At least 6 children test positive for measles at Texas day care amid outbreak
At least six children at a day care in Lubbock, Texas, tested positive for
measles
amid the state's growing outbreak, local officials confirmed to CBS News Tuesday.
On Monday, Lubbock Public Health issued
immunization recommendations
for the whole county following the cases at Tiny Tots U Learning Academy on South University Avenue.
The health agency advised infants get their first dose of the
measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
between 6 and 11 months, rather than the
typically recommended
12 to 15 months. It also recommended children 12 months or older with only one dose get their second dose early. The second dose is normally recommended at 4 to 6 years old.
"With cases rising locally, these updated guidelines aim to ensure rapid protection for those at highest risk," a news release from the agency said.
In the release, Lubbock Public Health Director Katherine Wells urged residents to review their vaccination history and make sure their children are protected.
"Vaccination is the best defense against measles, especially in the face of an active outbreak," she said in a statement.
The MMR vaccine has been shown to be
safe and effective
through decades of research and analysis. One dose is 93% effective against measles and two doses is 97% effective, the CDC says. The normal two doses protect most people for life, but there are some cases
doctors recommend receiving an extra dose
.
Wells told The Associated Press
that there are more than 200 children at the day care, most of whom have at least one dose of the MMR vaccine.
The cases spread after one young child who was infectious gave it to two other children before it spread to other classrooms, she told the outlet. Any unvaccinated child who attends the day care must stay home for 21 days since their last exposure, Wells said.
"Measles is so contagious I won't be surprised if it enters other facilities," she said. "We do have some children that have only received one dose that are now infected."
The day care news comes as cases in the
state overall surpass 500
and
two children
have died
. Nationwide, cases have surpassed 600, with infections confirmed in at least 21 states.
The Texas outbreak is primarily affecting
children and teenagers
, nearly all of whom were
unvaccinated
or have an unknown vaccination status.
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Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
‘We're people too': Canada's homeless population is aging, changing how shelters run
VANCOUVER - Seventy-one-year-old Roger Oake sat on a bench outside the Union Gospel Mission shelter in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside after breakfast. He had been sleeping at the shelter for about a month 'this time' and said that after several years of homelessness, walking 'the beat' during the day when the shelter isn't open has become harder as he gets older. 'I really don't know where to even begin. There's so many things that could or should change, but I really don't know,' he said on Wednesday. 'We're people too, you know? We're not just bums, we're not just hobos looking for a handout. We are what we are and we're at where we're at — and that's basically where it's at.' In major cities across the country, those who provide shelter and services for people who are homeless say they are seeing more elderly people turn to them for help. It's leading to a shift in how they do their jobs and the type of care they are providing. They often must juggle complex medical needs with basic considerations, like ensuring seniors get beds closest to accessible washrooms, and that power sockets are available to charge mobility scooters overnight. Nick Wells, a spokesperson for Union Gospel Mission, said more than 1,000 people sleep in the shelter every year and that the number of elderly users spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to grow. 'The number of people in the 61-to-65 age range keeps growing at about two per cent every year,' he said. 'If you look at it from 55-plus, around COVID, they accounted for about a quarter of our shelter population, and now we're up to one-third.' Wells said teams that work around B.C. have heard of seniors who do not have enough money at retirement to keep up with housing and other costs of living. Some have been evicted when their long-term rental homes are renovated, he said. 'There's been a couple cases, and these are really tragic, that a senior's gone into hospital for a health issue and had an extended stay, and then when they've come back, they've discovered that they've been evicted because they haven't paid their rent,' he said. 'So they've just come back to no home and then they end up here.' Wells said that along with helping clients complete pension or old-age security applications online, staff sometimes have to help with medical issues like Alzheimer's and dementia. In one case, a former shelter user was able to secure a spot in full-time transitional housing in the same building. But he returned to the shelter space to use the washroom. 'He remembers how to get down there. He remembers how the bathrooms are laid out, but then he needs help getting back to the (transitional housing) floor, because he can't really remember the ins and outs of going back there,' he said. 'So we will have a staff member help guide him back up. That's not a problem whatsoever, I don't want to even suggest that, but it is something that I don't think people would have thought about a couple years ago.' UNIQUE NEEDS OF HOMELESS SENIORS The Mustard Seed runs a dozen 24-hour emergency shelters in Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia with a total of 747 beds. Samantha Lowe, senior director of shelter operations, said the experience of chronic homelessness can age someone differently than those with secure housing, meaning the definition of what qualifies as a 'senior' can be different than the conventional definition of 65 years old. 'Somebody who has experienced, say, chronic or episodic homelessness and has aged within that population will need those supports earlier,' she said. 'The physiological age of somebody who's experienced so much in their life, they may be 55 and they present like a 75-year-old in terms of their co-morbidities and everything they've got going on, whether that's in their lungs or their heart or their social situation or their mental health.' Lowe said staff are seeing more elderly clients who struggle to manage medications for illnesses ranging from diabetes and breathing problems to cancer, on top of the cost of housing. 'You're having to choose between that or housing. And so we're having folks who are coming in with more chronic conditions that staff are then having to be more knowledgeable about,' she said. Lowe said one shelter is able to allow oxygen tanks to be present, but that's not possible in all spaces. She said there are people in emergency shelters waiting for spots in supportive housing and dedicated seniors housing. Lowe said shelters also have clients nearing the end of their lives. 'We have people who have disclosed that they are dying of cancer, they have a certain amount of time left in the prognosis, but they're really hesitant to go into hospital, and so we work with them to see if we can get them into hospice,' she said. 'We work with them to see if we can prevent that acute crisis that they do end up in hospital, if they're hesitant to go there … but it's quite challenging.' In Toronto, the Salvation Army runs the Islington Seniors' Shelter, an 83-bed 24-hour shelter for men and women experiencing homelessness who are 55 and older. Spokesman Glenn van Gulik said the facility is at capacity, and while the organization does not maintain a wait-list, beds fill up fast when they become available. 'There's over 8,000 people who are currently experiencing homelessness within Toronto, and what we know to be true is just about 20 per cent of those who have responded … are over 55,' he said. 'It's going up.' The Islington shelter offers three-bedroom suites, each with a shared bathroom, and staff familiar with the unique needs of homeless seniors. Van Gulik said that could mean helping with dietary needs, connecting with landlords to help find rentals for people on a fixed income, or finding dental care for aging mouths. He said the style of living, with both men and women and shared spaces, also helps combat the loneliness that can come with aging. Wells said there have been steps in the right direction, like the opening of more seniors housing in B.C. He said there needs to be broad conversation between governments and health-care and service providers about the kind of wraparound supports elderly homeless people need, including more housing options and rent protections. Mo Singh Khunkhun sometimes sleeps and eats at the Union Gospel Mission emergency shelter in Vancouver. He's easy to spot, with his formerly grey beard dyed a bright purple. 'People like it, you know? I don't do boring,' he said on Wednesday. Khunkhun is 68, and worked most of his adult life, including in construction and on farms. But he has been homeless for about eight years since the heat failed in his last apartment and he fell behind on rent. He's stayed at various facilities and has watched as more seniors turn up. 'I don't know what proportion is increasing, but I'm sure there is an increase,' he said. He said he considers himself in good health, and tries to help others as they age, whether that means going for a walk, telling a joke or just having a conversation. 'Some will talk about their health issues,' he said. 'But a lot of them, they just have the camaraderie of being here, you know?' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
'We're people too': Canada's homeless population is aging, changing how shelters run
VANCOUVER — Seventy-one-year-old Roger Oake sat on a bench outside the Union Gospel Mission shelter in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside after breakfast. He had been sleeping at the shelter for about a month "this time" and said that after several years of homelessness, walking "the beat" during the day when the shelter isn't open has become harder as he gets older. "I really don't know where to even begin. There's so many things that could or should change, but I really don't know," he said on Wednesday. "We're people too, you know? We're not just bums, we're not just hobos looking for a handout. We are what we are and we're at where we're at — and that's basically where it's at." In major cities across the country, those who provide shelter and services for people who are homeless say they are seeing more elderly people turn to them for help. It's leading to a shift in how they do their jobs and the type of care they are providing. They often must juggle complex medical needs with basic considerations, like ensuring seniors get beds closest to accessible washrooms, and that power sockets are available to charge mobility scooters overnight. Nick Wells, a spokesperson for Union Gospel Mission, said more than 1,000 people sleep in the shelter every year and that the number of elderly users spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to grow. "The number of people in the 61-to-65 age range keeps growing at about two per cent every year," he said. "If you look at it from 55-plus, around COVID, they accounted for about a quarter of our shelter population, and now we're up to one-third." Wells said teams that work around B.C. have heard of seniors who do not have enough money at retirement to keep up with housing and other costs of living. Some have been evicted when their long-term rental homes are renovated, he said. "There's been a couple cases, and these are really tragic, that a senior's gone into hospital for a health issue and had an extended stay, and then when they've come back, they've discovered that they've been evicted because they haven't paid their rent," he said. "So they've just come back to no home and then they end up here." Wells said that along with helping clients complete pension or old-age security applications online, staff sometimes have to help with medical issues like Alzheimer's and dementia. In one case, a former shelter user was able to secure a spot in full-time transitional housing in the same building. But he returned to the shelter space to use the washroom. "He remembers how to get down there. He remembers how the bathrooms are laid out, but then he needs help getting back to the (transitional housing) floor, because he can't really remember the ins and outs of going back there," he said. "So we will have a staff member help guide him back up. That's not a problem whatsoever, I don't want to even suggest that, but it is something that I don't think people would have thought about a couple years ago." UNIQUE NEEDS OF HOMELESS SENIORS The Mustard Seed runs a dozen 24-hour emergency shelters in Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia with a total of 747 beds. Samantha Lowe, senior director of shelter operations, said the experience of chronic homelessness can age someone differently than those with secure housing, meaning the definition of what qualifies as a "senior" can be different than the conventional definition of 65 years old. "Somebody who has experienced, say, chronic or episodic homelessness and has aged within that population will need those supports earlier," she said. "The physiological age of somebody who's experienced so much in their life, they may be 55 and they present like a 75-year-old in terms of their co-morbidities and everything they've got going on, whether that's in their lungs or their heart or their social situation or their mental health." Lowe said staff are seeing more elderly clients who struggle to manage medications for illnesses ranging from diabetes and breathing problems to cancer, on top of the cost of housing. "You're having to choose between that or housing. And so we're having folks who are coming in with more chronic conditions that staff are then having to be more knowledgeable about," she said. Lowe said one shelter is able to allow oxygen tanks to be present, but that's not possible in all spaces. She said there are people in emergency shelters waiting for spots in supportive housing and dedicated seniors housing. Lowe said shelters also have clients nearing the end of their lives. "We have people who have disclosed that they are dying of cancer, they have a certain amount of time left in the prognosis, but they're really hesitant to go into hospital, and so we work with them to see if we can get them into hospice," she said. "We work with them to see if we can prevent that acute crisis that they do end up in hospital, if they're hesitant to go there … but it's quite challenging." In Toronto, the Salvation Army runs the Islington Seniors' Shelter, an 83-bed 24-hour shelter for men and women experiencing homelessness who are 55 and older. Spokesman Glenn van Gulik said the facility is at capacity, and while the organization does not maintain a wait-list, beds fill up fast when they become available. "There's over 8,000 people who are currently experiencing homelessness within Toronto, and what we know to be true is just about 20 per cent of those who have responded … are over 55," he said. "It's going up." The Islington shelter offers three-bedroom suites, each with a shared bathroom, and staff familiar with the unique needs of homeless seniors. Van Gulik said that could mean helping with dietary needs, connecting with landlords to help find rentals for people on a fixed income, or finding dental care for aging mouths. He said the style of living, with both men and women and shared spaces, also helps combat the loneliness that can come with aging. Wells said there have been steps in the right direction, like the opening of more seniors housing in B.C. He said there needs to be broad conversation between governments and health-care and service providers about the kind of wraparound supports elderly homeless people need, including more housing options and rent protections. Mo Singh Khunkhun sometimes sleeps and eats at the Union Gospel Mission emergency shelter in Vancouver. He's easy to spot, with his formerly grey beard dyed a bright purple. "People like it, you know? I don't do boring," he said on Wednesday. Khunkhun is 68, and worked most of his adult life, including in construction and on farms. But he has been homeless for about eight years since the heat failed in his last apartment and he fell behind on rent. He's stayed at various facilities and has watched as more seniors turn up. "I don't know what proportion is increasing, but I'm sure there is an increase," he said. He said he considers himself in good health, and tries to help others as they age, whether that means going for a walk, telling a joke or just having a conversation. "Some will talk about their health issues," he said. "But a lot of them, they just have the camaraderie of being here, you know?" This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025. Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CBS News
8 hours ago
- CBS News
Air traffic controller says he won't fly out of Newark Airport after harrowing equipment failures
Air traffic controller says he won't fly out of Newark Airport after equipment failures Air traffic controller says he won't fly out of Newark Airport after equipment failures Air traffic controller says he won't fly out of Newark Airport after equipment failures A Newark air traffic controller says he's not sure if he'll ever return to the job after several equipment failures caused some air traffic controllers to lose communication with pilots in late April and May. Jonathan Stewart and several of his colleagues who handle Newark's airspace took trauma leave after the harrowing incidents. Stewart said the reason he's unsure whether he'll go back is because of the stress. CBS News New York investigator Tim McNicholas spoke to Stewart in an exclusive interview. "I yelled some choice words, I actually cried a little bit" Stewart says as he tries to de-stress, he's spending more time on his hobbies, like shooting at his favorite range. "I'll tell you, the biggest thing for me was just sleep. Like getting on some sort of regular sleep once the nightmares subsided like a week ago," he said. Stewart says up until about a week ago, he had been having nightmares about plane crashes, triggered by an incident involving two planes that took off from Teterboro and Morristown on May 3. The Air Force veteran says he saw the planes were at risk of a head-on, midair collision and alerted the pilots in time for them to move, but it was far too close for his comfort. "I yelled some choice words. I actually cried a little bit, I'm not gonna lie. I was really angry. Because I don't make mistakes like that," Stewart said. He says he was overworked from staffing shortages and distracted because, even though the radar was working that day, he was also tracking planes using a pen and paper as a precaution. That's because on April 28, before his shift, Stewart's colleagues lost radar and communications with planes in Newark's airspace for 30-90 seconds, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. "What was it like when you got there that day?" McNicholas asked. "It was bad ... There were guys pacing around on the phone trying to figure out what was going on. I walked in, one of the supervisors was talking to himself and sweating profusely," Stewart said. It was one of several concerning equipment failures Newark's air traffic controllers dealt with in late April and May. "It's not fair to blame the Trump administration. It's not fair to blame the Biden administration. If you're gonna blame somebody, you blame Reagan and everybody after him because nobody has done anything meaningful up until this point," Stewart said. "I personally am not gonna fly out of Newark" The FAA says it is taking steps to try to improve air traffic communications and prevent further outages, including a recent software update and a reduction in the airport's flight schedules. Stewart says, after talking with an FAA official this week, he's more optimistic about the agency's plans to hire and train more controllers. "Cautiously optimistic. I personally am not gonna fly out of Newark. To each their own," Stewart said. "Because I'm not satisfied with the level of safety. Until I see it in action and I know for sure that the steps that are being taken will effectively mitigate risks to as little as possible." United States Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said it is safe to fly out of Newark. "Because we have such a great team that focuses day in and day out on the flying public safety," he said on June 2. Stewart says the FAA worsened controller challenges last summer when it relocated Stewart and 23 other Newark Liberty International Airport controllers from a facility on Long Island to Philadelphia. A CBS News New York investigation revealed that move caused 817 Newark flight delays within the first two weeks of the relocation as the controllers settled in. Stewart describes those first two weeks as "chaotic." That rollout has drawn bi-partisan criticism. In early May, Sen. Chuck Schumer said he believed the move to Philadelphia "made the problem worse," and Duffy has said fiber lines should have been laid before the move. Stewart has a more personal criticism. "The way that they did this, you take us away from our families, away from all of our friends, away from our coworkers that we have camaraderie with, that we work well with, and you put us in another state," he said. The FAA says there are currently 14 experienced controllers in training for Newark and the agency hopes to get them fully certified and on the job at various points over the coming months. The agency also hopes to activate a new fiber line in early July to improve Newark's air traffic communications. Stewart says he is not sure if he'll ever feel comfortable returning to work at the FAA. He made sure to clarify multiple times that everything he shared is his opinion, not the FAA's. Stewart says he feels that flying in the U.S. is still, overall, the safest way to travel. The FAA did not respond to CBS News New York's request for comment on this story.
