Norfolk Health Department hosts free talk on vaccine science
The talk, also called 'Public Health Science Explained: Vaccines,' will be led by the department's director, Dr. Susan Girois, and will take place from 5-7 p.m. at the Norfolk Department of Public Health, located at 830 Southampton Avenue.
Organizers said the event is designed for the vaccine curious, community members and influencers seeking a deeper understanding of vaccine science. During the talk, Dr. Girois will use historical data, public health trends and modern scientific principles to clear up common misconceptions on vaccines. Some of the topics that will be discussed include:
The processes involved in vaccine development and rigorous testing
The vital role of placebo-controlled trials in ensuring vaccine safety and efficacy
The science behind mRNA vaccines and the advancements this technology offers
A discussion addressing the historical concerns surrounding the MMR vaccine and autism
An open forum to discuss any other vaccine-related questions and topics raised by the audience
Casual attire is encouraged for the event. Light refreshments will also be provided.
While registration is not required for the event, those who wish to RSVP can do so through the link here.
For more information, visit the Norfolk Health Department's website here.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scientific American
4 hours ago
- Scientific American
More Teens Are Getting Vaccines
U.S. teenagers are rebelling. More teens got recommended vaccinations in 2024 than did so in 2023. This trend is the opposite of what's happening in younger children: vaccine rates in the U.S. continue to fall among kids who are entering kindergarten. The numbers come from the most recent report on childhood vaccinations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The uptick among teens is a win for public health as the vaccine framework in the U.S. is under attack. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., head of the Department of Health and Human Services, has placed antivaccine advocates on the CDC's advisory committee that makes vaccine recommendations. The federal government has ended grants for the development of mRNA vaccines despite the safety and success of COVID shots. Since January there have been 32 measles outbreaks, largely among children and teens that did not get measles shots. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. But the new findings suggest that communication between providers and parents can lead to higher vaccine uptake. In 2024 the percentage of teens aged 13 to 17 who got two or more doses of the combination measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shot increased from the portion in 2023, from 91.3 percent to 92.6 percent. The percentage of teens who got the combination tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine rose from 89 percent in 2023 to 91.3 percent last year. And the number of teens who got at least one dose of the four-pronged meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY) shot increased from 88.4 percent in 2023 to 90.1 percent in 2024. (The MenACWY vaccine spurs an immune response to four versions of a bacteria that causes meningitis.) The results were published last Friday in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The authors analyzed data collected from the 2024 National Immunization Survey–Teen, a two-phase survey that asked parents and their children's providers about vaccine use. But not all of the trends were upward. In 2024, for the third year in a row, teens' uptake of the HPV vaccine—which protects against the cancer-causing human papillomavirus—remained the same. The national average of teens who have had at least one dose of the HPV vaccine held steady at 78 percent, though there was broad variability from state to state. The researchers reported that, in 2024, less than 40 percent of teens in Mississippi got at least one shot, but close to 80 percent in Massachusetts did so. And communication was key: parents who reported talking about the vaccine with a provider were more likely to have teens who got it. In metropolitan statistical areas (which can include urban, suburban and rural communities), the percentage of teens who got the vaccine was about 18.8 percentage points higher on average when their provider recommended it than when the provider didn't. And in addition to variability among states, there were other differences. In general, urban areas had higher vaccination rates than rural areas and, in some cases, suburban ones. This sort of difference has long been the case in the U.S., where transportation, insurance coverage and provider availability have created wide rural-urban disparities in health care access. For some of the diseases targeted by the vaccines on the CDC's immunization schedule, even the increase in teens getting the shots doesn't mean the U.S. is at a herd immunity level, the point at which the population as a whole is more generally protected from an illness. For example, to achieve herd immunity for pertussis, 92 to 94 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated. The vaccination rate for kindergartners in 2024–2025 was 92.1 percent. Teens were at 91.3 percent, putting the U.S. just under the lower threshold for herd immunity. In 2024 there were more than 35,000 cases of whooping cough in the U.S. In 2023 there were approximately 7,000.
Time Magazine
7 hours ago
- Time Magazine
Texas Declares End to Its Measles Outbreak
Texas health officials declared on Monday that the measles outbreak that has sickened more than 700 people in the state and killed two children is over—though they warned that the threat posed by the disease is not. It's been more than 42 days since a new measles case has been reported in the West Texas outbreak that began in late January, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Public health experts generally consider that to be the marker of the end of a measles outbreak, DSHS said, because 42 days is double the maximum amount of time it can take for a person to show symptoms of measles after being exposed to the virus. There have been 762 confirmed measles cases in the state this year, as of Monday, according to DSHS. The outbreak began in undervaccinated Mennonite communities in Gaines County, and was later linked to measles cases in other states, including New Mexico and Kansas. Two unvaccinated girls in Texas died of measles-related causes earlier this year. In announcing the end of the Texas outbreak, DSHS applauded the state's health care professionals, many of whom had never seen a measles case before this year, for their work. But the department also warned: 'The end of this outbreak does not mean the threat of measles is over.' Measles is highly contagious and can be fatal, though it is vaccine preventable through the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The disease was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, an achievement public health experts largely attributed to a successful vaccination program. But MMR vaccination rates have declined in recent years, and measles cases have increased. This year, largely due to the Texas outbreak, the number of measles cases hit a 33-year record high in the U.S. Read More: Do You Need a Measles Vaccine Booster? As of Aug. 5, there have been 1,356 confirmed measles cases across the country this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of those, 92% were people who were either unvaccinated or their vaccination status was unknown. In total, there have been three confirmed measles deaths this year: the two unvaccinated children in Texas, and one unvaccinated adult in New Mexico. Before this year, the last time a person was known to have died of measles-related causes in the U.S. was in 2015. Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, says that it's reasonable to say that the current Texas outbreak has subsided based on the available data. But he also expresses concern that the official figures are undercounts. Many people in the Mennonite community typically don't seek medical care, he says, so it's possible that some people contracted measles who public health officials weren't aware of. Offit also criticizes the Trump Administration's cuts to the CDC, which he worries could have affected the agency's ability to track cases. Historically, Offit says, measles cases have peaked in the winter months and abated in the spring and summer months, so he fears that the numbers will increase again in a few months. 'I don't think this is the end at all,' Offit says. 'This should be a warning to parents that, if they haven't vaccinated their children, that now's the time.' Concerns about the potential consequences of declining vaccination rates extend beyond measles, as well. Because measles is one of the most contagious viruses, it's often the first to experience a resurgence when vaccination rates fall, public health experts have told TIME, cautioning that the rise in cases could be a sign that other diseases may become more prevalent too. Offit also says that getting measles causes 'immune amnesia,' meaning that after being infected with the disease, a person is more susceptible to other pathogens—even ones that the person's immune system was able to fight off before. Offit calls the Texas outbreak 'a warning shot.' The outbreak, he says, showed that many parents have chosen not to vaccinate their children against measles—and the consequences of that. 'On the one hand it's fine to say that the fear that we all have now can be relaxed by the fact that the virus doesn't appear to be spreading now [in Texas],' Offit says. 'But really, I think the messaging should be one of: that was a warning shot, and several people, including two little girls, paid the price.' 'We can't let that happen again,' he continues. 'It's unconscionable to have a child die of something that is entirely preventable.'
The Hill
10 hours ago
- The Hill
Texas declares measles outbreak over after 762 confirmed cases
Texas health officials on Monday declared the measles outbreak that began in West Texas earlier this year is now over after more than 700 cases were confirmed. The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) said that as of Aug. 18, 762 measles cases were confirmed since January, with the majority of infections occurring in children and most cases involving people who were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination statuses. Two deaths occurred in unvaccinated school-age children who lived in the outbreak area, marking the first U.S. measles death in more than a decade. 'The Texas Department of State Health Services is reporting the end of this year's measles outbreak centered in West Texas. It has been more than 42 days since a new case was reported in any of the counties that previously showed evidence of ongoing transmission,' DSHS said in a statement. The start of the outbreak was linked to a Mennonite community of the South Plains region of Texas among whom vaccination rates are low. In Gaines County, where many of early cases were reported, almost half of all students had exemptions from vaccines. 'I want to highlight the tireless work of the public health professionals across the state who contributed to the containment of one of the most contagious viruses. We arrived at this point through a comprehensive outbreak response that included testing, vaccination, disease monitoring and educating the public about measles through awareness campaigns,' said DSHS Commissioner Jennifer Shuford. Measles is one of the most infectious airborne, respiratory diseases. One infected individual can potentially infect up to 9 out of 10 people they come in contact with if they are not protected. While there are no antivirals specifically indicated for measles, a complete two-dose schedule of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is 97 percent effective at preventing measles. The outbreak was seen as an early test for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long disparaged MMR vaccines. Despite his criticisms, Kennedy acknowledged the benefits of measles vaccines during the outbreak, writing in an op-ed that they 'not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity.'
