
Colorado confirms 14 cases of measles across the state
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has confirmed 14 cases of measles across the state. The majority of those are linked to an out-of-state traveler who flew while infectious and arrived at Denver International Airport last month.
The latest case is linked to the out-of-state traveler who was exposed at the airport on May 13. That person is described as an unvaccinated adult from Arapahoe County.
Illustration of the measles morbillivirus.
RUSLANAS BARANAUSKAS/SCIENCE PHO
The thirteenth case was reported to the CDPHE on June 9 as a child under the age of 5 from El Paso County and had traveled to Canada with family.
The CDPHE said 2025 marks the highest increase and confirmation of reported measles cases in Colorado since 2014.
Officials said that the best protection is the measles, mumps, and rubella or MMR vaccine. They added that, in rare cases, people who have been vaccinated can still contract the measles, but their symptoms are milder and they are less likely to spread it to others. Anyone experiencing symptoms is encouraged to call their healthcare provider or hospital before visiting to avoid exposing others.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump's former surgeon general rips RFK Jr.'s purge of vaccine board
President Trump's former surgeon general blasted Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to fire the entirety of a federal advisory committee on vaccine guidance, saying the move jeopardizes public health and threatens public trust in health institutions. In an op-ed published by Time, former Surgeon General Jerome Adams wrote that Kennedy's recent actions cast doubt over his pledge that, 'We won't take away anyone's vaccines.' He pointed to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) new framework limiting access to COVID-19 vaccines; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) no longer recommending the shot for children and pregnant women; and the removal of members on the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). 'These actions collectively restrict access to a vital tool for saving lives and undermine confidence in our health systems,' said Adams, who served in the Trump administration from 2017 to 2021. 'The major flaw in the new vaccine framework is its narrow assessment of risk. Although the immediate dangers of COVID-19 have lessened, it remains a leading cause of death and hospitalization, claiming nearly 50,000 lives in the U.S. in 2024 — more than breast cancer or car accidents,' he added. Kennedy announced Wednesday eight new members of the ACIP to replace the 17 that he had fired. Among the new members were noted spreaders of COVID-19 misinformation. As Endpoints News reported, two of the new picks were previously paid expert witnesses for plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Merck over its HPV and MMR vaccines. Kennedy had financial interests in the HPV vaccine lawsuit before divesting upon being confirmed. In his Thursday op-ed, Adams lamented that seniors and pregnant mothers are at a higher risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes, and the dismissal of the ACIP members only 'amplifies these concerns.' 'ACIP has been a trusted, science-driven body that ensures vaccines are safe and effective, saving countless lives through its transparent recommendations. Its members, rigorously vetted for expertise and conflicts of interest, provide independent guidance critical to public health,' he wrote. 'Removing them without clear evidence of misconduct risks replacing qualified scientists with less experienced voices.' In social media posts following his op-ed, Adams insinuated perjury had taken place, reposting epidemiologist and health economist Eric Feigl-Ding who said Kennedy's promises of not taking away vaccines were 'lies, damn lies.' 'No matter your stance on vaccines, or FDA, or CDC, reasonable and patriotic people should be able to agree that perjury (or even the appearance of intent to deceive Congress) is not an appropriate means to justify a desired end,' Adams said in the post on social platform X. Adams has shared criticisms, some veiled, of the Trump administration's actions and picks for key health positions in recent weeks. After Trump announced Casey Means as his new nominee for surgeon general, Adams took to social media to highlight Means's lack of credentials in comparison to prior surgeon generals such as himself. Writing on X earlier this month, Adams said, 'I do not know and have nothing against Dr. Means – but I feel strongly that the person who is leading America's Public Health Service should be held to the same standard as the people he or she is leading.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lee County child tests negative for measles, says Alabama Department of Public Health
Dr. Scott Harris, state health officer at Alabama Department of Public Health, speaks to the State Committee of Public Health meeting on April 10, 2025, in Montgomery. Harris told the committee on Thursday that a Lee County child suspected of having measles tested negative for the disease. (Alander Rocha/Alabama Reflector) Alabama's state health officer said Thursday that a suspected measles case in Lee County turned out to be negative, meaning the state has not yet seen a confirmed case of the disease this year amid measles outbreaks around the nation. Dr. Scott Harris Thursday told the State Committee of Public Health, which oversees the Alabama Department of Public Health, that the suspected case was in a child just under 12 months old who was not yet eligible for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The child had symptoms such as fever and rash, but tested negative on Wednesday. 'At this point, we don't have our first measles case from this outbreak, that we know of anyway,' Harris said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX ADPH reported Sunday it was investigating a suspected case of measles. In March, the department investigated a possible measles exposure after an unvaccinated child who traveled through the state later tested positive for measles. Alabama's MMR vaccination rate among kindergartners was 93.8% in the 2023-2024 school year, under the 95% rate set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to achieve herd immunity. Harris has said in each board meeting since the outbreaks started this year that a case in Alabama 'is coming.' He said there could still be undetected cases, especially in areas with low vaccination rates, that can lead to an outbreak. 'If you have a case that reaches some population, for example, a day care, where kids aren't old enough to be vaccinated yet. You could expose dozens of children at once,' Harris said after the board meeting. An outbreak that started with two unvaccinated school-age children in west Texas in January has now spread to at least 33 other states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since the first outbreak this year, authorities have reported nearly 1,200 cases in people who are either unvaccinated or have unknown status. Of total cases, 12% have been hospitalized and three people have died. The measles vaccine has significantly reduced severe illness and fatalities since it became available in 1973; previously, measles led to an estimated 48,000 hospitalizations and 400-500 deaths annually in the U.S. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective at preventing measles, and one dose is 93% effective. Through April, the MMR vaccination rate in Texas was up 450%, compared to its vaccination rate in 2019, according to The Texas Tribune. Since the outbreak, Texas health officials have made the vaccine, which is typically available to children ages one and older, available to infants older than six months. Health officials have also attributed the increased vaccine uptake to public awareness.


Newsweek
8 hours ago
- Newsweek
RFK Jr. Bombarded Bill Nye with Autism Texts, TV Scientist Says
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. TV scientist Bill Nye said he cut Robert F. Kennedy Jr. off after the now-health secretary bombarded him with text messages about autism. The host of Bill Nye the Science Guy, whose show has educated millions of viewers about science, spoke about Kennedy in a new interview with Men's Health. Newsweek has contacted the United States Department of Health and Human Services, via email, for a response. Why It Matters Kennedy has long faced backlash for some of his positions on health and medicine, especially vaccines. During his Senate confirmation in January, Kennedy insisted that he was not anti-vaccine, that he believes vaccines "play a critical role in healthcare." Critics say Kennedy's agenda undermines the scientific process and risks eroding decades of public trust in vaccines, while others argue that his new approach is what Americans voted for. (R) U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attends President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 04, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (L)... (R) U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attends President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 04, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (L) Bill Nye attends the arrivals of Sierra Club's 2025 Trail Blazers Ball at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, CA on April 2, 2025 More Win McNamee//Sipa via AP Images What To Know Nye, who met Kennedy before he became health secretary, through their mutual actor friend Ed Begley Jr., showed what Men's Health reporter Chantel Anderson described as "miles and miles of texts" from Kennedy with "few interruptions, screen after screen." "Just no self-awareness," Nye said. "And if you read these articles he sent, they're all this speculation about autism and just cause-and-effect, and mercury in vaccines, that maybe there's a connection." Nye said he replied to Kennedy, "Okay, I'll read your book. I think you've confused causation with correlation. Your friend, Bill." But, when Kennedy responded with "more miles of texts," Nye told him: "Okay, no more texts." "And he started again," Nye said, "so I cut him off." He added that Kennedy doesn't have "good judgement" and is "not suited" to be health secretary. Nye went on to speak about the measles outbreak in Texas, where 744 cases have been confirmed since late January, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Kennedy has faced criticism from both anti-vax activists and advocates of vaccines. In March, he sparked anger from anti-vax activists when he called on parents to "consult with their healthcare providers to understand their options to get the MMR vaccine," with one saying he is "no different than Fauci." But he has also faced backlash from those in favor of vaccines for some of his comments, including when he told Fox News: "When you and I were kids, everybody got measles, and measles gave you ... lifetime protection against measles infection. The vaccine doesn't do that. The vaccine is effective for some people for life, but for many people, it wanes." Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. Paul Offit, told HealthDay that this could not be true given that measles was declared eliminated in America in 2000. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., testifies before a Senate Committee on Appropriations subcommittee hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of Health and Human Services,... Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., testifies before a Senate Committee on Appropriations subcommittee hearing to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of Health and Human Services, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Washington. More AP What People Are Saying Kennedy said during his confirmation hearing, while arguing that he is not anti-vaccine: "In my advocacy, I've often disturbed the status quo by asking uncomfortable questions. Well, I'm not going to apologize for that – we have massive health problems in this country that we must face honestly." Nye said in his interview with Men's Health: "I went to elementary school with a guy who had polio. You do not want polio! And the reason you don't get polio is because of a vaccine that was discovered that keeps you from getting polio! What is wrong with you, man?" What Happens Next Kennedy is yet to respond to Nye's comments about him. It comes as the health secretary announced eight new experts on a panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.