The US has seen a drastic increase in measles cases in the first quarter of 2024, with 97 cases reported compared to an average of five in previous years; this surge poses a renewed threat to the country's measles elimination status since 2000. Measles outbreaks have been associated with unvaccinated or unknown vaccination status individuals, with children under 5 making up half of the cases. The CDC report emphasizes the importance of widespread vaccination coverage, as one dose of the MMR vaccine is 93% effective at preventing measles. As of April 4, the US had recorded seven outbreaks and 113 cases, prompting a call for increased vaccination rates to prevent sustained transmission.
Measles cases in the US have risen, with 64 cases across 17 states, surpassing last year's total. Outbreaks in Chicago, southeast Florida, and Philadelphia contributed to the increase. Most cases are linked to international travel, primarily affecting unvaccinated children. The CDC warns of higher outbreak risks in communities with low vaccination coverage. Vaccination rates have fallen slightly in recent years. Measles symptoms include fever, rash, and possible severe complications. Before vaccination, thousands were hospitalized annually in the US due to measles.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns of 58 reported measles cases in 16 states in the U.S. so far this year, mostly among unvaccinated children aged 1 or older, with links to international travel. The CDC states that the current high population immunity reduces the risk of widespread spread, but pockets of low vaccination coverage pose a higher outbreak risk. Cases in at least three states were linked to visits to Florida, indicating early infections contributing to the virus uptick.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 58 confirmed cases of measles in the U.S. in 2024, matching the total for all of 2023. 93% of the cases were linked to international travel, with outbreaks in countries such as Austria, the Philippines, Romania, and the United Kingdom. The CDC emphasizes the importance of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccinations for all U.S. residents traveling internationally, especially children aged 12 months and older who have not yet received the vaccine.
A multimedia campaign by the UK Health Security Agency is reminding parents in England of the importance of vaccinating their children against diseases like measles due to a rise in cases since late last year. The campaign targets busy parents, highlighting the risks of complications from measles and the importance of ensuring children have had the MMR vaccine. Measles cases have increased in various regions, with a steady fall in vaccination rates since the pandemic. The campaign aims to increase vaccination uptake to prevent outbreaks and protect against preventable diseases.
Health officials in England are concerned about a high number of measles cases, with rates reaching a 10-year high. The West Midlands, particularly Birmingham, has been the epicentre of the outbreak, but clusters of cases are now appearing in other regions as well. The low uptake of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is contributing to the spread of the virus. As few as half of the children in some parts of London have received both doses of the MMR vaccine. The total number of confirmed cases in England since October has surpassed 500.
Health experts are calling for urgent action to prevent further measles outbreaks in the UK, particularly in the West Midlands where cases have been rapidly rising since October. Around 80% of cases have been seen in Birmingham, with about 10% in Coventry, predominantly affecting children under 10. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is urging more people to get vaccinated, stating that increased uptake of the MMR vaccine is necessary to stop the spread of the potentially deadly virus. Dame Professor Jenny Harries, the chief executive of UKHSA, highlights the risk of the virus spreading to other areas with low vaccine uptake.
Measles outbreaks are increasing in England, particularly in the West Midlands, with the highest number of cases since the 1990s. Health officials are urging people to get vaccinated, as the uptake of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is at its lowest point in over a decade. Measles is highly contagious and can lead to serious problems such as pneumonia, meningitis, blindness, and fits. Babies, small children, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems are at higher risk. The MMR vaccine is the best way to prevent measles.
New data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reveals that three-quarters of measles cases reported in England since October have been in the West Midlands. The region had 260 out of 347 cases, with 13% of cases in London and 7% in Yorkshire and the Humber. The majority of cases (67%) were in children under the age of 10. MMR vaccine coverage has been falling for the last decade, putting unvaccinated children at risk. Measles is a preventable illness with symptoms including fever, rash, coughing, and sneezing. Complications can include pneumonia, meningitis, blindness, and seizures.
The NHS is encouraging 900,000 adults aged 19-25 in the UK to get their measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine following a spike in measles cases, with 733 cases reported in England since October. Vaccine coverage is at its lowest in over a decade at 85% for youngsters receiving both doses. The drop in vaccination rates began in the late 1990s after a false link between the MMR jab and autism was reported in 1998.
The MMR vaccine is a vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles), abbreviated as MMR. The first dose is generally given to children around 9 months to 15 months of age, with a second dose at 15 months to 6 years of age, with at least four weeks between the doses. After two doses, 97% of people are protected against measles, 88% against mumps, and at least 97% against rubella. The vaccine is also recommended for those who do not have evidence of immunity, those with well-controlled HIV/AIDS, and within 72 hours of exposure to measles among those who are incompletely immunized. It is given by injection.The MMR vaccine is widely used around the world. Worldwide over 500 million doses were administered between 1999 and 2004, and 575 million doses have been administered since the vaccine's introduction worldwide. Measles resulted in 2.6 million deaths per year before immunization became common. This has decreased to 122,000 deaths per year as of 2012, mostly in low-income countries. Through vaccination, as of 2018, rates of measles in North and South America are very low. Rates of disease have been seen to increase in populations that go unvaccinated. Between 2000 and 2018, vaccination decreased measles deaths by 73%.Side effects of immunization are generally mild and resolve without any specific treatment. These may include fever, as well as pain or redness at the injection site. Severe allergic reactions occur in about one in a million people. Because it contains live viruses, the MMR vaccine is not recommended during pregnancy but may be given while breastfeeding. The vaccine is safe to give at the same time as other vaccines. Being recently immunized does not increase the risk of passing measles, mumps, or rubella on to others. There is no evidence of an association between MMR immunisation and autistic spectrum disorders. The MMR vaccine is a mixture of live weakened viruses of the three diseases.The MMR vaccine was developed by Maurice Hilleman. It was licensed for use in USA by Merck in 1971. Stand-alone measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines had been previously licensed in 1963, 1967, and 1969, respectively. Recommendations for a second dose were introduced in 1989. The MMRV vaccine, which also covers chickenpox, may be used instead. An MR vaccine, without coverage for mumps, is also occasionally used.
The CDC has reported more than 100 flu-associated pediatric deaths in the United States so far this season, along with 28 million illnesses, 310,000 hospitalizations, and 20,000 flu-related deaths. Over 10,000 patients were hospitalized with the flu in the latest week ending March 2. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get an annual flu vaccine.
Claims of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism have been extensively investigated and found to be false. The link was first suggested in the early 1990s and came to public notice largely as a result of the 1998 Lancet MMR autism fraud, characterised as "perhaps the most damaging medical hoax of the last 100 years". The fraudulent research paper, authored by discredited former doctor Andrew Wakefield and published in The Lancet, falsely claimed the vaccine was linked to colitis and autism spectrum disorders. The paper was retracted in 2010 but is still cited by anti-vaccine activists.The claims in the paper were widely reported, leading to a sharp drop in vaccination rates in the UK and Ireland. Promotion of the claimed link, which continues in anti-vaccination propaganda despite being refuted, has led to an increase in the incidence of measles and mumps, resulting in deaths and serious permanent injuries. Following the initial claims in 1998, multiple large epidemiological studies were undertaken. Reviews of the evidence by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Institute of Medicine of the US National Academy of Sciences, the UK National Health Service, and the Cochrane Library all found no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. Physicians, medical journals, and editors have described Wakefield's actions as fraudulent and tied them to epidemics and deaths.An investigation by journalist Brian Deer found that Wakefield, the author of the original research paper linking the vaccine to autism, had multiple undeclared conflicts of interest, had manipulated evidence, and had broken other ethical codes. The Lancet paper was partially retracted in 2004 and fully retracted in 2010, when Lancet's editor-in-chief Richard Horton described it as "utterly false" and said that the journal had been deceived. Wakefield was found guilty by the General Medical Council of serious professional misconduct in May 2010 and was struck off the Medical Register, meaning he could no longer practise as a physician in the UK. In January 2011, Deer published a series of reports in the British Medical Journal, which in a signed editorial stated of the journalist, "It has taken the diligent scepticism of one man, standing outside medicine and science, to show that the paper was in fact an elaborate fraud." The scientific consensus is that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism and that the vaccine's benefits greatly outweigh its potential risks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is closely monitoring the situation after dairy cows in 11 farms and a human dairy farmer in Texas were infected with avian flu. There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission, no genetic changes to the virus, and current tests and treatments are effective. The CDC and US government have been preparing for this for 20 years, with investments in testing, prevention, and treatment, including the capability to increase manufacturing of Tamiflu if needed.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.The agency's main goal is the protection of public health and safety through the control and prevention of disease, injury, and disability in the US and worldwide. The CDC focuses national attention on developing and applying disease control and prevention. It especially focuses its attention on infectious disease, food borne pathogens, environmental health, occupational safety and health, health promotion, injury prevention, and educational activities designed to improve the health of United States citizens. The CDC also conducts research and provides information on non-infectious diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, and is a founding member of the International Association of National Public Health Institutes.The CDC's current Director is Mandy Cohen who assumed office on July 10, 2023.
US health officials are on high alert as the bird flu virus H5N1 edges closer to infecting humans in the country, with only one human case reported in Texas so far. The CDC has urged state leaders to have operational plans in place for potential cases among farm workers. Cattle on 16 farms across seven states have tested positive for the virus, prompting testing and treatment protocols. The risk to the public remains low, but officials stress the importance of preparedness. Infected individuals are being treated with Tamiflu and closely monitored.
The CDC announced that Americans who test positive for Covid-19 no longer need to isolate for five days, can return to work if symptoms are mild and improving, and if they have been fever-free for at least one day. The new guidance also includes influenza and RSV. While the change reflects immunity from vaccination or past infections, precautions like limiting close contact, good hygiene, and mask-wearing in public are advised. Exemptions apply to nursing homes and healthcare settings. Some experts express concern about increased infection risks for vulnerable individuals.
The Lancet MMR autism fraud centered on the publication in February 1998 of a fraudulent research paper titled "Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children" in The Lancet. The paper, authored by now discredited and deregistered Andrew Wakefield, and twelve coauthors, falsely claimed causative links between the MMR vaccine and colitis and between colitis and autism. The fraud was exposed in a lengthy Sunday Times investigation by reporter Brian Deer, resulting in the paper's retraction in February 2010 and Wakefield being struck off the UK medical register three months later. Wakefield reportedly stood to earn up to $43 million per year selling diagnostic kits for a non-existent syndrome he claimed to have discovered. He also held a patent to a rival vaccine at the time, and he had been employed by a lawyer representing parents in lawsuits against vaccine producers.The scientific consensus on vaccines and autism is that there is no causal connection between MMR, or any other vaccine, and autism.
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