Update: Duval teacher shares test results after measles scare
Action News Jax told you about a Duval County teacher last week concerned that she might have measles. The teacher, whose identity was concealed to avoid panic, was frustrated after encountering difficulties getting tested here.
She said she was turned away from an urgent care, the Duval County Health Department, and the Health Department's Immunization Department.
Read: Texas passes 600 cases of measles. Here's what to know about the US outbreaks
The teacher was advised to contact her primary care doctor. A test was ordered for her last week and she informed Action News Jax on Tuesday that the results were negative.
An infectious disease expert told Action News Jax that people who believe they may be infected should call their primary care doctor before going to their doctor's office or the hospital.
Dr. William Raszka, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Vermont Medical Center, said the virus is so contagious, it can linger in a room hours after the infected person has left.
Razska said the measles vaccination is the best defense against the virus. He says that there are tests available that can check for antibodies, too.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
The doctor adds that children and unvaccinated people are especially vulnerable to the virus. He says that now is the time to check your vaccination records to make sure you're protected.
Florida residents wanting to request their vaccination records can find that information here.
Texas has more than 600 known cases of measles on Tuesday as the outbreak in the western part of the state approaches the three-month mark.
The U.S. was up to 800 cases of measles nationwide on Friday. Two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children died from measles-related illnesses in the epicenter in West Texas, and an adult in New Mexico who was not vaccinated died of a measles-related illness.
Other states with active outbreaks — defined as three or more cases — include Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Mexico. The U.S. has more than double the number of measles cases it saw in all of 2024.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Related: RFK Jr.'s mixed message about the measles outbreaks draws criticism from health officials
Read: Video shows aftermath of teen shot by officer while playing 'Senior Assassins'
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Soda Recall: Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar cans contain full sugar
A labeling blunder has prompted a recall of 19,000 cases of Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar. The 12 oz aluminum cans distributed out of Pepsi's Jacksonville, Florida facility contain full sugar, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The recalled products were shipped to locations in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, the FDA said. The affected cans were packaged to be sold as 12 packs and 24 packs and have a 'best by' date of February 16, 2026 and product code XXXXRS05165. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Landscape supervisor turned hero: Man helps over 2 dozen people, pets escape apartment fire
They say not all heroes wear capes, and that is exactly the case with Cornelius Rainey. The people he helped save from a burning apartment complex in Hyde Park on Wednesday night agree. The Landscape supervisor was visiting his family at Riverbank Apartments on Wednesday, June 4, when he quickly realized something was wrong. 'I looked to the left and see fire, flames shooting out the building,' said Rainey. 'That's when I went and helped everyone out of their apartment.' >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Around 4:45 pm Wednesday, JFRD responded to a fire at Riverbank apartments in Hyde Park. JFRD said the fire originated in a bedroom inside one of the apartments. The fire quickly spread to the attic, and as a result of that, JFRD told me they told JEA to cut the power off for the entire building. The state fire marshal is currently investigating the cause of the fire. Without hesitating, Rainey said he ran inside the burning building and began banging on residents' doors, telling them it was time to go. 'I was trying to kick people's doors in, burglary style, but it wasn't flying open,' said Rainey. 'And the doors that I didn't get opened, kicked in, it was people actually in those apartments, too.' [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Rainey tells me he helped get 15 people and 3 dogs out of the burning building, including an elderly woman in a wheelchair. 'I was knocking on their door. It wouldn't open; I opened the door. She was sitting in the living room. Her husband was trying to get her out. And I just grabbed him. I said 'Move, man. I got her, I got her,' said Rainey. 'I grabbed her and rolled her out. And that's how she got out there.' I asked Rainey why he decided to run into that building. He said it was instinct. 'I just care about people. I was just helping everybody. I couldn't leave them in there. The building was shooting fire, like real big flames,' said Rainey. Rainey told me everyone he helped was extremely grateful to him, and he was just happy that everyone was safe. The Red Cross said it assisted a total of 34 individuals displaced by this fire. In addition, there are also other people displaced. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] 'I had never been in a place with a fire before,' said Riverbank apartment resident Ekira Jackson. Jackson was on her way back home from work on Wednesday when she got a call telling her apartment building was on fire and she needed to evacuate. 'When I walked up, I just see this black apartment complex,' said Jackson. 'I just moved in literally I haven't been here for not even a month yet. And everything I work hard for is ruined.' I spoke with Riverbank Apartment's Property Manager about what they are doing to help residents during this time. They told me everyone who was impacted by the fire can access their units, but they need to obtain an access pass through the city, which they have available if residents contact them. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Wall Street Journal
3 days ago
- Wall Street Journal
Vaccine Opponent Hired by RFK Jr. Scours Official Records for Link to Autism
An antivaccine activist recently hired by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has started hunting for proof that federal officials hid evidence that inoculations cause autism, according to people familiar with the matter. David Geier, a longtime vaccine opponent hired this spring as a contractor in the health department's financial office, is seeking Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data that antivaccine activists, including Kennedy, have alleged was buried because it showed a link between vaccines and autism, the people said.
