvaccinated six-year-old in Texas also died of measles in February, marking the first death from measles in the U.S. in a decade. Some 280 of the cases have been among people aged five to 17, while 215 cases were among children younger than five and 239 were reported among adults aged 18 and above. The ages of four patients have not been stated. The CDC has reported 14 outbreaks (three or more related cases) in 2025, with 90% of confirmed cases (977 of the 1,046) being outbreak-associated. Cases in Kansas have been linked to New Mexico, which has cases connected to the Texas outbreak. Outside of triple or double-digit cases in California, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio and Pennsylvania, anywhere from one to nine cases have been confirmed by the CDC in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York City, New York state, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. Symptoms of measles include a fever, rash, cough, fatigue, runny nose and red eyes. The symptoms do not appear until 10 to 14 days after someone is exposed to the virus and can appear as late as 21 days after exposure. Measles is highly contagious and can spread from one person to nine out of 10 people close to them, according to the CDC, which notes a person infected with measles can spread it to others four days before through four days after the rash appears. Measles can spread through coughing, sneezing and infected surfaces and linger in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after infected people leave a given area. People infected with measles should isolate for four days after they develop a rash, with the day of rash onset being considered day zero. Yes, and it is highly effective and safe, according to the CDC. The measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, which has been available for over half a century, is about 97% effective at preventing measles with the standard two doses and 93% effective with one dose. The vaccine is typically given to people when they are children, with one dose administered between 12 to 15 months and another administered between four to six years old. The vaccine generally provides long-term or lifelong protection. There is no problem with getting the vaccine if you are an adult unsure of their vaccination status, Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told NPR. Adults born after 1957 and vaccinated before 1968 should consider getting revaccinated, NPR reported, noting early measles vaccines are not as effective. After initially claiming the measles outbreak was 'not unusual,' Kennedy changed his stance and considered it 'serious,' saying in a since-removed March 3 statement the outbreak 'is a call to action for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to public health.' On April 6, Kennedy said the 'most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine.' In a separate follow-up post, the HHS leader touted 'two extraordinary healers' who treated measles-sickened children in Texas with budesonide, an anti-inflammatory steroid, and clarithromycin, an antibiotic used on bacterial infections. Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, told NPR that budesonide has no role in treating measles while clarithromycin is not the correct antibiotic for treating secondary bacterial infections from measles. Kennedy furthered his support for the vaccine in an interview with CBS News, saying, 'The federal government's position, my position, is that people should get the measles vaccine,' though he did not say the government should mandate the vaccine. Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic, has also supported the use of vitamin A under the supervision of a physician to treat people with measles, creating concerns among health experts who have cautioned about the vitamin's effectiveness. Sue Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told The Washington Post that solely relying on vitamin A instead of the MMR vaccine is 'dangerous and ineffective' and can put children at risk, noting too much vitamin A can 'cause serious health problems, including liver damage.' 'Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in the outbreak area and the surrounding communities,' according to The Texas Department of State Health Services. The Texas measles outbreak began in late January with just two cases and has become the state's largest outbreak of the virus in 30 years. The Texas Department of State Health Services said in a report of student immunization status for the 2023-2024 school year that 5.64% of Texas kindergarten students were not vaccinated for measles, while 2.34% of seventh graders had not received the vaccine. Measles was fully eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, according to the CDC, meaning the virus was not spreading within the country and new cases only came from people who contracted measles abroad and returned to the U.S. In 2024, a total of 285 measles cases were reported across 33 states. Measles cases are rising in the U.S. Do adults need a vaccine booster? (NPR)
