Health officials warn of measles spread before summer; one additional case in Doña Ana
(Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
New Mexico health officials warned Friday that summer could worsen measles spread through exposures during community events and travel.
'Measles is a highly contagious disease, as we can see by its spread around the country,' New Mexico Department of Health Acting State Epidemiologist Dr. Chad Smelser said in a statement. 'More people traveling in the summer emphasizes the importance of keeping you and your loved ones safe with the best-known protection – the MMR vaccine.'
The United States currently has 935 cases of measles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with reports of infections in 30 of the 50 states as of Friday.
NMDOH also reported an additional adult measles infection in Doña Ana County, bringing New Mexico's total to 67 cases since the outbreak began in mid-February.
The vast majority of cases, 61, have been recorded in Lea County, which neighbors the outbreak's epicenter in Gaines County, Texas. The remaining cases lie in the state's southern portion: three in Eddy County, two in Doña Ana County and one in Chaves County.
NMDOH Scientific laboratory tested 141 samples for measles since Feb. 1, agency spokesperson David Morgan told Source NM on Friday. Doctors have the option to use private laboratories to test samples, but any positive results must be reported to the state, Morgan told Source via email.
More New Mexicans continue to seek the MMR vaccine, with 20,304 vaccinations administered between Feb. 1 and April 26, double the 10,860 given in the same time period last year.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world. Symptoms include fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes and a spotty red rash. Symptoms can develop one to three weeks after an exposure, and people are contagious days before and after symptoms appear. An estimated one in five cases is serious enough to require hospitalization with severe complications such as brain swelling, blindness or death.
NMODH urges anyone with symptoms or possible exposure to call the NMDOH Helpline at 1-833-796-8773 for guidance in English and Spanish about measles testing or vaccinations.
Health officials are operating 10 vaccination clinics in the state's southern region, open daily, which require no appointment. There additionally, are other vaccine clinics around the state, which are listed on the state's website here.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
38 minutes ago
- Axios
Former surgeon general fears precedent from vaccine board purge
President Trump's first-term surgeon general thinks people shouldn't be focused as much on who Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy appointed to the expert panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine policy as the way he purged all 17 of the sitting members. What they are saying: "Everyone jumped so quickly from 'they fired everybody' to 'let's talk about these new people' that we stopped talking about the fact that they fired everybody," said Adams, an anesthesiologist who's now a professor at Purdue University. If a new administration doesn't like the panel members or their recommendations, "they can just throw them all out and start over again," he said. Between the lines: Since the 1960s, the ACIP has served as a highly vetted advisory board that's informed the government through public debate on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, Adams said. The system operated for decades largely free from outside interference, he said, allowing doctors to safely rely on it to make recommendations to patients. ACIP recommendations also heavily influenced which shots insurers would cover. What to watch: Adams said some in Washington policy circles have questioned whether Kennedy perjured himself when he pledged during his confirmation hearing not to cut funding for vaccine programs or take away people's vaccines. "RFK and Dr. Makary and Dr. Bhattacharya and others have said, under oath, 'We will not take vaccines away from people,'" Adams said, referring to the Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health leaders. "I'd argue that they literally did with the recent FDA guidance saying that certain people no longer could get a booster. I mean, I don't know how much more definitive you can be in terms of taking away vaccines from folks." "If ACIP begins dropping recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines and other shots, it would disrupt the process by which vaccines are paid for. Then you're indirectly taking away vaccine access from people," he said. The bottom line: "No government body is flawless or universally embraced, but ACIP remains truly a cornerstone, at least up until this week, of America's public health framework, and it saved countless lives over the decades," Adams said. While it's possible the new ACIP could have great conversations and recommendations, "the process that they went through to get to where we are right now — the lack of transparency, the unprecedented nature — are going to absolutely create doubt in people's minds," he said.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
RFK Jr.'s vaccine moves raise fears ahead of next school year
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to fire the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) entire vaccine board even as childhood vaccination rates drop is setting off alarm bells for next school year. Health officials worry about the ramifications of Kennedy's recent decisions and philosophy towards vaccines more generally as schools prepare for their first year with him at the helm of nation's health. Diseases that had been eradicated from the U.S. are returning, and experts warn of the need for schools to be vigilant and prepare for outbreaks among their student body. So far this year, there have been nearly 1,200 cases of measles reported in 34 states, quadruple the total from all of last year. And the CDC says vaccine coverage among kindergarteners for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) is below the target 95 percent threshold. 'I think schools are going to have to rely on state level and national experts to help guide their policies. This means that the current CDC recommendations for school-based vaccinations are still the most reliable and evidence based,' said Lawrence Gostin, distinguished professor of global health law at Georgetown University. 'If the secretary changes the childhood vaccination schedule, and I think he is all but certain to do that soon, states should hold fast on the current recommendations and consult their own health departments for future guidance,' Gostin added. Kennedy replaced the 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) with eight new voting members, with some who are known for spreading vaccine misinformation. Robert W. Malone, one of the new members, also promoted the use of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin during the COVID-19 pandemic. 'A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science,' Kennedy wrote. 'The public must know that unbiased science—evaluated through a transparent process and insulated from conflicts of interest—guides the recommendations of our health agencies,' he added in a subsequent statement. After the initial measles outbreak in Texas, Kennedy made multiple appearances on Fox News where he downplayed the severity of the disease and gave questionable advice on treatments, including emphasizing the use of vitamin A. The Health secretary at first suggested natural immunity gained from having measles is more useful than the vaccine, though he later conceded the MMR shot is the 'most effective way' to prevent the disease. 'The changes at ACIP … were not unexpected, but they are jarring,' said Josh Michaud, senior expert in U.S. and global vaccine policy for KFF, a health policy research and news organization. Michaud fears that the firings and RFK Jr.'s vaccine skepticism will have a negative 'effect on parents who might have been on the fence about vaccinations or allow more space for policy-makers at the state and local level to change the rules about vaccinations.' Schools only have a few months to prepare as a reverse in vaccination trends is unlikely to occur in the near future. Research published this month by Johns Hopkins University in JAMA showed 1,600 counties around the country have vaccination rates below 91 percent, missing the 95 percent mark for herd immunity. The only states that have seen an increase in county-level immunizations are California, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York. 'I believe that most, if not all, blue states will continue to have rigorous science based rules for vaccinating children as a condition of school entry. But many red states will follow RFK. Jr.'s advice,' Gostin said. 'In those states, parents should make sure that their children and family members are all up to date on currently recommended vaccinations. I don't think they should be reluctant to send their children to school or to have them wear masks. That is overkill,' he added. 'If they are fully vaccinated, children will be protected. If the child is immunocompromised, then extra precautions may be needed.' Schools will also need to review their policies on how to deal with outbreaks and potentially look at past advice — and not future federal guidance — for how to handle vaccine recommendations. 'I think it's really for schools as they are thinking about their policies, and the policies that many of these school districts have had for many, many years, in terms of the vaccination schedules, in terms of requirements around vaccinations — to really think about the importance of vaccinations for children and to follow the policies that have worked for many years,' said Neil Maniar, professor of public health practice at Northeastern University. Along with the rise in measles and growing 'risk for other infectious diseases,' schools may have to also contend 'higher rates of the flu and RSV and other communicable diseases' than in years past, Maniar said. 'So we really want to make sure that schools are putting forth policies that are designed to really promote the health and wellbeing of children and their families and others in the community,' he added.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
I'm a doctor and a recovering addict. America can't lose ground on the opioids fight now.
I'm a doctor and a recovering addict. America can't lose ground on the opioids fight now. There's talk of scaling back key programs and cutting funding that has proved to save lives. Doing so wouldn't just slow progress, it would send us backward. Show Caption Hide Caption FDA Approves non-Opioid painkiller to combat addiction crisis The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Journavx, a new non-opioid painkiller for short-term pain in adults. Cover Media - Shareable Overdose deaths in the U.S. have decreased by almost 27% in the past year. Medicaid and federal grants have played a crucial role in providing access to treatment and resources like naloxone. Proposed budget cuts to these programs could reverse the progress made in combating the opioid crisis. In 2004, I nearly lost everything to opioid addiction. I was a practicing physician, a husband and a father, and I was also deeply dependent on the same medications I once prescribed to others. My recovery was hard-earned and required structure, accountability and people who refused to give up on me. That experience is why I've dedicated my life to helping others do what I did: Survive long enough to get better. And today, I can say something I never imagined possible two decades ago: We are finally making real, measurable progress in the fight against drug overdoses in America. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data showing that overdose deaths in the United States have dropped by nearly 27% from 2023 to 2024. After years of heartbreaking headlines and rising death tolls, we're finally seeing a shift in the right direction. These aren't just abstract percentages, they represent real people. Parents tucking their kids in at night, employees returning to work, neighbors rebuilding relationships and young people getting second chances. Opinion: We targeted drug cartels to stop fentanyl. Now, overdose deaths are dropping. Cutting Medicaid will set us back in the opioid fight This progress didn't happen by accident. It happened because of deliberate, sustained action backed by bipartisan support and a strong federal commitment to addressing this crisis head-on. Medicaid, the largest payer of substance use disorder treatment in the United States, has given millions of Americans access to lifesaving care. Federal grants have helped get naloxone into the hands of first responders. Community-based organizations are expanding access to treatment and recovery services in ways that simply weren't possible a decade ago. As someone who's worked in both medicine and public policy, I've seen firsthand the impact of these investments. We've transformed what used to be a disconnected patchwork into a system that increasingly meets people where they are ‒ in emergency rooms, in jails, on the streets and in their homes. But now, as Congress and the administration debate the next federal budget, I'm worried we're at risk of forgetting how we got here. There's talk of scaling back key programs and cutting funding that has proved to save lives. Doing so wouldn't just slow progress, it would send us backward. Signs of opioid addiction: If your teenager was addicted to opioids, would you know? It's harder than you think. | Opinion Fighting the opioid epidemic doesn't have to be partisan That's particularly dangerous for states that are legally required to balance their budget every year. If the federal government pulls back, that doesn't eliminate the need for services. It just forces states to make impossible decisions ‒ raise taxes, slash other essential services or cut overdose prevention programs that are working. When that happens, it's not numbers on a spreadsheet that suffer. It's real people. The good news is that this doesn't have to be a partisan fight. Republicans and Democrats alike have supported these programs because they deliver results. Because they keep families together. Because they reduce crime, lower health care costs and strengthen our workforce. These aren't just moral investments, they're economic ones. Every dollar spent on treatment and prevention saves several more down the line in avoided emergency care, incarceration and lost productivity. We know what works. The question now is whether we will have the courage to keep doing it. I believe we will. I believe our leaders, including those in the Trump administration and this Congress, understand the stakes. But they need to hear from us. They need to know this progress is real, it's saving lives and it's worth protecting. We've come too far to retreat now. Let's keep our foot on the gas and finish the job. Dr. Stephen Loyd is the chief medical officer of Cedar Recovery, president of the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners and a member of the Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council. He is a physician in long-term recovery.
