Health Care
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Health Care
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Measles oubreak sickens dozens in Texas, New Mexico |
An outbreak of measles is wreaking havoc in the South Plains region of Texas and New Mexico, where nearly 100 children have been confirmed to be infected. |
Texas physicians say the current situation was “inevitable” due to the low rates of vaccination among the largely Mennonite community. Ninety cases have been recorded in Texas, while at least nine were recorded in New Mexico as of Thursday, all in Lea County, which borders the South Plains region. Out of those infected, the overwhelming majority are children. As of Monday, the Texas Department of State Health Services said multiple health departments in Central and South Central Texas recently reported measles exposures associated with the ongoing outbreak in the South Plains region of Texas.
Five of the cases are vaccinated while the rest are not. The department has stated there are likely more measles cases that have yet to be confirmed due to the highly contagious nature of the virus.
The outbreak comes as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading vaccine skeptic, takes over the Department of Health and Human Services, spurring fears he will further fuel vaccine skepticism, an issue already politicized by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The South Plains region is home to an insular community of Mennonites, a conservative Christian sect dating back to 15th century, among whom vaccinations are not as popular as in the general population.
Linda Yancey, an infectious disease specialist at the Memorial Hermann Health System in Texas, said the current situation was “inevitable” since anything shy of the ideal vaccination rate leaves communities vulnerable. The ideal coverage for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations is 95 percent. “Once a community falls below that 95 percent protection rate, it is like dry kindling just waiting for that first spark,” Yancey said.
The vaccination rate in Gaines County, the epicenter of the Texas outbreak, is closer to 80 percent. About 91 percent of Texas children born in 2020 have received at least one dose of the MMR vaccination, according to state data. |
Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel, Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.
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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: |
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Former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said he is “very concerned” about the measles outbreak in Texas spreading. Gottlieb joined CBS News’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday, where he was asked by host Margaret Brennan about the outbreak in the South Plains region of Texas, which has left many children infected. He noted that he believes it “will spread.” “There’s been 100 cases that have … |
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The former head of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) drug division is joining Pfizer as its chief medical officer, the company announced Monday. Patrizia Cavazzoni was formerly director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) from 2020 until January, when she resigned just ahead of President Trump’s return to office. Cavazzoni previously worked at Pfizer prior to joining the FDA in 2018. … |
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The Supreme Court on Monday scheduled arguments for April 21 in a case that could decide the legality of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) requirement that insurers cover certain preventive services. In a surprising move, the Trump administration said it will continue the Biden White House’s defense of that requirement. But some legal experts said the arguments being presented by the Justice Department indicate a desire … |
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JUST ANNOUNCED: Health Next Summit | Wednesday, March 26 | 8:15 a.m. - noon ET | Washington, D.C. & streaming nationwide The first installment of The Hill's Health Next Summit will be held on March 26 as we deliver insights on President Trump's health care policies and agenda. Speakers include:
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Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: |
- The House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee will hold a hearing Wednesday examining PBM business practices.
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Branch out with a different read: |
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DOGE cuts at health agencies prompt ‘brain drain’ fears |
The Trump administration’s effort to reshape the federal government through Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is raising fears among public health experts, researchers and advocacy groups of a massive brain drain and dire impacts to public health. Termination letters hit the inboxes of thousands of workers across health agencies in just the past week as the administration took a sledgehammer … |
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Local and state headlines on health care: |
- Critics accuse North Carolina-based hospital network of ‘double dipping’ on sales tax refunds (North Carolina Health News)
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Missouri lawmaker proposes registry of pregnant women ‘at risk’ for abortions (The Guardian)
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Lawsuit against Amazon provides first test of Washington’s health data privacy law (Washington State Standard)
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Health news we've flagged from other outlets: |
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Shakes sold to nursing homes recalled after deadly listeria outbreak (The New York Times)
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A small study on COVID vaccine safety sparks and online tempest (Stat)
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Trump froze out Project 2025 in his campaign. Now its blueprint is his healthcare playbook (KFF Health News)
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Most read stories on The Hill right now: |
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The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) informed agency leaders that employee response to an email asking for a recap of what they accomplished last … Read more
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Democrats are anxious to rebuild their party on the heels of President Trump’s victory in November. But they have a major problem as they try … Read more |
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Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: |
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You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! |
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Texas reported 90 cases this week, while New Mexico reported nine. A majority of the cases have been in a Texas county where vaccination rates have lagged behind the rest of the state.
The New York Times - 2d
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Texas authorities reported a surge in cases since January in communities with low vaccination rates.
BBC News - 2d
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CBS News medical contributor, Dr. Celine Gounder, joins "CBS Mornings" to discuss the latest in a measles outbreak in the U.S. that has grown to nearly 100 cases. Most cases are in Texas, which is ...
CBS News - 12h
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The virus has spread in areas with low vaccination rates, and most of those affected are minors.
Wired - 8h
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Health officials say a measles outbreak in West Texas is growing because of low vaccine rates and undetected infections.
CBS News - 3d
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An outbreak of measles is wreaking havoc in the South Plains region of Texas where nearly 60 children have been confirmed to be infected so far. Physicians in the state say the current situation ...
The Hill - 3d
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Epicenter of latest outbreak had one of state’s highest immunization exemption rates for 2023-24 school year. The measles outbreak in Texas has grown to at least 90 cases, reaching historic ...
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