Latest news with #PaulaTran
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
DHS: Wisconsin health officials urge vaccinations ahead of new school year, rates below measles safety threshold
(WFRV) – As families across Wisconsin prepare for the new school year, the Department of Heath Services (DHS) has released its latest school vaccination data for 2024-2025. According to a press release from DHS, 86.4% of students met the state's minimum immunization requirements. That's a slight drop from last year, mainly due to a new vaccination rule that requires students in grades 7 though 12 to get the meningococcal vaccine. Our school vaccination data tells us there are children in our schools who are not protected from an outbreak of preventable diseases like measles. Health Officer Paula Tran. Smoky conditions remain in Wisconsin early this week When this new requirement is excluded, the overall vaccination rate increased slightly, reaching 89.3%, up to 0.1% last year. Meanwhile, national data from the CDC shows Wisconsin kindergartners still lag behind many other states in protecting kids against vaccine-preventable illnesses. Health officials urge parents to make sure their children are up to date on all required vaccine before school starts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
28-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
West Nile virus reported in western Wisconsin resident, health officials say
A resident of Barron County, Wisconsin, has contracted West Nile virus, the first reported case in the state in 2025. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported the case on Monday, though details about the resident's condition weren't released. According to state health officials, mosquitoes collected in Milwaukee and Lafayette counties also tested positive for the virus. "The first detections of West Nile virus this year are a reminder to take steps to prevent mosquito bites and possible disease," Paula Tran, state health officer and administrator of the Division of Public Health with the DHS, said. Health officials recommend the following steps to avoid mosquito bites: Mosquitoes in all seven counties of the Twin Cities metro have already tested positive for the virus this year, which the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District said is earlier than usual. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says one in five people who are infected will develop a fever and other minor symptoms, and one in around 150 people will develop a severe illness. Note: The video above originally aired July 3, 2025.
Toronto Sun
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Rwandan groups denounce genocide claims by NDP leadership hopeful
In 2017 blog post, Yves Engler dismissed death toll figures from 1994 Rwandan genocide Activist Yves Engler speaks at a pro-Palestinian protest on Parliament Hill on Saturday, April 12, 2025. Photo by Paula Tran / Postmedia Network OTTAWA — Blog posts by a federal NDP leadership hopeful garnered scorn from Rwandan-Canadian groups, accusing him of denying a genocide that claimed nearly one million lives. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account In a Sept. 22, 2017, article posted to a blog run by Yves Engler, he dismissed generally accepted narratives surrounding the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsis as oversimplified and claimed the death toll of between 800,000 to one million people is overinflated. 'Canadian commentators often claim more Tutsi were killed in the genocide than lived in Rwanda,' he wrote. 'Since it aligns with Washington, London and Kigali's interests, as well as liberal nationalist Canadian ideology, the statistical inflation passes with little comment.' Read More Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He claimed these death tolls don't reflect what he considers to be 'official' calculations of the Tutsi population in Rwanda. Engler is a contentious figure in Canada's far-left, anti-Israel ecosphere and a prominent voice in pushing the narrative that Israel's self-defence against Palestinian terrorism amounts to a 'genocide.' Earlier this year, he announced his intentions to replace former MP Jagmeet Singh as leader of the federal NDP party. Occurring between April and July 1994 during the Rwandan civil war, a number of sources estimate that the genocide saw upward of one million members of the Tutsi ethnic group as well as some moderate Hutus systematically slaughtered by extremist Hutu militants with many more subjected to assaults, torture and sexual violence. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A young Rwandan takes part in a candle light vigil on the first of 100 days of remembrance as Rwanda commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Tutsi genocide on April 7, 2024, in Kigali, Rwanda. Photo by Luke Dray / Getty Images Pascal Kanyemera, president of the Humura Association — a Canadian association of survivors of the Tutsi genocide — are among signers of a joint statement condemning Engler's post that also included B'nai Brith Canada. 'Downplaying what happened in Rwanda in 1994 is not only unacceptable, but also dangerously harmful,' Kanyemera told the Toronto Sun. 'Such comments are akin to killing survivors twice — once in the physical sense and again in the emotional and psychological sense by invalidating their suffering.' Kanyemera said the comments are even more concerning, considering Engler's hope of becoming the next leader of the federal NDP. 'They are particularly concerning given the context of someone seeking a position of leadership in a major Canadian political party, where responsible and truthful discourse should be upheld,' he said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In an email to the Toronto Sun, Engler condemned what he described as a 'smear from the pro-genocide lobby' and took specific aim at B'nai Brith — and not the four Rwandan groups who also signed the statement. 'Yves Engler has spent his entire adult life fighting for human rights and against militarism,' Engler wrote. 'Quotes taken out of context and twisted to fit a narrative do not change this fact. Perhaps B'nai Brith should focus its efforts on the current and ongoing genocide in Gaza, rather than smearing those who are trying to stop it.' Engler's comments were described as 'appalling' by Richard Robertson of B'nai Brith Canada. 'There is no excuse for individuals in Canada, especially those who aspire to be a political leader in this country, to deny or diminish the scope of the genocide that occured in Rwanda in 1994,' he said. 'We believe his actions are an affront to the memory of the victims and have caused further trauma to the survivors of this unprecedented atrocity.' bpassifiume@ X: @bryanpassifiume Sports World Canada Toronto & GTA Editorials
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Wisconsin sees decline in underage tobacco, vape sales but rate remains above national target
WISCONSIN (WFRV) – The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is highlighting progress in reducing illegal sales of tobacco and vape products to underage consumers, though officials say there is still work to be done. Annual data from the Synar Survey, a statewide assessment of retailer violation rates, shows that illegal underage sales declined from 13.6% in 2023 to 11.8% in 2024. The rate peaked in 2021 at 14.1%, with a low of 5.5% in 2019. Appleton, Green Bay named top 100 places to live in the US in 2025 'We are glad to see a decline in overall sales of tobacco and vape products to underage kids, yet the rate remains too high,' said State Health Officer and Division of Public Health Administrator Paula Tran. 'We know that more than 80% of adult smokers started before the age of 18, and about 95% of them before turning 21. This is why it is so important to continue the work to prevent young people from starting to use commercial tobacco and nicotine products to protect their health today and long into the future.' The most recent Synar Surveys have measured sales to those under age 21, aligning with a 2019 federal law change that raised the legal tobacco sales age from 18 to 21. Wisconsin is one of only eight states that has not updated its state law to reflect the federal standard, leading to confusion and enforcement issues. In response, DHS launched the 'Tobacco 21' public awareness campaign in 2022 to reinforce the federal minimum sales age to both the public and retailers. 'Welcome to hot dog heaven:' Brewers introduce new Hot Dog Club The 2024 survey also found that tobacco and vape shops sold to underage buyers at a rate of 30%, compared to 11.8% at gas stations and 10.8% at other retail outlets. The DHS Wisconsin Commercial Tobacco Prevention and Treatment Program has also noted a rise in local zoning ordinances limiting the number and location of tobacco and vape retailers. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
18-04-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Syphilis cases among newborns in Wisconsin up by nearly 1,500% since 2019, officials say
Wisconsin health officials are calling a significant spike in congenital syphilis over the last several years "especially concerning." On Thursday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services released a report that shows overall rates of sexually transmitted infections are decreasing, but "continue to be high throughout the state." There were over 31,500 reports of STIs in 2024, with over half being people between 15 and 24 years old. Cases of congenital syphilis — an STI passed to a baby during pregnancy — increased by 1,450% in the state since 2019. Health officials say there were 31 cases of babies born with syphilis in 2024, up from 24 the year before. Health officials say up to 40% of babies with syphilis could be stillborn or die after birth. "While we can celebrate that overall levels are decreasing, STIs continue to impact Wisconsin residents across the state, and the increase of congenital syphilis is especially concerning," State Health Officer Paula Tran said. "Fortunately, STIs are preventable. This requires us all to ensure that people have access to accurate, age-appropriate education about sexual health alongside quality health services that support timely testing and treatment." The report was released amid STI Awareness Week, with the DHS saying it highlights the importance of prevention, testing and treatment of the infections. "Talking with sexual partners about their history, getting tested, and using protection methods are the best ways to safeguard your sexual health and well-being," the DHS said in a statement. More information can be found on the department's STD page , which will also be updated with additional STI data.
