Health authorities in Texas and New Mexico have reported a significant rise in measles infections, with the combined total now reaching 228 cases. The outbreak, which began in West Texas in late January, has resulted in the first measles deaths in a decade in the United States.
In Texas, state health officials confirmed that measles cases have increased to 198, marking a jump of 39 cases. Gaines County, one of the hardest-hit areas, now accounts for 137 infections following the addition of 30 new cases. A week ago, Texas also reported the death of an unvaccinated child with no underlying health conditions.
New Mexico saw a sharp rise in cases as well, with numbers increasing from 10 on Thursday to 30 on Friday. In the state, an adult measles-related death has been confirmed, with medical examiners still investigating the case. This marks the first death attributed to measles in New Mexico.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health alert urging physicians to remain vigilant for symptoms such as fever and rash. The agency reiterated that robust immunization programs, particularly the administration of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, remain the most effective tools for preventing measles. The CDC recommends that all U.S. residents born after 1957 should either be vaccinated or have documented immunity from laboratory confirmation of the disease.
The outbreak presents a challenging scenario for U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been a prominent vaccine skeptic. During a recent cabinet meeting, Kennedy downplayed the significance of the measles deaths, describing such outbreaks as ordinary, though he later emphasized the importance of vaccination in an opinion piece published on Fox News. Kennedy also noted that vitamin A supplements, which have been sent by the CDC, can help ease symptoms in individuals who are malnourished or vitamin A deficient.
In response to the growing outbreak, U.S. Representatives Frank Pallone (New Jersey), Diana DeGette (Colorado), and Yvette Clarke (New York) have called for a congressional oversight hearing to examine the rapid spread of measles and the response efforts.
As health officials continue to monitor the situation, they stress the importance of vaccination and prompt reporting of symptoms to contain the spread of the disease.
The Oligarch’s Design is an investigative documentary that examines how financial power, political influence, and carefully constructed narratives c...
Football superstar Lionel Messi has arrived in India to kick off his highly anticipated GOAT India Tour 2025, a three-day, four-city visit running fro...
The upcoming meeting in Berlin between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and European officials is set to focus on ...
A flash of light followed by the sound of an explosion was observed over Gaza early on Saturday, according to witnesses, as severe winter storms worse...
Hundreds of people gathered for a second consecutive week at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, on Friday (12 December), to support the family of Master Sg...
Tesla CEO Elon Musk won shareholder approval on Thursday for the largest corporate pay package in history as investors endorsed his vision of morphing the electric vehicle (EV) maker into an artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics juggernaut.
SpaceX launched its 11th Starship from Texas on 13 October, landing in the Indian Ocean ahead of testing an upgraded version for future moon and Mars missions.
A small plane crashed near Hicks Airfield in Tarrant County, Texas, on Sunday afternoon, hitting several parked trucks and trailers and sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky, authorities said.
A manhunt is underway in suburban Houston after a gunman opened fire at a local bar early Sunday, killing one person and injuring five others, police said.
Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
Iran is preparing to host a multilateral regional meeting next week in a bid to mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
The resignation of Bulgaria's government on Thursday (11 December) puts an end to an increasingly unpopular coalition but is likely to usher in a period of prolonged political instability on the eve of the Black Sea nation's entry into the euro zone.
An extratropical cyclone has caused widespread disruption across Brazil’s São Paulo state, with powerful winds toppling trees and power lines, blocking streets and leaving large parts of the region without electricity.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Thursday that he still hopes the U.S. administration will reconsider its decision to withdraw from the organisation next month, warning that its exit would be a loss for the world.
The United States has signed significant health cooperation agreements with Uganda and Lesotho, further strengthening bilateral relations and advancing global health initiatives, the U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday.
A viral claim circulating online that Denmark requires sperm donors to have an IQ of at least 85 is misleading. While one Danish sperm bank, Donor Network, does use an IQ threshold, there is no nationwide legal requirement for donors to meet a specific level of intelligence.
Chinese scientists have unveiled a new gene-editing therapy that they say could lead to a functional cure for HIV, making it one of the most promising developments in decades of global research.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has declared the end of a 16th Ebola outbreak, closing a two month emergency in Kasai Province that pushed national and international teams into an intensive response.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment