Latest news with #MaineCDC
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dr. Nirav Shah, former Maine CDC director, to be commencement speaker at UMF graduation
May 1—FARMINGTON — Dr. Nirav Dinesh Shah, former principal deputy director of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention and leader of the pandemic response in Maine during his time at the Maine CDC, will be the commencement speaker at the University of Maine at Farmington graduation May 10. The university announced this week that it will also award Jonathan Moody, UMF alumnus and Maine's 2024 State Superintendent of the Year, an honorary degree of doctor of humane letters. Graduation will be held at 11 a.m. on the grounds of the Narrow Gauge Outdoor Venue behind the Narrow Gauge Cinemas in downtown Farmington. Shah is an epidemiologist, economist and attorney. While in medical school, he worked for the Ministry of Health in Cambodia where his work included outbreak investigation and he aided in the response to the SARS and Avian Influenza outbreaks, according to a Wednesday news release from UMF. "We are honored to have Dr. Nirav Shah as this year's Commencement Speaker," UMF President Joseph McDonnell said. "He became a daily presence in the lives of Mainers as he led the state's response to the Covid 19 pandemic, which was a significant event in the lives of our students and families. His professionalism, compassion and leadership are a wonderful example for our new graduates as they chart their own career pathways as tomorrow's leaders." In 2019, Shah was appointed by Gov. Janet Mills as the director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention where he became the voice and face of the pandemic response. In 2023, he was appointed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the principal deputy director, followed by appointment as the acting director. Shah recently returned to Maine to launch a public health education program at Colby College in Waterville. Moody earned a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education from UMF in 1998, the news release said. During his career, he has served as a coach, tutor, secondary teacher, middle school administrator, high school principal and is Maine School Administrative District 54 superintendent of schools serving Skowhegan, Canaan, Mercer, Smithfield, Cornville and Norridgewock. Under his leadership and in tandem with the district's partnership with Kennebec Valley Community Action Program, MSAD 54 developed a first-of-its-kind-in-Maine elementary school that will provide early childhood programming for children 6 weeks old to three years, and comprehensive educational programming to students in prekindergarten through grade 5. Additionally, the Margaret Chase Smith Community School will provide technical center early childhood space for high school students and will be a learning lab for professional development as well as the support of pre-service teachers. "We are pleased to award an honorary doctoral degree to Jonathan Moody for his significant contribution to pre-k to 12 students in Maine," McDonnell said. "We are proud of this UMF alumnus, a UMF Athletics Hall of Fame member, a UMF Board of Visitor member, and a part-time faculty member in our Education program. And we congratulate Jon for being named Maine's 2024 State Superintendent of the Year." Moody serves on the board of directors of the Mitchell Institute, is a member of the Redington-Fairview Hospital board, is a member of the Early Childhood Advisory committee with Educate Maine and serves as an adjunct instructor for the Educational Leadership program at University of Maine at Farmington. No tickets are required for the outdoor graduation ceremony. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. in the Fitness and Recreation Center on the UMF campus. Tickets are distributed to students for their guests and will be required if the ceremony is indoors. Additional information and updates can be found here. Copy the Story Link Auburn lowers tax impact of proposed school budget
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Maine joins lawsuit against Trump's health funding cuts
Apr. 1—Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey and officials in 22 other states sued the Trump administration Tuesday over its decision to cut $11 billion in federal money that had gone to state and local public health agencies across the country. The 23 attorneys general filed the suit in federal court in Rhode Island. In addition to Maine, the states include New York, Colorado, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, California, Minnesota, North Carolina and Wisconsin. "The grant terminations, which came with no warning or legally valid explanation, have quickly caused chaos for state health agencies that continue to rely on these critical funds for a wide range of urgent public health needs, such as infectious disease management, fortifying emergency preparedness, providing mental health and substance abuse services, and modernizing public health infrastructure," Frey's office said in a written statement. The cutbacks "threaten the urgent public health needs of states around the country at a time when emerging disease threats, such as measles and bird flu, are on the rise," according to Frey's news release. Maine had $91 million in federal contracts abruptly canceled on March 24, and the Maine CDC announced on Monday that 40 subcontractor employees have been laid off as a result. Services affected by the cuts include vaccine distribution, infectious disease tracking and outbreak management. Lindsay Hammes, Maine CDC spokesperson, said on Tuesday the lawsuit filing does not reverse or pause the layoffs caused by the federal contracts ending. "The department must continue to operate under the current termination notices," Hammes said in a written statement. "Once the court acts, the department will assess the implications for the impacted grants and for the vendors and subcontractors carrying out the work." The lawsuit contends that the "mass terminations violate federal law because the end of the pandemic is not a 'for cause' basis for ending the grants, especially since none of the appropriated funds are tied to the end of the pandemic (in 2023). HHS' position, up until a few days ago, was that the end of the pandemic did not affect the availability of these grant funds," according to the news release. The Trump administration has faced a number of lawsuits related to cutting funding for programs that had previously been approved by a prior Congress, in this case during the Biden administration. Congress holds the "power of the purse" according to the separation of powers spelled out in the Constitution. The 23 states that filed suit are seeking a temporary restraining order to invalidate the nationwide grant terminations. The lawsuit argues the cuts are illegal and will result in "serious harm to public health" that will put states "at greater risk for future pandemics and the spread of otherwise preventable disease and cutting off vital public health services." Maine's Center for Disease Control and Prevention laid off dozens of subcontracted workers this week because of the lost federal funds. "Slashing this funding now will reverse our progress on the opioid crisis, throw our mental health systems into chaos, and leave hospitals struggling to care for patients," James, the New York attorney general, said Tuesday in a news release. Meanwhile, thousands of federal health workers also recently found out they were out of a job, with the Trump administration reducing the Health and Human Services workforce from 82,000 to 62,000. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
AG Frey joins multi-state suit as Maine health agencies face over $91 million loss in federal funds
The entrance to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services in Augusta. Feb. 25, 2025.( Photo: Jim Neuger/ Maine Morning Star) Maine is facing a barrage of healthcare cuts, possibly losing as much as $93 million in federal funding to a wide array of services, from vaccinations and disease tracking to mental and reproductive health. More than $91 million of these cuts is due to last week's termination of six federal grants, according to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Three million is in separate cuts to Title X, the country's only federally funded program that supports family planning services. Attorney General Aaron Frey announced that the state is joining a multi-state lawsuit, along with attorneys general from 23 states and the District of Columbia, against the Trump administration for 'abruptly and illegally terminating' funding. The legal challenge was filed in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for withholding nearly $11 billion in 'critical public health grants' to the states, according to a statement from Frey's office. Vaccine distribution, disease monitoring and response and rural health services, among other programs, are at risk if funding is not restored. According to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, the terminated grants directly impacted work by more than 70 vendors and at least 40 contracted personnel at Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 'The termination of these grants will compromise Maine's ability to respond to disease outbreaks, maintain vaccine availability, address health disparities, and support community-based health workforce efforts,' said Maine DHHS Commissioner Sara Gagné-Holmes. 'Additionally, these cuts threaten critical planned investments in mental health and substance use disorder services. Maine DHHS is continuing to evaluate the full impact of these cuts to these important public health and behavioral services.' Most of the funding cuts — about $88 million — affect the Maine CDC and will impact vaccination programs, making it harder to distribute vaccines and educate the public; reduce the state's ability to monitor outbreaks and run lab tests; cut health equity programs meant to help vulnerable communities and terminate community health services, according to DHHS. About $3 million will be cut from Maine's Office of Behavioral Health, impacting substance use prevention programs, and school-based mental health and interventions. 'These actions jeopardize critical public health response capabilities and services, and weaken our state's public health infrastructure,' said Dr. Puthiery Va, Director of the Maine CDC. Congress approved extra funding for health programs during COVID-19, including mental health and addiction services. But on March 24, without legal justification, the federal government suddenly cut off these funds, saying they were no longer needed since the pandemic is over. Frey and other attorneys general are arguing that these cuts are illegal. They say the funding was never meant to end just because the pandemic officially ended over a year ago, and some of the grants weren't permitted to be canceled this way. The lawsuit is asking the court to block the funding cuts and stop the government from enforcing or reinstating them, claiming the decision violates federal law. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Tick activity surges in Maine with arrival of warmer weather
Mar. 22—Deer tick activity surged this week as warmer weather stirred the Lyme-disease carrying arachnids out of their dormant winter state to begin searching for hosts. Griffin Dill, integrated pest management specialist for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension's tick lab, said submissions of ticks to the lab went from a trickle over the winter to a dozen or more each day this week. "The season is here," Dill said. "In the last couple years this is what we've been seeing, that in mid- to late-March we start to see that increase in activity and sample submissions." The tick lab accepts submissions of ticks to test to see what types of ticks are being found, and also for research purposes. Dill said most likely the ticks that are active currently are deer ticks, the ticks that transmit Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis. "What we are seeing right now are adult deer ticks that overwintered and didn't find a host in the fall," Dill said. "Dog ticks won't really start being active for another month and a half." As the deer tick broadens its range — likely in response to climate change — Lyme disease has become more prevalent, with Maine experiencing a record high of 3,218 cases in 2024, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. So far in 2025, Maine has logged 291 cases of Lyme, but the bulk of Lyme cases occur later in the spring, and then throughout the summer and fall. Lyme disease symptoms include a characteristic bulls-eye rash (although some people who contract Lyme do not get the rash), fever, headache, fatigue, joint pain, muscle aches and swollen lymph nodes. If caught early, Lyme disease, a bacterial infection, can be treated with a course of antibiotics. Dill said the 2024-25 winter likely did not knock tick populations back. Snow acts as an insulator to help keep the ticks alive. "We certainly had some stretches of cold weather, in the single digits and teens, but we had that snow cover along with the cold temperatures," Dill said. "You need sustained periods of time with very cold temperatures with little or no snow cover, and we just didn't see that. We are not anticipating this winter had any negative impact on tick populations." Shorter winters are also helping to boost tick populations, Dill said. Lindsay Hammes, spokesperson for the Maine CDC, said in a written statement that "seeing increased tick activity at this time of year isn't much of a surprise." "Ticks can be active any time the temperatures are above freezing, and so with this warmer, wetter weather, ticks are likely out and they're hungry," Hammes said. "If you are out gardening, cleaning up the yard, walking the dog or going on a hike, remember to take precautions against tick bites." Precautions include using EPA-approved tick repellent, wearing light-colored long sleeves and pants when in tick habitat, and tucking your pants into your socks. Tick habitat includes not just wooded areas, but ticks also can be in your yard, such as in firewood and under leaves. If you are in a high tick area, when you arrive home, check for ticks on your body and clothes, check pets, shower and put clothes in the drier on high heat for at least 15 minutes. Copy the Story Link
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Is measles coming to Maine? Will my vaccination protect me?
Mar. 15—Measles outbreaks are continuing to expand in Texas and New Mexico, with 284 reported cases and two deaths of unvaccinated people so far. Nationwide, there have been 308 measles cases so far this year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday. That surpasses the total number cases reported for all of 2024 — 285. No cases have been reported in Maine yet this year, and the state's high vaccination rate reduces the risk of an outbreak here. But Maine is not totally immune from the disease. The last measles case in Maine was in 2023, when one child contracted the disease. The Press Herald caught up with Dr. Puthiery Va, director of the Maine CDC, to help answer Mainers' questions about vaccinations, the risks of the disease, and reports of alternative prevention methods and treatments. Here is what you need to know. Where is measles showing up in the U.S.? Outside the big outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico, measles cases have been reported in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. What is the measles and why is it dangerous? Measles is a viral disease that causes the spotted rash often seen in news photos, as well as fever, cough, runny nose and conjunctivitis (eye infection), among other symptoms. It can cause severe complications. "The measles is harmful. It can cause brain swelling, pneumonia, loss of hearing and loss of life," Va said. About one to three in every 1,000 cases can result in death. Before the measles vaccine was introduced in the 1960s, the infection caused 400-500 deaths per year. How does it spread and how is it stopped? "The measles is incredibly contagious, and one reason it's so contagious and so good at spreading is it's airborne," Va said. "The individual is contagious for longer than they are feeling ill, four days before they have symptoms to up to 21 days after they were exposed to the virus. So people are moving around, going about their daily lives and still very much contagious." Measles is considered so contagious that if one person has it, nine of 10 people in the same room are likely to contract the measles, if they are unvaccinated. "Vaccination is the only, most effective way to prevent measles," Va said. When should my child get the measles vaccine? The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine — MMR — is recommended for children ages 12-15 months, followed by a booster for children ages 4-6 years. If a family is traveling to an area experiencing a measles outbreak, that may slightly alter the recommendation, Va said. For instance, if you have a 10-month-old child and are traveling to West Texas, where measles is spreading, Va said to go ahead and get the shot early. Maine passed a law in 2019 that went into effect in 2021 that requires all school-age children to be vaccinated for measles and a number of other infectious diseases, such as pertussis and chickenpox. Previously, parents could sign a form forgoing vaccination for their children on religious or philosophic grounds. Maine eliminated those opt-outs, and now the only way a family can forgo school-required vaccines for their child is through a medical exemption. Does that mean Maine is better protected? Since the law went into effect, Maine's school vaccination rates have soared, and kindergarten opt-out rates plummeted from about 4% to 6% in the years leading up to the law going into effect, to 0.9% in the 2023-24 school year. Maine's schools also achieved herd immunity for the first time since 2011, with 97% of all students getting their shots for all vaccinations, in the 2023-24 school year. Herd immunity is when immunization levels are so high that it doesn't allow even highly contagious diseases like measles to spread. "Our high vaccination rates are why we haven't seen a measles outbreak here in Maine," Va said. "Because we have such a good vaccination rate, the measles doesn't have an opportunity to spread." Do older adults need to get a measles vaccine booster? Those born between 1957 and 1967 should check with their primary care physician to see if they need a booster shot, because during that time the vaccine given for measles was weaker than later variations of the vaccine. Va said that typically someone born in that time period will take a blood test to see if they have immunity to measles, and if immunity has waned, their doctor may recommend a booster shot. This is a standing recommendation, but has been the focus of more public attention recently because of the measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico. Can Vitamin A prevent or treat measles? Misinformation about measles prevention continues to spread, including about the vaccine and vitamin A. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the new health and human services secretary and an anti-vaccine activist, recently told Fox News that the measles vaccine can cause the measles. This is false. Kennedy has also floated the idea that vitamin A can treat measles, but according to Johns Hopkins University, "Vitamin A is not a cure or prevention for measles." Vitamin A can be useful for measles in "populations with a high prevalence of undernutrition and vitamin A deficiency, which is generally not the case in the U.S." In areas with vitamin A deficiency, such as some developing countries, vitamin A supplements could reduce measles mortality by about half, according to Johns Hopkins. Copy the Story Link
