Fully Vaccinated School in Houston Closes Due to Pertussis Outbreak
A Catholic high school in Houston, Texas closed early for the Christmas holidays due to seven confirmed cases of pertussis (whooping cough). St. Theresa Catholic School cancelled all classes and activities on Dec. 12, 2019 due to the outbreak. The school will re-open on Jan. 6, 2020.1 2 The first case of pertussis at St. […]
Autism Rate in New Jersey Up 43 Percent
A study by Rutgers University has found that the rate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) four-year-old children in New Jersey rose by 43 percent from 2010 to 2014, to an estimated rate of 1 in 35 children—the highest of any state in the United States. According to the research, which was published earlier this year […]
Higher Humidity in Buildings Can Help Lower Infections
Harvard Medical School graduate and pediatric oncologist Stephanie Taylor, MD once took care of children with cancer at a teaching hospital. She wondered why many of her young patients contracted infections, such as influenza, despite the hospital’s heavy emphasis on prevention. Taylor began to suspect increased susceptibility to contracting infections might have something to do […]
Samoa Measles Emergency Extended
On Dec. 20, 2019, the government of Samoa announced that 94 percent of the island nation’s population of about 200,000 people had been vaccinated against measles as part of a government-led mandatory, mass vaccination campaign. As of Dec. 20, the Samoan Ministry of Health (MOH) had confirmed 5,463 reported cases with 1,762 hospitalizations and 78 […]
Indonesia: Measles, Chickenpox Kill Dozens of Children
Asmat tribe in Papua. Barely alive. Their bodies exhausted and weak from hunger and disease. Undernourished, they’re battling against outbreaks of measles and chickenpox. Military medical teams have arrived in some remote areas. Maria Epam and her husband Linus had to travel for five hours and their six-month-old daughter would not survive. Our daughter has […]
Measles in Samoa: Why are So Many Dying?
A total of 72 people have died in Samoa during the current outbreak of measles there that began in mid-October. Most of the deaths have involved children under five years of age. U.S. and global media outlets have been following this story closely, providing regular updates on the number of people in Samoa who have […]