Posts

Measles Resurgence Sparks Global Health Concerns

/3 Comments/in , /by

Recent data and expert analyses presented at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Global Congress have sounded the alarm on a concerning resurgence of measles cases worldwide. Despite significant strides in vaccination efforts, measles, a highly contagious childhood disease, is once again on the rise, posing a serious threat to public health.

Dr. Patrick O’Connor, representing the World Health Organization, delivered a grim assessment of the current measles landscape, indicating that reported cases in 2024 are on track to match or surpass the alarming figures of 2023. With reporting delays likely skewing the actual numbers higher, the trend is clearly heading in the wrong direction. This concerning trajectory follows a doubling of measles cases from 2022 to 2023, highlighting the urgency of the situation.

The WHO European Region bears the brunt of this resurgence, with countries such as Yemen, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan reporting the highest incidence rates globally. Moreover, the number of countries facing significant measles outbreaks has tripled in just one year, underscoring the widespread nature of the problem.

Dr. O’Connor emphasized the critical role of vaccination in curbing measles transmission, noting that any gaps in immunization coverage pose a serious risk for outbreaks. Hanna Nohynek from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare highlighted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on measles resurgence, citing disruptions to routine childhood vaccinations as a contributing factor.

Drawing from successful elimination efforts in regions like the Americas, experts stress the importance of robust vaccination campaigns, strengthened routine immunization, and addressing barriers to vaccine access. Innovative solutions such as needle-free vaccine patches offer promise in closing immunization gaps and reaching vulnerable populations.

Photo credit: Flickr

CDC: Measles Cases Reported So Far in 2024 Already Surpassed Those Reported in All of 2023

/0 Comments/in , /by

Fewer than three months into 2024, there have already been more measles cases reported in the U.S. than were reported during all of 2023, according to data posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC indicates that as of March 21, there had been 64 measles cases reported, compared to just 58 reported in all of 2023.

“As of March 21, 2024, a total of 64 measles cases were reported by 17 jurisdictions: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York City, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington,” the CDC reported.

But that figure pales in comparison to the 2019 number, which was much higher. “From January 1 to December 31, 2019, 1,274 individual cases of measles were confirmed in 31 states,” the CDC noted. “This is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1992.” (Read more from “CDC: Measles Cases Reported So Far in 2024 Already Surpassed Those Reported in All of 2023” HERE)

Measles Outbreak Spreads to Three More States; Should the Feds Force Childhood Vaccinations?

/4 Comments/in , /by

Editor’s note: the measles outbreak is continuing to spread throughout the U.S. Many vaccination advocates are using this as an opportunity to attack parents who refuse vaccinations or decide to vaccinate on a different schedule than what some public health officials direct. On the left, activists are suggesting that vaccinations should be forcibly imposed on all children, notwithstanding any parental objections.

But some of these objections stem from legitimate religious objections. For example, Merck’s Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Chickenpox vaccine is produced from an aborted fetal cell line. The idea of injecting cells produced from murdered babies is deeply unsettling to some.

It is outrageous to suggest that parents should be forced to vaccinate their children using such products. But it is also outrageous that those advocating for mandated vaccination would ignore one of the major causes of the outbreaks of formerly-eradicated diseases in the United States: the third world, illegal alien.
___________________________________________________

By Lenny Bernstein. The measles outbreak spread to three more states and Washington D.C. last week, affecting 19 additional people, according to an update posted Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The highly contagious disease is now in 18 jurisdictions, with 121 people affected. The vast majority of the cases are part of the large outbreak that began in Southern California Disney theme parks in late December, the health agency said . . .

Authorities have said the resurgence is mostly caused by the growing number of people who are declining to vaccinate their children for personal reasons, or delaying the vaccinations.

“This is a teachable moment for this country,” former U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman said at a conference Monday at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. “When we see a disease that was almost eliminated in the early 1980s now come back with a jolt all around this country, we have to ask ourselves what’s going on. (Read more about the measles outbreak HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Measles Outbreak Growing in Arizona

/2 Comments/in , /by

By Connie Cone Sexton and Paulina Pineda. Two more cases of measles were confirmed in Arizona on Tuesday, and public health officials have warned that hundreds more people in the state may have been exposed this month.

Both of the cases confirmed Tuesday — a man in Pinal County and a woman in Phoenix — were linked to a family of four whose measles cases were confirmed last week following travel to Disneyland in California.

The outbreak of measles has reached “a critical point,” according to Will Humble, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. The outbreak has the potential to be far worse than the state’s last measles outbreak in 2008, he said. (Read more about the measles outbreak HERE)

_________________________________________________

Chicago Announces First Case of Measles

By Warner Todd Huston. As an outbreak of measles linked to several California Disney theme parks mounts, other states are also seeing measles appear. This week, for instance, a suburb of Chicago has announced its first case of the year.

Illinois Public Health Director Nirav Shah reported that the case was identified earlier this month and marks only the tenth case of measles in the last five years.

“This case in Illinois is a reminder of the importance of immunizations,” Shah said. “Immunizations are vital to protect not only each child, but the community as a whole.” (Read more from this story HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Disneyland Measles Outbreak “Starting to Sweep the Country”

/4 Comments/in , , /by

Photo Credit: CBS Baltimore By Christie Ileto. A health warning. The extremely contagious measles virus is back. An outbreak that started at Disneyland is starting to sweep the country.

Christie Ileto has the push for children to get vaccinated.

Measles was thought to have been eliminated in the U.S. 15 years ago. Now its back, targeting those who haven’t been immunized.

The outbreak that started in California’s Disneyland is expanding. At least 75 cases of measles span six states.

“It’s scary to think the happiest place on Earth is infected with measles,” one Disney employee said. (Read more about the measles outbreak in California HERE)

____________________________________________

Arizona Medical Director on Measles: “One of the Most Contagious Diseases Known to Man”

By Connie Sexton. A recent but rare case of the measles in Maricopa County has health officials reminding the public of the disease’s potential harm and the benefits of being vaccinated.

“It’s one of the most contagious diseases known to man,” said Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine, the county’s medical director for disease control. Although measles are extremely rare, one in a thousand cases leads to inflammation around the brain, deafness and cognitive impairment, and one to two cases in a thousand are fatal, she said. “The measles vaccine is one of the best we have. No vaccine is perfect, but this is almost 100 percent perfect.”

County officials hope those who have never been vaccinated will do so now, in light of the news Thursday that a woman in her 50s living in the county tested positive for measles. Officials believe it’s likely the woman contracted the disease Dec. 15-20 while visiting Disneyland, which has been linked to an outbreak in California, Sunenshine said. (Read more from this story HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Dozens of Children have Died from Flu Outbreak in U.S.

/1 Comment/in , /by

By Liz Szabo. Flu is now widespread in 46 states and has killed 26 children, health officials said today.

“This year is shaping up to be a bad one, particularly for people 65 and older,” says Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children younger than 5 are also at high risk of hospitalization, particularly babies under 6 months, who are too young to be vaccinated.

Flu is hitting the USA especially hard this year for two reasons.

First, the dominant flu strain in circulation is H3N2, a type that tends to cause twice as many hospitalizations and deaths as other strains of flu, Frieden says. Hospitalization rates have risen to 92 per 100,000 people, compared with 52 hospitalizations per 100,000 in a typical year. (Read more the story “26 Children Have Died From Flu” HERE)

_________________________________________________

19 Measles Cases have been Tied to Trips to Disneyland

By Amy Taxin. Nineteen people from three states who visited Disney theme parks in California last month have now fallen ill with measles, health officials said Friday.

The patients all visited Disneyland or Disney California Adventure between Dec. 15 and Dec. 20, the California Department of Public Health and the Orange County Health Agency said.

Sixteen of the cases were in California, two in Utah, and one is in Colorado, officials said.

Officials in California said that of the 16 cases in the state they have only verified that two were fully vaccinated against the disease. Some were partially vaccinated and at least two were too young to be vaccinated. (Read more from this story HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.