Latest news with #DavidSugerman
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Half of US states have reported measles cases this year
Half of states in the US are now reporting measles cases, with the national total surpassing 800 cases so far this year, according to a CNN tally. Most of the cases are concentrated in a multistate outbreak involving Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and possibly Kansas that reached 709 cases Friday, according to state health department updates. Texas has reported 597 outbreak-associated cases, New Mexico reported 63 cases, and Oklahoma reported 12 cases – nine confirmed and three probable – as of Friday. New Mexico and Oklahoma's numbers have stayed the same since Tuesday. Cases in Kansas, which the state health department says may be linked to the larger outbreak, have reached 37 as of Wednesday. Experts say these numbers are all a severe undercount because many cases are going unreported. The multistate outbreak has put 69 people in the hospital across Texas, New Mexico and Kansas, five more since Tuesday's update. Nationally, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that at least 85 people have been hospitalized, accounting for 11% of confirmed cases. CDC data shows that only 3% of cases this year have been reported in people who have gotten one or two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. Local health officials are scrambling to increase vaccinations, especially in heavily undervaccinated communities. Clinics in Lubbock, Texas, near the epicenter of the outbreak, just expanded their hours. These Lubbock clinics have administered 450 more doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine than typically would have been given by this time of year, Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock Public Health said this week. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective against the measles virus. Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. Experts warn that growing case numbers could threaten the country's elimination status if spread of the outbreak continues. 'That … would happen after 12 months of ongoing circulation of the same sequence,' Dr. David Sugerman, a senior scientist at the CDC, said Tuesday at a meeting of the agency's vaccine advisers. That date would be around January 20, 2026, he said. Two children in Texas have died in the current multistate outbreak, and a third death in New Mexico is under investigation. They were all unvaccinated. The World Health Organization said that cases in Mexico have also been linked to cases in Texas. Three cases in Colorado are being investigated for connection to the outbreak after two of the people traveled to Mexico. Another case was identified after a Pennsylvania resident traveled to Texas, though it is unclear what part of the state the person visited. In a news release last week, the Arkansas health department said that the second case of measles identified in the state this year was 'exposed during out of state travel,' but no further details were provided. Many cases in other states have been linked to international travel.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The CDC says its tally of US measles cases is likely an undercount
The number of measles cases traced to the West Texas outbreak are likely undercounted, health officials say. Dr. David Sugerman, a senior scientist leading the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention measles response, told a meeting of the centers' vaccine advisory committee that officials believe there's 'quite a large amount of cases that are not reported and underreported.' 'In working very closely with our colleagues in Texas; in talking with families, they may mention prior cases that have recovered and never received testing, other families that may have cases and never sought treatment,' he said Tuesday. Sugerman also noted that most of the nation's cases have been driven in undervaccinated communities like the Lone Star State's Gaines County. The county accounts for nearly 65 percent of the state's cases. The agency has deployed more than a dozen people to the state, and is sending more this week. 'This reallocation, or what Dr. Sugerman called scraping, is not unique to this outbreak or a direct result of current initiatives to restructure CDC. When outbreaks occur, the agency must reallocate resources from other programs to respond,' the CDC told The Independent on Thursday. Right now, the CDC reports that there are more than 700 cases across the U.S., although it only updates its tally once a week. In Texas, the state's health authorities said Tuesday that there were 561 cases confirmed there since January, as well as 58 hospitalizations over the course of the outbreak. Two unvaccinated children who lived in the outbreak area have died. Measles is prevented by getting doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine that provide decades-long immunity. But, convincing communities to get the vaccine or vaccinate their children has proven to be a major hurdle. Rising vaccine hesitancy has been reported across the nation. 'Parental vaccine hesitancy might be contributing to the low levels of influenza vaccination coverage, due to a higher degree of hesitancy among parents about influenza vaccine compared with other routine childhood vaccines,' researchers said last year in a study published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. While Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has endorsed getting the measles shots, he has also promoted some questionable alternative practices, claimed the vaccines were 'leaky' and said that the vaccines should not be mandated. Experts have warned that casting doubts on vaccines could come with deadly consequences and reverse years of medical progress – especially with measles' continued spread. Sugerman said coverage with the vaccine has been decreasing since the pandemic. 'It is often said that the first responsibility of any government is the safety and protection of its people,' the journal Nature's editorial board said. 'That alone should be reason enough for policymakers to encourage people to get themselves and their children vaccinated. Vaccines save lives, and casting doubt on their safety could have dangerous and far-reaching consequences.'
CNN
18-04-2025
- Health
- CNN
Half of US states have reported measles cases this year
Half of states in the US are now reporting measles cases, with the national total surpassing 800 cases so far this year, according to a CNN tally. Most of the cases are concentrated in a multistate outbreak involving Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and possibly Kansas that reached 709 cases Friday, according to state health department updates. Texas has reported 597 outbreak-associated cases, New Mexico reported 63 cases, and Oklahoma reported 12 cases – nine confirmed and three probable – as of Friday. New Mexico and Oklahoma's numbers have stayed the same since Tuesday. Cases in Kansas, which the state health department says may be linked to the larger outbreak, have reached 37 as of Wednesday. Experts say these numbers are all a severe undercount because many cases are going unreported. The multistate outbreak has put 69 people in the hospital across Texas, New Mexico and Kansas, five more since Tuesday's update. Nationally, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that at least 85 people have been hospitalized, accounting for 11% of confirmed cases. CDC data shows that only 3% of cases this year have been reported in people who have gotten one or two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. Local health officials are scrambling to increase vaccinations, especially in heavily undervaccinated communities. Clinics in Lubbock, Texas, near the epicenter of the outbreak, just expanded their hours. These Lubbock clinics have administered 450 more doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine than typically would have been given by this time of year, Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock Public Health said this week. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective against the measles virus. Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. Experts warn that growing case numbers could threaten the country's elimination status if spread of the outbreak continues. 'That … would happen after 12 months of ongoing circulation of the same sequence,' Dr. David Sugerman, a senior scientist at the CDC, said Tuesday at a meeting of the agency's vaccine advisers. That date would be around January 20, 2026, he said. Two children in Texas have died in the current multistate outbreak, and a third death in New Mexico is under investigation. They were all unvaccinated. The World Health Organization said that cases in Mexico have also been linked to cases in Texas. Three cases in Colorado are being investigated for connection to the outbreak after two of the people traveled to Mexico. Another case was identified after a Pennsylvania resident traveled to Texas, though it is unclear what part of the state the person visited. In a news release last week, the Arkansas health department said that the second case of measles identified in the state this year was 'exposed during out of state travel,' but no further details were provided. Many cases in other states have been linked to international travel.
CNN
18-04-2025
- Health
- CNN
Half of US states have reported measles cases this year
Half of states in the US are now reporting measles cases, with the national total surpassing 800 cases so far this year, according to a CNN tally. Most of the cases are concentrated in a multistate outbreak involving Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and possibly Kansas that reached 709 cases Friday, according to state health department updates. Texas has reported 597 outbreak-associated cases, New Mexico reported 63 cases, and Oklahoma reported 12 cases – nine confirmed and three probable – as of Friday. New Mexico and Oklahoma's numbers have stayed the same since Tuesday. Cases in Kansas, which the state health department says may be linked to the larger outbreak, have reached 37 as of Wednesday. Experts say these numbers are all a severe undercount because many cases are going unreported. The multistate outbreak has put 69 people in the hospital across Texas, New Mexico and Kansas, five more since Tuesday's update. Nationally, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that at least 85 people have been hospitalized, accounting for 11% of confirmed cases. CDC data shows that only 3% of cases this year have been reported in people who have gotten one or two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. Local health officials are scrambling to increase vaccinations, especially in heavily undervaccinated communities. Clinics in Lubbock, Texas, near the epicenter of the outbreak, just expanded their hours. These Lubbock clinics have administered 450 more doses of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine than typically would have been given by this time of year, Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock Public Health said this week. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective against the measles virus. Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. Experts warn that growing case numbers could threaten the country's elimination status if spread of the outbreak continues. 'That … would happen after 12 months of ongoing circulation of the same sequence,' Dr. David Sugerman, a senior scientist at the CDC, said Tuesday at a meeting of the agency's vaccine advisers. That date would be around January 20, 2026, he said. Two children in Texas have died in the current multistate outbreak, and a third death in New Mexico is under investigation. They were all unvaccinated. The World Health Organization said that cases in Mexico have also been linked to cases in Texas. Three cases in Colorado are being investigated for connection to the outbreak after two of the people traveled to Mexico. Another case was identified after a Pennsylvania resident traveled to Texas, though it is unclear what part of the state the person visited. In a news release last week, the Arkansas health department said that the second case of measles identified in the state this year was 'exposed during out of state travel,' but no further details were provided. Many cases in other states have been linked to international travel.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The CDC says its tally of US measles cases is likely an undercount
The number of measles cases traced to the West Texas outbreak are likely undercounted, health officials say. Dr. David Sugerman, a senior scientist leading the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention measles response, told a meeting of the centers' vaccine advisory committee that officials believe there's 'quite a large amount of cases that are not reported and underreported.' 'In working very closely with our colleagues in Texas; in talking with families, they may mention prior cases that have recovered and never received testing, other families that may have cases and never sought treatment,' he said Tuesday. Sugerman also noted that most of the nation's cases have been driven in undervaccinated communities like the Lone Star State's Gaines County. The county accounts for nearly 65 percent of the state's cases. The agency has deployed more than a dozen people to the state, and is sending more this week. 'This reallocation, or what Dr. Sugerman called scraping, is not unique to this outbreak or a direct result of current initiatives to restructure CDC. When outbreaks occur, the agency must reallocate resources from other programs to respond,' the CDC told The Independent on Thursday. Right now, the CDC reports that there are more than 700 cases across the U.S., although it only updates its tally once a week. In Texas, the state's health authorities said Tuesday that there were 561 cases confirmed there since January, as well as 58 hospitalizations over the course of the outbreak. Two unvaccinated children who lived in the outbreak area have died. Measles is prevented by getting doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine that provide decades-long immunity. But, convincing communities to get the vaccine or vaccinate their children has proven to be a major hurdle. Rising vaccine hesitancy has been reported across the nation. 'Parental vaccine hesitancy might be contributing to the low levels of influenza vaccination coverage, due to a higher degree of hesitancy among parents about influenza vaccine compared with other routine childhood vaccines,' researchers said last year in a study published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. While Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has endorsed getting the measles shots, he has also promoted some questionable alternative practices, claimed the vaccines were 'leaky' and said that the vaccines should not be mandated. Experts have warned that casting doubts on vaccines could come with deadly consequences and reverse years of medical progress – especially with measles' continued spread. Sugerman said coverage with the vaccine has been decreasing since the pandemic. 'It is often said that the first responsibility of any government is the safety and protection of its people,' the journal Nature's editorial board said. 'That alone should be reason enough for policymakers to encourage people to get themselves and their children vaccinated. Vaccines save lives, and casting doubt on their safety could have dangerous and far-reaching consequences.'
