Measles cases continue to spread as RKF Jr. slashes public health staff

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Kansas has joined Texas in the ongoing measles outbreak, with 23 confirmed cases across six counties. Of those cases, 20 are in unvaccinated patients, and all but two are children.

On March 13, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment confirmed the state’s first measles case since 2018.

The Texas outbreak, now at 327 confirmed cases across 15 counties, has spread into New Mexico, where officials report 43 confirmed cases.

The Kansas cases “have a possible link to the outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico,” according to the Kansas health department.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/3/28/2312958/-Measles-cases-continue-to-spread-as-RKF-Jr-slashes-public-health-staff

[struggle4progress]

1. CDC Buried a Measles Forecast That Stressed the Need for Vaccinations

by Patricia Callahan
March 28, 2025, 4:35 p.m. EDT

Leaders at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered staff this week not to release their experts’ assessment that found the risk of catching measles is high in areas near outbreaks where vaccination rates are lagging, according to internal records reviewed by ProPublica.

In an aborted plan to roll out the news, the agency would have emphasized the importance of vaccinating people against the highly contagious and potentially deadly disease that has spread to 19 states, the records show ...

https://www.propublica.org/article/measles-vaccine-rfk-cdc-report

[struggle4progress]

2. Measles outbreak worsens as TX, NM cases rise 20% in 3 days

By Reuters
March 28, 20256:33 PM EDT
Updated 21 hours ago

March 28 (Reuters) - Texas and New Mexico health departments said on Friday that the number of measles cases in their states rose 20% since their last reports three days ago, as experts warn they expect the outbreak to further spread in coming weeks.

Texas now has 400 cases, the Texas Department of State Health Services said, 270 of which were in Gaines County, where the current measles outbreak started. Texas has reported two deaths from measles since this outbreak began ...

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/measles-outbreak-worsens-texas-new-mexico-cases-rise-20-3-days-2025-03-28/

[struggle4progress]

3. TX adds 73 new measles cases, outbreak now spans 5 states

Texas state health officials said Friday there were 73 new cases of measles since Tuesday
By Devi Shastri | The Associated Press • Published March 28, 2025 • Updated on March 28, 2025 at 2:49 pm

As of Friday, at least five states had active measles outbreaks, and Texas had the largest, with 400 cases.

The U.S. has already had more measles cases this year than in all of 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Other states with outbreaks — defined as three or more cases — include New Mexico, Kansas, Ohio and Oklahoma. Since February, two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes.

The new outbreaks confirm health experts' fears that the virus will take hold in other U.S. communities with low vaccination rates and that the spread could last a year. The World Health Organization said this week that cases in Mexico are linked to the Texas outbreak ...

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/texas-adds-73-new-measles-cases-this-week-outbreak-now-spans-5-states/3803339/

[leftyladyfrommo]

4. Sounds like that horse is out of the barn

and off and running.