California health departments are fighting to contain measles outbreaks as cases rise and resources shrink. Investigating communicable diseases is time-intensive and expensive. Officials say teams have about 72 hours after a positive case to find exposed people and stop spread. Nurses trace contacts, order quarantine, or give post-exposure medicine. They then monitor people for 21 days. Experts say measles spreads fast and hangs in the air for hours. California has high vaccination rates overall, but unvaccinated pockets drive outbreaks. The outbreaks are occurring as local health departments also face major funding cuts and staffing losses.
Wellness influencer and entrepreneur Dr. Casey Means shared a vision for addressing the root causes of chronic disease instead of what she calls "reactive sick care" during her confirmation hearing to become the next surgeon general. Wednesday's hearing in the Senate health committee was rescheduled from October, when Means went into labor the day she was set to appear. Means' message that dietary and lifestyle changes are needed to heal an ill and struggling nation aligns closely with that of her ally Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. But she also faced tough questions about topics that have become divisive in recent years, such as vaccines and hormonal birth control, as well as about her qualifications for the job.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is reshaping U.S. health policy as HHS secretary, and doctors say his changes are eroding trust. Survey results show Americans' confidence keeps sliding, not rising. Kennedy has cut vaccine guidance, dismissed advisers and pushed claims medical groups call unverified. Doctors warn this confusion leads people to skip shots. They say that raises the risk of outbreaks. Polls from KFF and Gallup show trust in the CDC falling across groups. HHS says Kennedy is adding transparency and accountability. Critics say he is doing the opposite.
By ALI SWENSON and LAURAN NEERGAARD Associated Press
The U.S. has taken the unprecedented step of dropping the number of vaccines it recommends for every child — leaving other immunizations, such as flu shots, open to families to choose but without clear guidance. Officials say the overhaul to the federal vaccine schedule, announced Monday, won't result in any families losing access or insurance coverage for vaccines, but medical experts are slamming the move, saying it could lead to reduced uptake of important vaccinations and increase disease.
A recent study of schoolchildren finds that the youngest students harbor the most germs. Researchers looked at nasal swabs and symptom reports of more than 800 students and staff in Kansas City, Missouri. Kids in pre-kindergarten and elementary school had the highest rates of virus detection compared with older students and staff. The pre-K kids, ages 3 to 5, had the highest rates of actual illness, too. Young children can have up to 10 respiratory viruses as their immune systems are introduced to different infections for the first time. Those viruses include colds, flu and more.
By MICHELLE R. SMITH and LAURA UNGAR Associated Press
More than 420 anti-science bills attacking longstanding public health protections — vaccines, milk safety and fluoride — have been introduced in statehouses across the U.S. this year. It's part of an organized, politically savvy campaign to enshrine a conspiracy theory-driven agenda into law. An Associated Press investigation found that the wave of legislation has cropped up in most states, pushed by people with close ties to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Around 30 have been enacted or adopted. The effort would strip away protections that have been built over a century and are integral to American lives and society.
By MIKE STOBBE and LAURAN NEERGAARD Associated Press
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new vaccine advisers added confusion Friday to this fall's COVID-19 vaccinations. For the first time since the shots were developed, the group has declined to recommend their use — instead leaving the choice up to those who want them. The Food and Drug Administration recently put new restrictions on this year's shots from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax, reserving them for people over 65 or younger ones at higher risk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisers declined to recommend that those people seek a shot but narrowly avoided urging states to require a prescrption for those who want one.
COVID-19 activity is rising in much of the country. Data shows overall respiratory virus spread is very low in the U.S. But COVID-19 is rising in most states, with more people of all ages going to emergency rooms because of it. The stratus variant is most common. It can cause a "razor blade" sore throat and is considered a "variant under monitoring" by the World Health Organization, but it is only marginally better at evading people's immune systems. Flu and RSV activity remain very low. Doctors say hot summer weather can drive people indoors where respiratory viruses like to spread.
