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Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
American honeymoon hotspot hit by highly contagious illness, health officials warn
While cases of measles continue to spread throughout the U.S., Hawaii is reporting a new type of infectious spread. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is on the rise at a "worrying rate" in the Aloha State, the State of Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) confirmed last week in a news release. As of May 15, there have been 108 cases of pertussis reported, already exceeding the 84 total cases in 2024. Cdc Removes Covid Vaccine Recommendation For Healthy Children And Pregnant Women The DOH labeled pertussis a "highly contagious respiratory disease" that spreads through the air when an infected individual coughs or sneezes. Symptoms often resemble a cold but can progress to "intense coughing fits." Read On The Fox News App For children, these coughing fits can be followed by a "deep breath" that makes a "whooping" sound. "Health complications can be serious and even life-threatening, especially for infants and young children who are not fully vaccinated," the DOH warned. Complications can include pneumonia, seizures, apnea, encephalopathy (a disease of the brain) and death. Doctors Warn Of 'Trifecta' Of Chronic Illnesses Plaguing Americans After Maha Report The most effective way to prevent pertussis is through vaccination, according to the DOH. The DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis) vaccine is administered to children under 7 years old and the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccine is for older children and adults. Multiple doses are generally recommended for infants, children and adults. "High vaccination rates protect individuals and communities and prevent cases from becoming outbreaks," the agency noted. "However, vaccination rates for all routinely recommended vaccinations for school entry – including those for measles, pertussis, polio and varicella (chickenpox) – have declined nationally and in Hawaii since 2019." Measles Outbreaks Emerge Across Us: See Which States Have Reported Cases Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel confirmed that Hawaii is below the national average in terms of childhood vaccines, noting that the DTaP vaccine is "highly effective" in children, with close to 100% protection with appropriate dosages. "Pertussis is insidious, and can be easily mistaken for other respiratory diseases, including viruses," Siegel told Fox News Digital. "Pertussis, which is a bacteria, can be treated with antibiotics like doxycycline but is easily missed. The best protection is vaccination, including repeated boosters in teens and adults." Siegel explained that the "characteristic whoop" sound among children is caused by clogged airways that are not yet well-developed. Is Mmr Vaccine Safe For Kids? Dr. Nicole Saphier Addresses Concerns As Measles Cases Rise About one-third of babies under 1 year who contract whooping cough are at risk of hospitalization, according to the doctor. "The best protection is for everyone around them to be vaccinated," he said. "Pertussis outbreaks are now connected to a drop-off in early childhood vaccination." Neha Pathak, MD, WebMD chief physician editor, echoed that pertussis is "still a significant public health threat," especially for infants and people with weakened immune systems. "The DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) vaccine offers strong protection to children — about 98 out of 100 children are protected for at least a year after the fifth dose, and about 70% are still protected for up to five years," she said in an interview with Fox News Digital. While vaccines like measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) can provide lifelong protection, pertussis immunity decreases over time, which means boosters are necessary for adolescents and adults, Pathak noted. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter "The uptick in pertussis cases is concerning, but not surprising given what we are seeing with vaccine hesitancy," she commented. "Pregnant women should also get the Tdap vaccine during their third trimester to pass antibodies to their newborns, protecting them before they can be vaccinated," the doctor suggested. Hawaii confirmed two cases of measles in early April and concluded there was no further community spread. Despite the current situation being under control, the health department warned that measles exposure is still a threat among travelers. For more Health articles, visit "Measles cases in the United States continue to rise, with more than 1,000 cases already reported across 30 states this year," the department noted. "The risk remains high for future travel-related measles cases reaching Hawaii, and DOH recommends continued vigilance and efforts to increase the MMR vaccination rate." The DOH stressed its "strong" recommendation for children and adults to stay up to date with recommended vaccinations for disease article source: American honeymoon hotspot hit by highly contagious illness, health officials warn
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Mom Says Her 8-Week-Old Daughter Turned Blue and ‘Coded in My Arms' From Whooping Cough: ‘I Still Have Nightmares' (Exclusive)
Angela Falanga's daughter, Natalie, was not quite two months old yet — when she would have received her DTaP vaccine, which protects against whooping cough — when she developed a nasty cough The infant's health quickly deteriorated, her mom tells PEOPLE exclusively, sharing that Natalie "coded in my arms" and needed to put on a ventilator at the hospital Angela says she wants to tell other parents to "vaccinate your kids so you don't have to go through what I went through," describing her daughter's sickness as the "worst days" of her lifeIt started with a normal cough when Natalie Falanga was just eight weeks old. Her mom, Angela, took her to the doctor, who said it was just a cold, and recommended she give her baby a nebulizer with saline. The mom to Natalie and 2-year-old Dominick tells PEOPLE exclusively, 'I'm not a worrier mom,' and explains that she initially assumed her daughter's illness would quickly improve. But two days later, on Oct. 19, 2024, Natalie's cough got worse. The Malverne, N.Y., mom tells PEOPLE that she was outside with her children and was giving her son lunch when Natalie "turned blue right in front of my face.' At the pediatrician's advice, she and her husband, Joseph, rushed their daughter to the hospital, where doctors said Natalie's "oxygen was good" and released her. The family went home, but the next day, Natalie "turned blue seven times,' Angela tells PEOPLE, explaining that her daughter's condition continued to worsen as she coughed and couldn't catch her breath. On Oct. 20, 2024, they returned to Cohen Children Medical Center, where Natalie was diagnosed with pertussis, or whooping cough. From there, Angela says Natalie's condition deteriorated swiftly. 'Within 12 hours she coded in my arms,' Angela says. 'I'm holding her in my arms, and she stretches her arms straight out, up above her head and goes completely blue within seconds, the worst I've seen. They grab her from me. My husband's screaming. I'm screaming. 'They take her from me, and they try to get her stable, and then we run upstairs to PICU, and they intubated her,' she tells PEOPLE, explaining that Natalie's "oxygen plummeted and they had to put her on a ventilator.' Angela says that a nurse in the Cohen Children's Medical Center told her, "you have to be strong for her. She can hear you." The next few days, she explains, were 'worst days of my life.' Angela, who works as an X-ray technologist, says she saw a devastating scan of her daughter's lungs the day after she was admitted to the hospital. 'I looked at it and I fell to the floor,' she says. 'She had no left lung. They did an X-ray in the ER when they admitted us, and her lungs were perfect. The next day, when they put her on the ventilator, her whole left lung was collapsed.' Angela says a normal scan would show 'two black lungs and you'll see 10 ribs on each side' — but in Natalie's case, 'her left side was just all white, so it was filled with fluid [and] phlegm." Natalie underwent a bronchoscopy, during which doctors "sucked everything out," Angela says. While Natalie started to heal after her bronchoscopy, her health struggle was far from over. She stayed in the hospital for 19 days, ten of which she spent on a ventilator. Angela was later told that when Natalie went on the ventilator, she had a 50% chance of surviving. 'You think when she comes off the ventilator, she's good? No, now she's a drug addict,' Angela says, explaining that her daughter had to be sedated while on the ventilator, and as a result, 'she was addicted to fentanyl and morphine." "She had shakes, she had fevers," Angela tells PEOPLE. 'She was just suffering.' Angela says doctors who had been working at the hospital for years said they'd never seen whooping cough in an eight-week-old. This year, whooping cough cases are skyrocketing in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, whooping cough cases are nearly double what they were this time last year. Angela tells PEOPLE she's sharing her daughter's story now because she doesn't want "another mother to go through what I went through.' As someone who works in the medical field, Angela was up to date on her DTaP vaccine, which protects against whooping cough. But, she explains, everyone spending time around a baby should get the shot because infants aren't eligible for the vaccine until they are two months old. 'We have no idea how she got it. I mean, I wasn't taking my kids to nightclubs,' Angela says. 'It could be from anywhere." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. She shares that while she understands why parents may be hesitant to vaccinate their kids, the DTaP vaccine has 'been out there and can affect the babies the most. We should definitely be advocating for that." Angela says, 'The babies are suffering the most. We have to be their voice. They have no voice. If I could tell other moms, vaccinate your kids so you don't have to go through what I went through, and just one other baby doesn't have to go through it, I feel like I made like somewhat of a difference.' She adds, "I never want anyone to go thought what we did. I still have nightmares." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
DOH: Hawaii sees ‘worrying' increase in whooping cough
HONOLULU (KHON2) — A concerning number of pertussis cases in Hawaii, otherwise known as whooping cough, has health officials on high alert. According to the Hawaii Department of Health, the number of whooping cough cases is increasing at a 'worrying rate.' Whooping cough cases are rising again in the US So far in 2025, officials said 108 cases have been reported, surpassing the 84 total cases for all of 2024. 'Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory disease that spreads through the air via the coughs or sneezes of an infected person,' health officials said. While the symptoms may resemble a cold, it can ultimately progress to 'intense coughing fits.' It's particularly important for families that are expecting a baby, so pregnant women, but also grandparents who are going to be holding the baby, dads who are going to be holding the baby. So everyone in the household who may be spending a lot of time around a newborn infant, we recommend that they also get their booster for pertussis. Dr. Sarah Kemble, State Health Department epidemiologist Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news Officials said health complications can be serious and include pneumonia, seizures, apnea, brain damage and even death. The DOH said vaccines are the best protection and are urging parents to keep their children up to date on all recommended vaccines such as DTaP or Tdap. 'In the absence of immunizations, that's where we wind up with folks ending up in the hospital, in the ICU. Sometimes needing respirators, breathing machines to depend on,' said Dr. Mahealani Lum, JABSOM Department of Family Medicine. Check out more news from around Hawaii The public can view the CDC's recommended vaccination schedules on its website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hawaii pertussis cases are on the rise
The Hawaii Department of Health said cases of pertussis are on the rise in the state, and is urging residents to keep up with recommended vaccines. DOH said, as of May 15, there have been 108 cases of pertussis reported, compared to 84 cases for all of 2024. 'Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory disease spread through the air via the coughs or sneezes of an infected person, ' said DOH in a news release. 'Initially, the symptoms resemble a cold but can progress to intense coughing fits. In children, coughing fits can be followed by a deep breath that makes a whooping sound.' Health complications from pertussis can be serious and even life-threatening, DOH said, especially for infants and young children who are not fully vaccinated. Some potential complications include pneumonia, seizures, apnea (a pause in breathing ), encephalopathy (a disease of the brain ) and death. 'The most effective way to prevent pertussis is through vaccination with either the DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis ) or Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis ) vaccines, ' said DOH. 'Multiple doses are recommended for infants, children and adults.' Meanwhile, DOH said no further cases of measles have been reported in the state following the two confirmed in early April—one in a and the other in an adult household member—related to international travel. DOH has concluded there was no further community spread from those two cases. Health officials are concerned, however, of the growing number of cases on the mainland, which has now surpassed 1, 000 across 30 states this year. 'DOH recommends continued vigilance and efforts to increase the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella ) vaccination rate, ' said the department. 'High vaccination rates protect individuals and communities and prevent cases from becoming outbreaks.' Vaccination rates for all routinely recommended vaccinations for school entry, including those for measles, pertussis, polio and chickenpox, have declined in Hawaii and nationally since 2019. DOH strongly recommends that children and adults stay up-to-date with recommended vaccinations to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases. It also encourages residents to discuss concerns about vaccines with a trusted health care provider. See more : 5 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our. Having trouble with comments ? .
Epoch Times
06-05-2025
- Health
- Epoch Times
Free Now Foundation Sues to Stop Vaccine Mandates for California Schoolchildren, Parents Speak Out on Injuries
Two organizations are suing the California Department of Public Health as well as Gov. Gavin Newsom to challenge the state's vaccination requirements for students, alleging that current state policies limit parental choice and can lead to vaccine injuries among young children. The medical nonprofit Free Now Foundation told The Epoch Times that the plaintiffs are working to file a 'The situation in California has become really grim for parents. They don't have the right to make medical decisions for their children anymore,' said Alix Mayer, chair of the Free Now Foundation, which The preliminary injunction requests that the state temporarily pause its enforcement of vaccination mandates for children attending public and private schools, preschools, and day care centers, while the case is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. 'We just want to put parents back in the driver's seat and [let them] make decisions for their children again. We believe that parents should always call the shots,' Mayer said. According to the state's Department of Public Health, students enrolled in transitional kindergarten through 12th grade are required to show a record of vaccinations totaling Related Stories 2/11/2025 10/11/2024 Under current The CDC's recommended Five doses of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) Four doses of polio (IPV) Three doses of hepatitis B Two doses of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) Two doses of varicella (chickenpox) Three or four doses of Haemophilus influenzae type b The lawsuit argues that parents have limited options for exemptions to this vaccination schedule under current state policies. 'In 2015, Governor Newsom signed into law a bill that took away the personal belief exemption to vaccination, leaving us with only a medical exemption,' Mayer said. The bill, however, kept exemptions for homeschooled children and students 'enrolled in an independent study program and who do not receive classroom-based instruction.' Then, in 2019, California revised how medical exemptions are granted to students. Parents seeking medical exemptions to the vaccine schedule are required to create an account in CAIR-ME and fill out an exemption request form. Parents will then receive an exemption application number that their child's doctor will use on CAIR-ME to issue the medical exemption. After submission, the law requires a 'clinically trained department staff member who is a physician and surgeon or a registered nurse to review all medical exemption forms' to approve or reject exemption requests. 'There's no formal process to understand why somebody's medical exemption was rejected. And the person who rejects the medical exemption isn't even your child's doctor. They've never examined the child,' Mayer said. The California Department of Public Health declined to comment on ongoing litigation. The Epoch Times has reached out to Newsom's office for comment. The lawsuit also alleges a violation of the 'Procedural Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment,' saying that students who do not comply with the vaccine requirements 'forfeit their constitutional right to pursue education in the public or private schools in California' and are denied 'procedural due process rights.' Parents Speak Out Roughly Data from the CDC's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) shows that California has seen a fairly steady increase in reports of vaccine-related injuries since 1999, with a spike in reports between 2021 and 2023. In the preliminary injunction, 12 parents provided accounts of adverse reactions to vaccines in their children. One such set of parents was Shanticia Nelson and Dayon Carter of Rochester, New York, who lost their 1-year-old daughter, Sa'Niya, after she received At the hospital, the young girl's heart stopped, and 'staff tried for forty minutes to bring her back' but were unsuccessful, according to the preliminary injunction. Sa'Niya's parents said they 'want the world to know that routine immunizations can kill children and that no one at the doctor's office told them this, otherwise they never would have consented to those shots,' the preliminary injunction states. According to the CDC, vaccines of all kinds can cause 'As with any medicine, there is a very remote chance of a vaccine causing a severe allergic reaction, other serious injury, or death,' its website states. The lawsuit also cites a 2023 interview a former police detective named Jennifer provided to medical commentator Steve Kirsch regarding her experiences working in the police department's child abuse division, which involved investigating cases of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). During the A 'Of 2605 infant deaths reported to VAERS from 1990 through 2019, 58% clustered within 3 days post-vaccination and 78.3% occurred within 7 days post-vaccination, confirming that infant deaths tend to occur in temporal proximity to vaccine administration,' the study reported. According to However, the lawsuit alleges that 'none of these [CDC] cited studies were done in the modern era.' The CDC's page for SIDS was last updated on Dec. 20, 2024, and currently does not list any studies on vaccines and SIDS mentioned in the lawsuit. Another allegation is a connection between vaccines and the rise in autism. The preliminary injunction alleges, 'While genetics, an underlying cause that cannot be changed, may load the gun, vaccines, a proximate cause that can be changed, often pull the trigger.' Meanwhile, the Sally Rubin of Oakland, California, said her 3-year-old son showed 'sudden onset of regressive autism shortly after he received immunizations,' according to the preliminary injunction. She said her son has difficulties with social cues, does repetitive motions such as rocking or hand flapping, and has delayed speech and language development, among other characteristics of autism. 'I had my own company at the time and closed it to be able to devote myself full time to helping my son. It has been financially devastating,' Rubin said. One parent of an older child also reported negative reactions to a vaccine. Grace Shain said her 15-year-old son was 'in good health until he received the HPV vaccine recommended by the California Department of Public Health.' According to court documents, her son developed chronic fatigue syndrome, dysautonomia, and other neurological symptoms, forcing the teen to drop out of his school swim teams and placing an 'immense financial and emotional toll on the entire family.' 'I call it a double bag. They're holding a medical bag, and they're holding the out-of-pocket financial bag of these medical injuries,' Mayer said. The financial costs also impact the federal government. Under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, people can The government has Federal Research on Autism This case comes as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to research and test various potential factors that cause autism in children. The preliminary injunction cites an April 10 Cabinet meeting conversation between Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. and President Donald Trump, in which Kennedy said his department plans to publish a report by September on its findings regarding autism. The most recently recorded autism rate is about 'So they're going up again from one in 10,000 when I was a kid,' Kennedy said. The prevalence of autism for boys is roughly one in 20, and in An HHS spokesperson told The Epoch Times via email that Kennedy 'supports finding the root causes of autism, as well as restoring transparency and public trust in all areas of health policy—including vaccine safety.' Richard Fox, the lawyer on the case, told The Epoch Times that the new preliminary injunction alleges 'irreparable harm.' He said the goal of the lawsuit is to remove California's vaccine mandates for school enrollment and allow parents to have more say in their children's vaccination plans.
