First measles death reported in Texas as Kennedy downplays outbreak
The child's death, the first from the disease in a decade in the United States, was confirmed by Katherine Wells, director of public health at the health department in Lubbock, Texas. The child had not been vaccinated against the measles.
The outbreak has so far infected at least 124 people — mostly children — in rural West Texas.
'We are following the measles epidemic every day,' Kennedy said during a meeting with President Donald Trump's cabinet at the White House. 'Incidentally, there have been four measles outbreaks this year. In this country last year there were 16. So, it's not unusual. We have measles outbreaks every year.'
Kennedy also said that two people had died in the outbreak and that the people hospitalized were done so 'mainly for quarantine.'
Wells, Lubbock's public health director, and another spokesperson for the city said that there has been just one measles death in Texas so far. They said they confirmed it with state health authorities after Kennedy's comments on Wednesday.
If a second death did exist, the city's spokesperson said, "we'd know about it."
HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Dr. Lara Johnson, a pediatrician and the chief medical officer at Covenant Children's Hospital in Lubbock, said in an email earlier that all of the children hospitalized with the measles were admitted because they were having trouble breathing. None of the hospitalized had been vaccinated against measles.
Johnson said that her team has cared for 'around 20' kids with measles so far. The Texas Department of State Health Services has reported 18 hospitalizations so far, but number appears to be lagging, she said.
The outbreak has been limited so far to parts of Texas bordering New Mexico, which has reported nine measles cases. Health officials in Texas are working to see if the cases are connected.
It's unclear how the outbreak originated.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Texas Department of State Health Services told NBC News that genotype testing had linked the outbreak to a strain of the measles virus called D8 currently circulating in Europe and the World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean region, which includes countries in North Africa, the Middle East and Southwest Asia.
None of the samples has been linked to the vaccine.
The death in Texas is the first measles death to be reported in the U.S. since 2015, when a Washington woman died after an exposure at a health clinic. The last time a child died of measles in the U.S. was 22 years ago, in 2003, according to the CDC.
Measles was considered eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, the CDC said, because of widespread use of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR).
Two doses of the shot are 97% effective in preventing the disease, and the vast majority of U.S. kids get them as the CDC recommends: one dose around age 1, and another around age 5.
But as vaccine hesitancy has increased over time, fewer kids are getting their shots. The number of children with vaccine exemptions reached an all-time high in 2023, the CDC said, of 3% of children entering kindergarten.
In Gaines County, Texas, the epicenter of the current outbreak, the vaccine exemption rate was nearly 18% for the 2023-2024 school year, according to health department data.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Blueberries Recalled After FDA Issues Highest Warning Over Listeria Contamination
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced a Class I recall for roughly 12,000 pounds of blueberries from Georgia-based Alma Pak International, LLC. A Class I recall is the most severe type of recall possible, reserved only for when there is a reasonable probability that eating a "product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death." While blueberries are generally considered healthy since they're full of essential nutrients, such as Vitamins C and K, manganese, and dietary fiber, the 400 30-pound boxes being recalled might not be as healthy as others. The FDA notes the company received positive test results of Listeria monocytogenes on the recalled berries during routine testing. Listeria, a type of bacteria, can cause listeriosis, symptoms of which include fever, flu-like symptoms, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, seizures and more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms usually occur within two weeks of eating food contaminated with Listeria, the CDC notes. The recalled berries were shipped to one customer in North Carolina and include lot numbers 13325 G1060 and 13325 G 1096. The recall is voluntary, meaning the company initiated it, according to the FDA. Listeria is most likely to harm pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems, but others "rarely become seriously ill," according to the CDC. Listeria can also cause intestinal illness, symptoms of which include diarrhea and vomiting. The CDC recommends that anyone who has a fever and at least one other listeriosis symptom after eating the recalled berries, or anything else that could be contaminated with listeria, should see a doctor. However, for those who have eaten listeria-contaminated food and do not feel sick, most experts believe there is no need for tests or treatment, the CDC notes. Kraft-Heinz also this month recalled roughly 367,812 pounds of turkey over potential listeria contamination, according to the USDA. The news comes during the peak season for blueberries in Georgia, according to Explore Georgia, which is roughly from mid-April through the end of Recalled After FDA Issues Highest Warning Over Listeria Contamination first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 3, 2025
Newsweek
9 hours ago
- Newsweek
Millennial Woman Has Stroke While Driving, Then Gets Shocking News in ER
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. A woman initially thought her car brakes had failed, but soon realized the problem was that her right foot and the entire right side of her body was paralyzed. "I knew what was happening straight away," Kirsty Woodhouse told Newsweek. "I was terrified." After stopping the vehicle with her left foot and looking in the mirror, the 35-year-old's fears came true. The right side of her face had dropped, and she was having a stroke. She rang an ambulance and managed to tell them where she was, despite her speech being slurred. Typically, strokes affect people over the age of 65. However, the number of younger people experiencing strokes has increased, with the CDC reporting a 15 percent rise in stroke risk among Americans under 65 over the past decade. Prevalence has grown by 14.6 percent in those aged 18 to 44 and 15.7 percent in those aged 45 to 64. From left: Kirsty Woodhouse sits in the car; and takes a selfie while on holiday. From left: Kirsty Woodhouse sits in the car; and takes a selfie while on holiday. Kirsty Woodhouse Stroke Symptoms Return Multiple Times Around five minutes later, Woodhouse, from Warrington, England, was able to move her body again. But stroke symptoms reoccurred and resolved themselves six more times on April 17 last year. Before a CT scan, medics asked Woodhouse if she was pregnant, but she couldn't confirm as she had spent a few years trying to conceive and hadn't yet had her period that month. The scan revealed there was a blood clot in an artery in her brain. She was diagnosed with a transient ischemic attack (TIA), which happens when blood flow to the brain is temporarily blocked. The blockage often clears on its own, and symptoms typically last less than five minutes. Although a TIA doesn't leave permanent damage, it is a warning sign that a more-serious stroke could happen soon. "It was like reliving it all over again and again," Woodhouse told Newsweek. Expert Weighs In on Stroke Risks in Younger People Newsweek spoke to brain-injury expert Natalie Mackenzie, the founder of BIS Services, the U.K.'s leading provider of cognitive rehabilitation services for individuals with brain injury such as strokes. Mackenzie said: "A range of lifestyle factors may be driving this rise, including smoking, alcohol consumption, poor diet, lack of physical activity, and increased stress levels. "Among these factors, high blood pressure stands out as one of the most-significant risk factors. Although weight isn't the sole contributor, it can influence stroke risk." Lifesaving Procedure and Pregnancy Concerns Woodhouse underwent a thrombolysis procedure, which is done to break down and disperse a clot that is preventing blood from reaching the brain. "I was told if I am pregnant, then it's likely the baby won't survive as it's a blood-thinning procedure," Woodhouse said. "It seemed to have worked as I felt fine. "Twelve hours later, I remember feeling clammy, and I had a full stroke in hospital and, this time, the symptoms didn't resolve themselves," she added. For 48 hours, Woodhouse couldn't even wiggle a toe and was completely paralyzed on the right side. "It was scary," she said. "I had an MRI, which confirmed clot was gone but left a small amount of brain damage." With no family history of strokes and many tests, medics were unable to find out what caused it. Meanwhile, blood tests continued to show high hormone levels indicating a pregnancy. On her ninth day in hospital, she had a scan—and there was a baby. However, medics advised a termination as they believed the baby wouldn't survive or might be severely disabled. From left: Woodhouse poses while pregnant; and cuddles her healthy baby. From left: Woodhouse poses while pregnant; and cuddles her healthy baby. Kirsty Woodhouse "It was good news but at the wrong time. I thought, 'Am I even going to live past today?' I was so scared in case I wasn't going to make it," Woodhouse said. Medics expressed their concern about the baby and suggested a termination. "The stroke consultant said the pregnancy might not progress anyway or the baby might have disabilities," said Woodhouse. "They also didn't know how my body would cope with the physical demands of pregnancy and labor. "It was scary, but we were 100 percent certain we would not have a termination," she added. But finding out that she was going to be a mom for the third time spurred Woodhouse on during rehabilitation as she relearned how to walk and use her right arm again. In December, she gave birth to Grace. She said: "It's like she has always been here; she is healthy and a perfect baby." Today, she shares her story on TikTok and Instagram to raise awareness of strokes in young people, using the handle @strokesurvivor_babyandme.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
The #1 Nutrient You Should Be Eating to Reduce Your Skin Cancer Risk, According to a Dermatologist
Reviewed by Dietitian Karen Ansel, M.S., RDNSkin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. and has multiple causes. Wearing sunscreen and avoiding excess sun exposure are the best protection. Research shows antioxidants may also help guard against this common time outside can boost your mood, promote better sleep and support your immune system (plus, it's free!). The only drawback is that outdoor time also exposes you to the sun's skin-damaging UV rays. Over time, that could set the stage for skin cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States. 'By far, the top risk factor for developing skin cancer is unprotected UV exposure, followed by genetic predisposition,' says dermatologist Geeta Yadav, M.D. There is good news, though. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many cases of skin cancer are largely preventable. Adopting safe sun habits like applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen, wearing a hat, sunglasses and clothes that cover your arms and legs, and staying in the shade can all lower your UV exposure and significantly reduce your risk. So can avoiding tanning beds, which also emit large amounts of UV light. You can also bolster your skin's defenses from the inside out by eating more antioxidants. While diet plays a smaller role in skin cancer prevention, research reveals that antioxidants can provide additional protection to safeguard your skin from this all-too-common cancer. Skin cancer occurs when abnormal skin cells develop in the skin's outermost layer, called the epidermis. What causes those abnormal cells to develop and grow? The most common cause is DNA damage from exposure to UV rays, either from the sun or tanning beds. However, there are other risk factors too, like getting older or having a family history of skin cancer. You may also be more likely to develop skin cancer if you have blue or green eyes, red or blond hair, or have skin that's fair or burns or freckles easily. Of course, most of these risk factors are beyond your control. But there is one helpful step you can take, and that's eating an antioxidant-rich diet. In fact, research has found that dietary antioxidants can help counteract some of the damage caused by UV exposure before it turns into cancer. And the list is long: selenium, zinc, copper, carotenoids, polyphenols and vitamins A, C and E may all be protective, according to research. Exposure to UV light sets off a chain reaction that creates a storm of skin-damaging compounds called free radicals. That's where antioxidants step in. 'Antioxidants combat free radicals, unstable molecules that can damage cells and their DNA, proteins and lipids,' says Yadav. 'When there are too many free radicals in the body to the point that antioxidants cannot help neutralize them, oxidative stress occurs, leading to cellular dysfunction. This dysfunction could manifest as early signs of aging, but it could also manifest as cancer.' Regularly consuming antioxidant-rich foods equips your body with the defenders needed to neutralize those free radicals before they cause long-term harm. Not all DNA damage leads to cancer. In fact, our bodies have a natural defense mechanism to kill off DNA-damaged cells before they turn cancerous and start to spread. However, it's not foolproof, and some damage can fall through the cracks. Fortunately, research reveals that antioxidants called anthocyanins may help speed the process. While anthocyanins are found in lots of fruits and vegetables, one of the best sources for skin protection is berries. So, load up on these juicy fruits for an extra dose of prevention. Sunburns aren't just painful. This inflammatory reaction in your skin can cause long-lasting damage. Enter antioxidant-rich foods. Research has found that they help absorb some of the sun's harmful UV rays and reduce inflammation to decrease the development of sunburn., For instance, one study found that carotenoids, antioxidants found in yellow, orange and red fruits and vegetables, could provide the equivalent sun protection to SPF 4 sunscreen. For the biggest bang, think tomatoes. They're filled with a carotenoid called lycopene that's been shown to guard against sun damage from the inside out. If you're gearing up to spend more time outdoors, these tips can help you provide your skin with an extra layer of antioxidant protection. Eat the Rainbow: An easy rule of thumb for adding more antioxidants to your diet is to add more color to your plate. Fruits and vegetables with bright, deep hues are often the richest source of these beneficial compounds. Brew a Cup of Green Tea: There's a reason green tea is added to face creams, masks and serums. It's rich in antioxidants called catechins that have been shown to calm UV-related skin inflammation. Savor Some Dark Chocolate: While chocolate may not prevent skin cancer, it contains inflammation-taming antioxidants called polyphenols that may improve skin hydration and circulation. Since dark chocolate contains the most polyphenols, the darker the chocolate, the better! Getting regular skin checks and practicing safe sun habits like applying sunscreen, wearing a hat and protective clothing, and staying in the shade may all help reduce your risk of skin cancer. While diet plays a much smaller role, research has found that antioxidants may offer additional protection. Antioxidants are believed to combat cancer-causing oxidative stress, slow the spread of cancer cells and boost your body's internal defenses against inflammation and sunburn. And the best way to get more of them isn't a pill or powder. It's a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables. So, before you hit the beach, park or pool, head to the produce aisle! Read the original article on EATINGWELL
