Latest news with #LaraAnton
Newsweek
23-05-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Texas Sees Surge in Babies Getting Vaccinated: 'Really Scared'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Measles vaccination rates among babies in Texas have increased more than 30-fold in some instances as parents are "really scared" about an outbreak in the western portion of the state. Lara Anton, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services, told Newsweek that because of the West Texas outbreak, the agency recommended that infants living in or visiting outbreak-designated counties get an early (zero) dose of the measles vaccine at 6 to 11 months. Why It Matters In February, Texas experienced its biggest measles outbreak in about three decades. West Texas saw an influx of almost 50 cases, and health officials attributed the drastic uptick to a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. Cases have continued to rise in the months since, leading to hospitalizations and the deaths of two children. A sign outside the Lubbock Public Health facility in Texas on April 9. A sign outside the Lubbock Public Health facility in Texas on April To Know The ongoing situation has resulted in Texas parents being more proactive to vaccinate their babies than in years past. Truveta, a health care and analytics company, shared internal data showing that about 10 percent of 10-month-old children in Texas had received at least one measles vaccine in April alone—about 10.4-fold higher than the January 2024 to January 2025 average. Also in April, about 8.7 percent of 6-month-olds in Texas received a measles vaccine. That's a 31.7-fold increase compared to the 0.3 percent averaged between January 2024 and January 2025. In March and April, about 20.1 percent of all first measles vaccines were administered to children between 6 and 11 months—an 11.5-fold increase compared to 2019, when international and domestic outbreaks were ongoing. "It does show that parents really are scared, and that parents don't want to wait," Nina Masters, a senior applied research scientist at Truveta, told the Texas Tribune. "They don't want to wait 12 months to get their child vaccinated. They want to wait six months and one day, and they want to do it as soon as they can." Newsweek has contacted Truveta for comment. The Centers for Disease Control recommends the first measles vaccine (administered in the U.S. as the combined measles, mumps, rubella vaccine, or MMR or MMRV) to be issued between 12 and 15 months, with a later dose around kindergarten age—i.e., ages 4 to 6. However, Truveta data from 2020 to 2024 found a "stark decline" in the number of kids overall receiving the vaccine on time. Anton said children who received an early dose of the measles vaccine should still get the two regularly scheduled doses, meaning they would ultimately get three doses of MMR—with the second dose coming at least 28 days after the early dose. DSHS data showed that between January 1 and April 30, 51,275 doses were administered—including 44,168 to children 12 to 15 months. In 2019, the annual total was 54,184. However, the Texas immunization registry requires people to opt in. As most Texans have not done so, the overall count of early MMR vaccines administered during this time period could be different, the DSHS spokesperson added. DSHS, which provides two weekly updates on cases, said on May 20 that 722 cases had been confirmed statewide since late January. Less than 1 percent, or fewer than 10 of the confirmed cases, are estimated to be actively infectious since their rash onset date was less than a week ago. Individuals are described as infectious four days prior to and four days after rash onset. Of those 722 cases, 92 of them have led to hospitalizations. Two children have died, including an 8-year-old girl in Lubbock. She died of "measles pulmonary failure" in April at UMC Health System. DSHS said the following counties had ongoing measles transmission: Cochran, Dawson, Gaines, Lamar, Lubbock, Terry and Yoakum. On Tuesday, Dallam was removed from the list of designated outbreak counties because it had been 42 days, or two incubation periods, since the last infectious case. There have been 15 documented measles cases outside the West Texas region this year. DSHS reported that of the 722 confirmed cases, 688 were found in unvaccinated individuals or those with an unknown vaccination status, while 19 individuals who received two-plus doses of the MMR vaccine were infected. What People Are Saying Lara Anton, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services, told Newsweek: "DSHS has been encouraging people to get vaccinated if they are not immune to measles because it is the best way to prevent illness and stop the virus from spreading." Miranda Yaver, an assistant professor of health policy and management at the University of Pittsburgh, told Newsweek: "We now have over 1,000 confirmed measles cases in the United States, and this is avoidable with vaccination, which we know to be safe and effective. We are seeing the proliferation of vaccine hesitancy, with a pronounced partisan split, extending well beyond the COVID vaccine. As secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has immense power and responsibility to promote vaccine safety and efficacy, especially amid these outbreaks that have resulted in some tragic deaths." Kala Hunter, a Texas mother of a 2-year-old son, told NBC News: "Being in the hotbed of the measles outbreak, it was a no-brainer. If it was safe to get him vaccinated early, we were going to protect him." What Happens Next DSHS said in its May 20 assessment, "Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in the outbreak area and the surrounding communities." The national conversation around vaccines is also set to continue. Earlier this month, when asked whether he would vaccinate his own children against diseases such as measles, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told the House Appropriations Committee: "My opinions about vaccines are irrelevant. I don't think people should be taking advice, medical advice from me. I don't want to give advice."
CBS News
02-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Weekly measles cases hit new record amid worst outbreak since 1990s
Weekly measles cases have set a new record, according to figures published Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, topping the peak of an outbreak in 2019 that ranked as the worst since the 1990s. The number of cases that had their symptoms start during the week of March 30 has grown to 111, according to the agency's latest update. Authorities backdate newly reported measles cases based on when their rash began, to account for delays in reporting and diagnosis. That tops the 102 cases reported for the week of March 23, 2019, at the height of that year's wave. By the end of 2019, measles cases that year added up to the largest annual tally since endemic spread of the virus was declared eliminated in 2000. This year, the majority of cases are from an ongoing outbreak in Texas and neighboring states, which is now larger than any other single outbreak since the virus was eliminated. There have been 11 other local outbreaks of measles within the U.S. this year, up from 10 last week. While the pace of new cases looks to have declined in Texas, officials caution it is too soon to say whether the outbreak is truly ending. "We look at the trends over time and we'd want to see several weeks of decline. New cases sometimes get reported to public health up to a week after someone was tested, especially if the test was done at a commercial lab," Lara Anton, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services, told CBS News in a statement. Anton said authorities are also watching to see if travel from the Easter holiday weekend last month will result in an increase. "Cases from travel that weekend would likely start to be reported in the next week or two," Anton said. This year's tally of cases is likely an undercount, officials and experts have said, citing anecdotes of unreported infections. The unusually high severity of this year's wave also suggests many mild cases of spread are going undiagnosed. For example, authorities in Canada have confirmed more than 1,000 measles cases so far this year, after record outbreaks there. The U.S. has tallied at least 935 this year, according to the CDC. In Canada, 7% of cases have resulted in hospitalizations, less than the 13% of cases that have resulted in hospitalizations in the U.S. Three Americans have also died from measles so far this year, compared to none in Canada.
Vox
03-03-2025
- Health
- Vox
Can you still get measles even if you've been vaccinated?
Nearly 150 people have been infected with measles in Texas and New Mexico, and last week, Texas health officials confirmed the first death in the ongoing outbreak: an unvaccinated child. While almost all of the infected are believed to be unvaccinated, five of them told the Texas health department they have received at least one measles shot. The United States declared measles eradicated in 2000 because the disease was no longer spreading locally (most cases in the following years were linked to travel to countries where the virus was still prevalent) But in recent years, outbreaks of the measles have been growing as more people across the country opt not to vaccinate. The recent reports of cases even among vaccinated people have added another layer of anxiety to the crisis. More than 90 percent of Americans got their measles shot as a kid. Exactly how reliable is that protection, given this news? First of all, there is no need to panic. It is not clear whether the five people who contracted measles were vaccinated as children. The Texas health department told me they were investigating, but they 'wouldn't classify' these as breakthrough infections. Lara Anton, a department spokesperson, told me unvaccinated people who have been exposed to measles are given a vaccine within 72 hours if possible because it could reduce the severity of their symptoms. 'We are looking into how many of these cases received a dose of MMR after they were exposed to the virus,' Anton said. To be clear, breakthrough cases can happen. But the risk today remains very low — only about three in 100 people who receive two vaccine doses get sick when exposed. As Aaron Milstone, an infectious disease pediatrician at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, put it to me, you don't really have anything to worry about right now if you don't live in west Texas or eastern New Mexico. 'We don't want everyone to go out and think, I need to get boosted ,' Milstone said. But if you do live in those areas or you're not sure of your vaccine status or you simply want to be proactive about your health, there are some things you can easily do to check on your measles immunity. Here's what you should know. Our measles protection strategy has evolved over the decades. People born before 1957, shortly before the first measles vaccine was introduced, are generally thought to have natural immunity because they were usually exposed to the virus as children. Those born before 1989 likely received at least one dose, which was the guidance during that period. After 1989, the recommendation increased to two doses, one around your first birthday and another around age 5. That change was made because a small percentage of people did not respond to only one measles shot. But 'almost everybody' responded to two doses, Milstone said. As measles outbreaks become more common and more vaccinated people become exposed naturally for the first time in a long time, some small number of them may get sick, Milstone said. And, for a long time after that, measles vaccination rates were very high, above the 95 percent threshold experts say is necessary to keep the disease at bay. As a result, measles wasn't spreading widely within the US and most years saw zero or at most a handful of deaths caused by the virus. But measles vaccination rates have been declining. There had always been small insular communities that abstained from vaccinations; the current Texas outbreak has reportedly been primarily concentrated in a Mennonite community. But vaccine hesitancy has become more mainstream, particularly as it's been embraced by some Republican leaders; several GOP-led states have acted to allow more vaccine exemptions in recent years. The share of Republican voters who think routine childhood vaccinations should be required to attend public school has dramatically fallen off since the pandemic. In the 2019–2020 school year, 20 states were still above the 95 percent vaccination rate threshold and just three had dropped below 90 percent. But for the 2023–2024 school year, only 11 states had more than 95 percent of schoolchildren vaccinated against the disease and 14 states had fallen under 90 percent. It's no surprise then that we're seeing more measles outbreaks. The Texas outbreak alone already accounts for more than half of the total number of US measles cases in 2024, which was itself one of the most active years in recent memory. It is possible that measles immunity in some people can wane over time. As measles outbreaks become more common and more vaccinated people become exposed naturally for the first time in a long time, some small number of them may get sick, Milstone said. As Milstone told me, this remains a hypothetical risk for the vast majority of Americans, unless you are near an active outbreak. For now, the outbreak spreading at the Texas-New Mexico border is pretty contained. Even so, we are now living in a world where you are more likely to see a measles outbreak in your community. Other people may simply want to be assuaged or to exercise some agency about their own health — especially if, for example, they are at higher risk from viral infections because they are immunocompromised or have chronic health conditions. Here's what you can do. First, check your vaccination records if you can find them. If you did receive two doses, you almost certainly had an immune response. If you received one dose, you probably did too, but it is a bit more likely that measles immunity never took, Milstone said. For those in this group, considering a measles booster is reasonable. Either way, the next step if you want to investigate further would be to talk to your doctor (as always, with anything regarding your health). They can administer a 'titer test' that measures the measles antibodies in your body. If they're still present — great, you're protected. If they're not, you can talk to your doctor about getting an additional measles shot. This is a new era for public health. Milstone said he and his fellow infectious disease doctors could not believe it when they heard the news of a child's death from measles in the United States. It remains entirely preventable by getting vaccinated. And if you are not sure about your immunization, you can take these simple steps to figure out your status. With the death of a school-aged child last week, the stakes are unfortunately all too clear. 'You hope people don't have to die for others to take this seriously,' Milstone said. See More: Health Public Health Science Science of Everyday Life
Los Angeles Times
28-02-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Texas measles cases rise to 146 in an outbreak that led to a child's death
DALLAS — The number of people with measles in Texas increased to 146 in an outbreak that led this week to the death of an unvaccinated school-age child, health officials said Friday. The number of cases increased by 22 since Tuesday in Texas' largest outbreak in nearly 30 years. The Texas Department of State Health Services said cases span over nine counties in West Texas, including almost 100 in Gaines County, and 20 patients have been hospitalized so far. The child who died Tuesday night in the outbreak is the first U.S. death from the highly contagious but preventable respiratory disease since 2015, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The child was treated at Covenant Children's Hospital in Lubbock, though the facility said the patient didn't live in Lubbock County. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation's top health official and a vaccine critic, said this week that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was watching cases but dismissed the outbreak as 'not unusual.' The virus has largely spread through rural, oil rig-dotted West Texas, with cases concentrated in a 'close-knit, undervaccinated' Mennonite community, state health department spokesperson Lara Anton has said. Gaines County has a strong homeschooling and private school community. It also is home to one of the highest rates of school-age children in Texas who have opted out of at least one required vaccine, with nearly 14% skipping a required dose last school year. Texas law allows children to get an exemption from school vaccines for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs. Anton has said the number of unvaccinated kids in Gaines County is likely significantly higher because homeschooled children's data would not be reported. The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and highly effective at preventing infection and severe cases of disease. The first shot is recommended for children ages 12 to 15 months, and the second for ages 4 to 6 years. Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death. Vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic, and most states are below the 95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners — the level needed to protect communities against measles outbreaks. The U.S. had considered measles, a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours, eliminated in 2000, which meant there had been a halt in continuous spread of the disease for at least a year. Measles cases rose in 2024, including a Chicago outbreak that sickened more than 60. Eastern New Mexico has nine cases of measles currently, but the state health department said there is no connection to the outbreak in West Texas. Stengle writes for the Associated Press.
Washington Post
28-02-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Texas measles cases rise to 146 in an outbreak that led to a child's death
DALLAS — The number of people with measles in Texas increased to 146 in an outbreak that led this week to the death of an unvaccinated school-aged child , health officials said Friday. The number of cases — Texas' largest in nearly 30 years — increased by 22 since Tuesday. The Texas Department of State Health Services said cases span over nine counties in Texas, including almost 100 in Gaines County, and 20 patients have been hospitalized. The child who died Tuesday night in the outbreak is the first U.S. death from the highly contagious but preventable respiratory disease since 2015, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The child was treated at Covenant Children's Hospital in Lubbock, though the facility said the patient didn't live in Lubbock County. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation's top health official and a vaccine critic, said this week that the U.S. Department of the Health and Human Services was watching cases but dismissed the outbreak as 'not unusual.' The virus has largely spread through rural, oil rig-dotted West Texas, with cases concentrated in a 'close-knit, undervaccinated' Mennonite community , state health department spokesperson Lara Anton has said. Gaines County has a strong homeschooling and private school community. It is also home to one of the highest rates of school-aged children in Texas who have opted out of at least one required vaccine, with nearly 14% skipping a required dose last school year. Texas law allows children to get an exemption from school vaccines for reasons of conscience, including religious beliefs. Anton has said the number of unvaccinated kids in Gaines County is likely significantly higher because homeschooled children's data would not be reported. The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and highly effective at preventing infection and severe cases. The first shot is recommended for children ages 12 to 15 months, and the second for ages 4 to 6 years. Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death. Vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic, and most states are below the 95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners — the level needed to protect communities against measles outbreaks. The U.S. had considered measles, a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours, eliminated in 2000, which meant there had been a halt in continuous spread of the disease for at least a year. Measles cases rose in 2024, including a Chicago outbreak that sickened more than 60 . Eastern New Mexico has nine cases of measles currently, but the state health department said there is no connection to the outbreak in West Texas.
