Latest news with #CentersforDiseaseControl
Axios
9 hours ago
- Health
- Axios
CDC union demands Trump officials condemn disinformation after shooting
A union representing Centers for Disease Control workers is calling on the Trump administration to condemn vaccine disinformation after the CDC headquarters was targeted in a shooting that killed a police officer in Atlanta, Georgia. The big picture: The suspect, named as Patrick Joseph White, 30, of Kennesaw, Ga., who died during Friday's shooting had reportedly blamed the COVID vaccine for his health issues. The local American Federation of Government Employees division of the union said the incident "is not random and it compounds months of mistreatment, neglect, and vilification that CDC staff have endured." Zoom in: The AFGE Local 2883 said in its media statement there must be "clear and unequivocal stance in condemning vaccine disinformation" by the leadership of the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services, which is led by vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "Their leadership is critical in reinforcing public trust and ensuring that accurate, science-based information prevails. This condemnation is necessary to help prevent violence against scientists that may be incited by such disinformation," per the statement. "The deliberate targeting of CDC through this violent act is deeply disturbing, completely unacceptable, and an attack on every public servant," the union said. "It was motivated by vaccine disinformation, which continues to pose a dangerous threat to public health and safety." What they're saying: CDC Director Susan Monarez said on X Friday she was "heartbroken" over the attack that saw a gunman open fire on "at least four" CDC buildings. Kennedy said on X Saturday, "No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others. He added: "We are actively supporting CDC staff on the ground and across the agency. Public health workers show up every day with purpose — even in moments of grief and uncertainty."
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Gunman kills police officer near Atlanta CDC headquarters
WASHINGTON: A gunman killed a police officer Friday near the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control in the US city of Atlanta before being found dead at the scene, authorities said. No other people were killed or physically wounded in the shooting, during which multiple rounds were fired in the CDC campus, police said. 'Officers arrived -- found a critically injured DeKalb County police officer that was down,' Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said at a press conference. The police officer was later identified as 33-year-old David Rose of the DeKalb County Police Department. He left behind a pregnant wife and two children, the department said in a statement. The shooter's identity has not been released. Schierbaum said it was too early in the investigation to comment on reports by CNN and the New York Times that the gunman blamed the coronavirus vaccine for an unspecified illness he may have had. The man's father had reported to authorities earlier Friday that he was suicidal, the reports said. The shooting began before 5:00 pm local time (2100 GMT) near the CDC campus and a pharmacy, Schierbaum said. The suspect -- who police believe was a single shooter -- was found dead on the second floor of a CVS drugstore with a gunshot wound, which may have been self-inflicted. 'The shooter is deceased, and we don't have any civilians that have been shot in this active shooter incident,' Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens told reporters. Ninety-two children in a daycare on the CDC campus were safely evacuated and were being reunited with families at a nearby school. 'We at @CDCgov are heartbroken by today's attack on our Roybal Campus,' CDC director Susan Monarez wrote on X, praising the 'courageous' policeman who was killed. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp also paid homage to those who 'answer the call to serve and who protect their fellow Georgians'. 'We ask that you join us in holding them in our prayers, along with those harmed this evening near the CDC Center.' - AFP
Daily Tribune
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Tribune
Taiwan Reports First Chikungunya Case Amid China's Historic Outbreak
Taiwan has confirmed its first chikungunya fever case for 2025, linked to a large outbreak sweeping southern China. The virus, transmitted by mosquitoes, has infected over 8,000 people in China's Guangdong province, particularly in the manufacturing city of Foshan. The infected individual, a Taiwanese woman, had recently traveled to Foshan and returned to Taiwan on July 30. Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) promptly identified the case and raised the travel advisory for Guangdong to level 2 out of 3, recommending travelers take enhanced precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Chikungunya virus symptoms typically include high fever, rash, headache, nausea, fatigue, and muscle and joint pain that can last for several weeks. Experts say the outbreak in Foshan is unprecedented in scale, driven by a population with limited immunity and favorable environmental conditions for the virus-carrying Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes. Chinese authorities have responded aggressively to contain the spread. Measures include household inspections, enforced use of bed nets, drone-assisted fogging to kill mosquitoes, and fines for residents who maintain stagnant water — a common mosquito breeding ground. Foshan residents can be fined up to 10,000 RMB (around $1,400) for violations. This outbreak follows heavy monsoon rains and a series of typhoons in southern China, which have created ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes. Despite the surge, recent reports from China's state media indicate the outbreak may have peaked, with new case numbers declining in Guangdong. The spread of chikungunya to Taiwan highlights the ongoing regional health risks posed by mosquito-borne diseases and underscores the need for vigilance, especially for travelers returning from affected areas.
1News
4 days ago
- Health
- 1News
Trump once hailed mRNA vaccines as 'miracle', RFK now halting advancement
President Donald Trump hailed as a 'medical miracle' the mRNA vaccines developed to combat the deadly Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Now, his health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is effectively halting the vaccine technology's advancement. Kennedy announced Wednesday that the federal government is cancelling US$500 million (NZ$843 million) worth of mRNA research development contracts, putting an end to US-backed hopes for the vaccine technology to prevent future pandemics, treat cancer or prevent flu infections. It's a sharp pivot from how Trump and top officials described the technology during his first term. Here's a look at what Trump and some of his closest advisers have said about mRNA vaccines that were credited with slowing the pandemic five years ago. Robert Redfield, Trump's director of the Centers for Disease Control ADVERTISEMENT 'A Covid-19 vaccine is the thing that will get Americans back to normal everyday life,' said Redfield, in a September 16, 2020, statement. Americans were still donning face masks as one of the few ways of protecting themselves from a virus that had killed nearly 200,000 in just over six months. Redfield promised that the new vaccines — developed for the first time using mRNA technology — would offer a return to normalcy. Trump wanted to make sure Biden didn't get credit 'Don't let Joe Biden take credit for the vaccines ... because the vaccines were me, and I pushed people harder than they've ever been pushed before. The vaccines are — there are those that say it's one of the greatest things. It's a medical miracle.' Trump said on November 26, 2020, during a news conference in the White House. Weeks earlier, Trump had lost the election in a bitter race against Democrat Joe Biden. As the Republican grappled with leaving Washington and continued to plan for the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccines, he reminded reporters that he oversaw the development of the new shots. 'They say it's somewhat of a miracle and I think that's true,' Trump said on December 8, 2020, during a speech at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The event celebrated Operation Warp Speed, the government-funded project that accelerated vaccine development with pharmaceutical companies. Trump was promoting the shots as the government prepared to offer them to frontline health workers. ADVERTISEMENT Trump's first-term health secretary, Alex Azar 'It's clear that many Americans are learning these vaccines are safe and extraordinarily effective,' Azar said on December 16, 2020, at a news conference. The government was shipping out mRNA vaccines to states, preparing to distributed it to the masses. Azar noted that a vast majority of Americans — between 70% to 80%, according to polls — intended to get the new Covid-19 vaccine that would be available to the public in the coming months. Gen. Gusave Perna, Trump's chief operating officer for pandemic response 'It takes somewhere between five and 10 years to put a vaccine on the street. Look what we did. Now, that's because of the great work of the scientists who had done the research on mRNA vaccines and others because of industry working on this, they just didn't wake up one day and start working on it,' Perna said during a podcast interview that aired on May 9, 2023. Reflecting in an interview about his time overseeing Operation Warp Speed, Perna credited the mRNA technology with the government's ability to get shots in arms mere months after the pandemic started claiming lives in the US in 2020. Trump supporters boo his vaccine accomplishments ADVERTISEMENT 'Take credit because we saved tens of millions of lives. Take credit. Don't let them take that away from you,' Trump said on December 19, 2021 during a live interview with former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly. Daily Covid-19 deaths had ticked down to 1500 compared to 3000 from a year earlier after Americans began receiving their first doses of the mRNA vaccines. Trump revealed to O'Reilly and the audience that he had just gotten a Covid-19 booster. The crowd booed.
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Justin Timberlake battling ‘relentlessly debilitating' Lyme disease
Justin Timberlake told fans he's been struggling with an 'relentlessly debilitating' case of Lyme disease while on tour. The 44-year-old singer's admission follows heavy criticism from concertgoers over allegedly lackluster performances on his Forget Tomorrow World Tour, which concluded Wednesday in Turkey. Fan singalongs posted online show Timberlake letting his audiences handle vocal responsibilities while he seemingly rests during shows. Timberlake called his recent tour 'the most fun, emotional, gratifying, physically demanding, and, at times, grueling experience' he's had in more than 30 years in show business, which includes a seven-year stint with the hugely popular boy band NSYNC. The 'SexyBack' singer said he's usually a private person, but looking back at the whirlwind string of performances he just completed, a little context is in order. 'I've been battling some health issues, and was diagnosed with Lyme Disease — which I don't say so you feel bad for me — but to shed some light on what I've been up against behind the scenes,' Timberlake posted. He didn't share details on how or when he was infected with the sickness. The Centers for Disease Control describe Lyme Disease as 'a bacterial infection spread to people through the bite of blacklegged ticks.' Symptoms can include headache and fatigue. If untreated, the infection can attack joints, the heart and the nervous system. 'Living with this can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically,' Timberlake explained. The Tennessee native said he was shocked when he learned of the infection, but the diagnosis helped him understand why he was experiencing fatigue and nerve pain on stage. Timberlake said he had to decide whether to continue performing or cut his tour short. He chose the former and said he's glad that he did. Solve the daily Crossword
