U.S. Measles Outbreaks Grow Amid Federal Funding Cuts, RFK Jr. Mixed Messaging on Vaccines

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

 

Health Security Decoded

Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security

 

April 17, 2025

 

As of last week, the United States had recorded more than 700 measles cases, with 93% of cases being related to outbreaks of at least three or more related cases. As of today, the Center for Outbreak Response Innovation (CORI) is reporting 772 cases in 24 states so far this year, with two confirmed deaths and one under investigation. The largest outbreak, centered in western Texas, continues to grow, with 569 cases. Notably, however, many experts, including those with CDC, believe the actual case count is much higher, with many cases either not reported or underreported. A CDC senior scientist this week said the pullback of federal pandemic funding from states has hurt responses, especially in Texas, where CDC is “scraping to find the resources and personnel needed to provide support.”

 

Confusing vaccine messaging

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s inconsistent and unclear statements about measles vaccination also are hampering outbreak control efforts, as well as drawing criticism from infectious disease and vaccine experts. While Secretary Kennedy recently endorsed the vaccine as the best way to prevent the disease, which it is, he continues to amplify unfounded claims about its safety and effectiveness, repeating incorrectly that the shot’s protection wanes rapidly (for most people, two doses provide lifelong protection) and causes illnesses similar to measles itself. He also has downplayed the seriousness of measles in the U.S.   Secretary Kennedy’s mixed messaging emboldens vaccine skeptics and undermines trust in vaccination as measles cases rise nationwide.

 

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Health-Security-Decoded---April-17--2025.html?soid=1107826135286&aid=92m1L77mL2Q

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

RFK Jr. claims 'leaky' measles vaccine wanes over time. Scientists say he's wrong

 

 April 16, 2025

 

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the measles vaccine is "leaky" because its effectiveness wanes over time, something medical experts dispute. ... Kennedy suggested the vaccine effectiveness wanes at a rate of nearly 5% a year – an assertion not backed by scientists.

...

"People get measles because they don't vaccinate," Kennedy said Tuesday during a press conference. "They get measles because the vaccine wanes. The vaccines wane about 4.8% per year ... So, you know, it's a leaky vaccine, and that problem is always going to be around."

...

Scientists disputed Kennedy's claim that the measles vaccine's effectiveness wanes over time.
"He's dead wrong," said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "The measles vaccine protects you for the rest of your life. The notion that it's a leaky vaccine is dead wrong."

 

(more)

 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2025/04/15/rfk-jr-measles-vaccine-leaky-claims/83099634007/ 

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

US measles total climbs to 800 cases, 10 outbreaks

April 19, 2025

 

Amid a rising number of outbreaks, including a large one centered in West Texas, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its weekly update reported 88 more measles cases, pushing the national total to 800.

 

The pace of activity in the first 4 months of the year is well on track to pass the 2019 total of 1,274 cases, which was the most since the United States officially eliminated the virus in 2000.

...

Half of all US states have reported cases, some of which are linked to international travel. Among illnesses reported so far, 96% of patients were unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status. So far, 85 patients (11%) were hospitalized, with the number of deaths remaining at 3. [emphasis added]

 

(more)

 

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/measles/us-measles-total-climbs-800-cases-10-outbreaks

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Measles Was ‘Eliminated’ in the U.S. in 2000. The Current Outbreak May Change That

The U.S. formally eliminated measles in 2000 thanks to widespread vaccination, but public health experts fear the current growing outbreak of the disease may allow it to reclaim its hold

 

April 10, 2025

 

...

As efforts to contain these outbreaks sputter and spread of infections stretches into nearly three months, public health experts fear measles—a disease that was virtually eliminated nationally for a quarter-century—may soon officially reclaim a hold on the U.S.

 

Peter Marks, a leading vaccine official who recently resigned from his position as director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, recently told NBC News, “I think we’re well on our way” to losing the country’s measles elimination status—a long-standing public health achievement that was largely accomplished through the widespread distribution of MMR vaccines.

...

What’s the Possibility that the U.S. Loses Elimination Status?

Given measles’ high contagiousness, Orenstein says, “uniformly” high immunity is extremely important in preventing spread. Even small dips in population immunity (also called “herd immunity”) among small pockets of unvaccinated people can spur outbreaks—and can do so even if the overall state or country’s vaccination rate is relatively high. With these threats and dropping immunization coverage, we may have enough susceptibles to eliminate our elimination status” for measles, Orenstein says.

 

(more)

 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/measles-outbreak-in-u-s-may-undo-formal-elimination-status/

 

 

 

[rattlesnake]

Nice solo echo chamber you have here… Try posting it outside your safe space, i.e. in the "Off the beaten track" section, which is not censored.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, rattlesnake said:

Nice solo echo chamber you have here… Try posting it outside your safe space, i.e. in the "Off the beaten track" section, which is not censored.

 

This IS in the Off the Beaten Track section, in its subforum for COVID & vaccine topics:

 

 

And re your comment above, nothing here is "censored" anymore, as clearly evidenced by the tons of anti-vax nonsense from non-credible or even flatly no sources that regularly gets posted here with no adverse action taken.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Half of all US states have reported cases, some of which are linked to international travel. Among illnesses reported so far, 96% of patients were unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status. So far, 85 patients (11%) were hospitalized, with the number of deaths remaining at 3. [emphasis added]

 

 

1 hour ago, rattlesnake said:

 

 

You mean, you don't want to comment about this 96% rate above???  

 

[rattlesnake]

6 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

This IS in the Off the Beaten Track section, in its subforum for COVID & vaccine topics:

 

 

And re your comment above, nothing here is "censored" anymore, as clearly evidenced by the tons of anti-vax nonsense from non-credible or even flatly no sources that regularly gets posted here with no adverse action taken.

 

 

My apologies.

[rattlesnake]

4 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

 

 

You mean, you don't want to comment about this 96% rate above???  

 

 

I said this yesterday in another thread, this is a weak case to make from a pro-vax perspective. Three deaths is statistically insignificant (and one of the children reported as having died of measles actually died of medical malpractice), and "… or have unknown vaccination status" means, quite literally, that we don't know whether they were vaxxed or not. So far, this outbreak does not differ from trends observed throughout time.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

U.S. on track for worst measles season since 2019

 

"The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) today reported 27 more measles cases, pushing the number of cases in a large outbreak in West Texas to 624, as neighboring states also reported more related illnesses.

 

The steady rise in cases puts the nation on track for the worst year since 2019, fueled by 10 outbreaks and rising numbers of travel-linked cases, part of a global surge in measles activity.

...

Of the state’s cases, 602 were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status. So far, 64 people have been hospitalized, and the number of deaths remains at two. [emphasis added]

 

(more)

 

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/measles/texas-measles-total-tops-600-cases