OSDH reports Oklahoma's first two measles cases confirmed, no risk to public
Oklahoma officially has its first confirmed measles cases, with two cases in the state, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
The cases are being reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as "probable cases" as they are associated with the Texas-New Mexico outbreak and reported experiencing symptoms consistent with measles.
OSDH reported that the individuals took precautions by "immediately excluding themselves from public settings and staying home throughout their contagious period."
Related: FAQs about Measles: How to protect yourself, info about the vaccine.
By secluding themselves, OSDH said they prevented the risk of transmitting measles to the public.
'When people know they have exposure risk and do not have immunity to measles, they can exclude themselves from public settings for the recommended duration to eliminate the risk of transmission in their community," said Kendra Dougherty, Director of Infectious Disease Prevention and Response at OSDH.
OSDH said they wouldn't release where the two individuals are located but stated there is no public health threat with the cases.
The best way to defend against measles is to get the measles vaccine. The vaccine is usually given alongside the rubella and mumps vaccine, effectively naming it the MMR vaccine. It is recommended for all children ages 12 to 15 months and again at 4-6 years old.
If someone does not receive a second dose of the vaccine from ages 4-6, it may be administered at any age thereafter. The two doses of vaccine normally provide lifelong immunity.
If you do not know your vaccination status, check your shot records with the OSDH and look for your MMR Vaccine records.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma's first two measles cases confirmed, state health dept. says
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
I sit with my mom through each chemotherapy treatment. Her eyes light up when she talks about her time in the Air Force, and it's helping us both cope.
My mom was recently diagnosed with Stage 3 uterine cancer and is going through chemotherapy. I join her for each chemotherapy treatment, and we talk about her exciting days in the Air Force. Her stories are the remedy we needed. They are helping us both cope with the pain. As a child, my mother had a habit of pointing out various military planes in the sky and explaining their names and purposes. I heard those same planes zoom overhead on various military bases when I watched her, clad in an Air Force uniform with her short red hair peeking out stubbornly under her hat, command the respect of fellow officers with an ease I admired. It seemed like nothing could phase her — when it came to overseeing aircraft maintenance squadrons, Lieutenant Colonel Stinson — my mother — was in her element. How ironic it was that after everything she faced fearlessly in the Air Force, cancer was the one thing that scared her. Having retired as a lieutenant colonel after 20 years of service in the early 2000s, my mom had enjoyed post-retired life in San Antonio. Early this year, she told me of pains in her abdomen that were unbearable. Her doctor recommended a hysterectomy, and during her operation, the doctor removed a large cancerous tumor on her uterus. However, some of her lymph nodes also looked concerning, so some biopsies were taken. After her hysterectomy, my mom seemed more energetic, returning to the vibrant woman I remembered. During the two-week wait for those biopsy results, I truly believed they wouldn't show cancer. I was wrong. One of her lymph nodes had cancer. Hearing the Stage 3 uterine cancer diagnosis shattered my delusion. A sense of shock surged through my body that left me feeling strangely numb. I heard the doctor say, "Chemo," and "hair loss," and after weeks of holding back tears, I started to cry. No prescription can ease the shock of a loved one's cancer diagnosis. However, stories from my mother's past have become the remedy we sorely needed, as I sit with her through each chemotherapy treatment. The older I got, the more I told myself that I would record her story one day, but time slipped by. Then, when I heard the doctor diagnose her with cancer, time seemed more finite. "You were doing the 'Captain Marvel' thing before it was cool," I'd told her one day while we were sitting in the chemotherapy treatment center. Becoming a commissioned officer in the Air Force after college had always been my mom's dream. But as she jokingly told me, the Air Force wasn't exactly seeking experts in radio—her major in school. Instead, there was a greater demand for aircraft maintenance officers. So, after graduating, she found herself in maintenance school — a path she hadn't planned for — and nearly failed out. Still, she was determined to succeed. Despite the initial setback, my mom slowly but surely rose up the ranks. A combination of her hard work and aptitude for leadership, recognized by the performance boards of her superiors, determined who should be promoted. Watching her eyes light up with every story she tells is medicine my heart didn't know it needed. My mom had repeatedly told me that she had two major life goals — one was to serve her country. The other was to be a mother. She had dealt with her fair share of workplace sexism during her tenure, rode in a fighter jet twice as a passenger (another requirement for officers in maintenance squadrons), fallen asleep in cargo planes, helped found a Logistics Scho, overseen the flyover for the late senator Barry Goldwater's funeral, and been invited to be a White House aide. I had taken her stories for granted growing up, and now I hungered for more of my mother's memories: how a wing commander visited her in the hospital after she gave birth to me, seeing a picture of her in uniform, back turned to the camera, walking toward a fighter jet with her hair firmly in place. Lost in a sea of memories that weren't mine, I felt a spark reignite in my soul, a fire that had dimmed ever since I had heard the cancer diagnosis. Her stories kept the blaze of the future alight in us both, something more powerful than any fighter jet engine could muster. My mother has always been a fighter, and she still is. I was doing her a disservice by being sad. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Texas Ranks Low In Antidepressant Use Despite Higher Depression Rates
A new report published by the Whitley Law Firm reveals that Texas ranks among the states with the lowest percentage of adults taking antidepressant medications. This is a surprising discovery, considering that nearly 8% of Texas adults also reported experiencing a major depressive episode recently. According to the data, only 1.51% of Texas adults are estimated to be using prescription medication specifically for depression, placing the Lone Star State as the fifth-lowest in the country. That's approximately 15.06 people per 100,000 on antidepressants. In comparison, West Virginia leads the nation with an estimated 3.50% of adults on antidepressants – more than double Texas' count. Hawaii had the lowest rate of reported adult antidepressant use at just 0.82%, while New Jersey, California, and New York also reported rates under 1.5%. Texas' low rate of antidepressant use stands in contrast to its relatively high rates of reported depression. According to the report, 7.90% of adults in the Lone Star state reported a major depressive episode recently. The study, which drew on CDC and SAMHSA data from 2020 to 2023, shows an alarming regional divide in mental health treatment and different qualities of mental health infrastructure from state to state. A spokesperson from Whitley Law Firm said the data points to some big 'regional variations' in mental health treatment, reflecting factors like healthcare access and attitudes or cultural differences towards treating mental health across America. Nationally, the study found that states with the highest reported depression episodes don't always have the highest rates of medication use. 'The study reinforces the need for continued focus on mental health resources and support systems across the United States,' the law firm noted. For Texas, the low antidepressant use could show reluctance to rely on medication for mental health problems, or it could point to bigger problems with barriers in accessing mental health services. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, in March, Gov. Greg Abbott announced $239 million in healthcare construction grants to expand mental health facilities in rural Texas, aiming to boost inpatient care options close to home. The money will allegedly go towards the construction of four new mental health care hospitals across the state. 'The State of Texas continues working to expand access to critical mental health resources to ensure Texans get the support they need, no matter where they live,' Abbott said via press release. As mental health problems seemingly continue to rise across the country, the study's findings raise important questions about how and whether Texans are getting the help they need.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
2025 Cattle Baron's Ball raises money for cancer research in Tyler
TYLER, Texas (KETK) – The annual Cattle Baron's Ball was held at the Texas Rose Horse Park on Saturday as a way to benefit the American Cancer Society's work to end cancer. UT Tyler gets $441K grant to develop cancer-targeting nanotechnology The 'toe-tapping, knee-slapping' event featured food, drinks, dancing, an auction and raffle tickets, all supporting the American Cancer Society. 'The American Cancer Society is working to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. We are the largest private, not-for-profit funder of cancer research in the United States, investing more than $4 billion since 1946,' the American Cancer Society said. 'Thanks in part to our contributions, more than 1.5 million lives have been saved in the US in the past two decades. Now, that is a reason to celebrate!' According to the American Cancer Society's website, this year's mission with the Cattle Baron's Ball is to raise money for breast cancer research and to help provide access to cancer care across Texas by providing grants to cover transportation and lodging costs in Texas health systems. To learn more, visit the Cattle Baron's Ball online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
