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.
Egypt is conducting intensive diplomatic contacts with Arab, Islamic, and regional partners ahead of the emergency Arab-Islamic summit in Doha on Mond...
The Turkic States Organization (TSO) will soon send its flag into space, the organisation’s Secretary-General Kubanychbek Omuraliev has announced....
Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has stated that once the final signatures are placed on the peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the n...
Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economy, Mikayil Jabbarov, met with Marco Arcelli, Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power....
Japanese Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter Princess Akito met survivors of the atomic bombing at a nursing care facility in Nagasaki...
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.
Texas Republicans approved a Trump-backed congressional map aimed at flipping five Democratic-held U.S. House seats, ending a two-week Democratic walkout that temporarily blocked the measure.
FBI Director Kash Patel has approved his request for the bureau to assist in locating Texas Democrats who fled the state to block a GOP-backed mid-decade redistricting plan, though no agents have yet been deployed, according to Senator John Cornyn on 7 August.
Texas House Republicans on Monday issued civil arrest warrants for more than 50 Democratic representatives who slipped across state lines to deny the chamber a quorum for debating new redistricting maps, thrusting the legislature into its second walk-out crisis in four years.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Music mega-star Taylor Swift and National Football League player Travis Kelce announced their engagement. “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married," the couple wrote in a joint Instagram post, alongside photos of Kelce proposing to Swift in a garden of pink and white flowers.
Japan has reached a record 99,763 centenarians as of September 1, with women accounting for roughly 88 percent, marking the 55th consecutive year the country has hit this milestone.
The World Health Organization has added GLP-1 drugs to treat diabetes to its essential medicines list, alongside treatments for cystic fibrosis and cancer, and said it hopes this will improve global access to the costly drugs.
Zambia has formalised a strategic partnership with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) to bolster domestic vaccine manufacturing capacity, the Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI) announced on Friday.
Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome was airlifted to hospital in Toulon after suffering a training crash which left him with broken ribs, a collapsed lung and a back fracture, his team Israel-Premier Tech said on Thursday (August 28).
Bulgaria reported outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza on three farms in the southern part of the country, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Monday, as Europe faces a seasonal upturn in the deadly disease.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment