Canada recently lost its measles-free status after nearly 30 years, a direct result of declining childhood vaccination rates. This should be a red flag for the U. S. , which is also at risk of losing its measles-free status. However, the current climate is far from ordinary. Anti-vaccine and anti-science sentiments are becoming more entrenched, posing significant thr...
Measles is back with a vengeance in North America. Canada just lost its measles-free status after a big outbreak. Over 5, 000 people got sick, and sadly, two babies died. Health experts are worried the U. S. might be next. The World Health Organization has three levels for how well a country controls infectious diseases. "Controlled" means vaccines are working well....
Canada is back to square one in its fight against measles. After successfully eliminating the virus in 1998, the country has now lost its measles-free status. This means the virus is spreading on its own again, not just popping up from travelers. Experts from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) made this call after looking at the data. They found that measle...
Measles is back, and it's causing trouble in both Canada and the U. S. Canada recently lost its measles elimination status. This means the country has been struggling to control the spread of the virus for over a year. The outbreak started in New Brunswick and has since spread widely. Sadly, two babies who got measles before they were born didn't survive. Meanwhile,...
The flu is back, and it's not playing nice. After a tough flu season last year, health experts are keeping a close eye on things. In the U. K. , flu cases are popping up early, especially among kids and young adults. Over in Japan, the flu has hit so hard that schools have had to close. So, what does this mean for the U. S. ? Normally, flu cases start climbing in No...
A group of 15 Democratic governors has formed the Governors Public Health Alliance. Their goal? To put science back at the center of public health decisions. This isn't just about politics. It's about making sure people can trust the information they get about their health. For a while now, science has been treated like a political tool. Some leaders have ignored ex...
Measles is back and spreading fast across the United States. In Minnesota alone, there are now 20 confirmed cases, with three new infections just reported in Dakota County. The latest cases involve unvaccinated kids who likely caught the virus from an unvaccinated adult. This is part of a bigger problem. Since late August, the CDC has seen an average of 27 new measle...
The Americas might soon lose its measles-free status. This is because cases are popping up in Canada, Mexico, and the U. S. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is worried. To keep the measles-free title, these countries must have zero cases within a year. But time is running out. Vaccination rates are dropping. This is the main reason for the measles comebac...
Vaccination rates for kids are dropping in many parts of the United States. This is a big deal because it puts communities at risk. Experts say that to keep diseases from spreading, at least 95% of children should be vaccinated. But recent data shows that fewer than 4 in 10 counties meet this goal. This drop in vaccination rates is a concern. It means that more kids...
COVID-19 might not be as scary as it once was, but it's still around and causing trouble, especially during the summer. This year, a new subvariant named XFG, also called "Stratus, " is making its way through California, causing a rise in cases. Experts say this isn't surprising because COVID tends to spike twice a year, once in the late fall or early winter and agai...