US Health Secretary and long-standing anti-vaccine advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing criticism for his equivocal response to the raging measles outbreak in West Texas, which as of Tuesday has grown to 159 cases, with 22 hospitalizations and one child death.
As measles spreads in West Texas, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promoted cod liver oil and the antibiotic clarithromycin -- but did not urge vaccination, despite experts warning the measles vaccine is the best protection. #medsky www.nytimes.com/2025/03/04/h ...
-- Ricardo Lundi, DPM (@doctorlundi.medsky.social) March 5, 2025 at 10:37 AM
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Thats it? In 2019 there were 1200+, I don't recall anyone caring then?
#5 | Posted by oneironaut
The 2019 U.S. Measles outbreaks: A public health crisiswww.texaschildrens.org
In recent decades, many public health experts warned that the widespread protection from vaccine-preventable diseases we achieved in the U.S. was under threat. As parental vaccine hesitancy increased and unvaccinated individuals clustered geographically, experts believed these trends were creating an untenable situation in the U.S. which would eventually result in the reemergence of vaccine-preventable diseases.
This is precisely what occurred this year--89% of the measles cases in 2019 were in individuals who were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccine status. Sadly, as a result, we as a nation lost the critical protection afforded to us through herd immunity " the protection that occurs when enough of a community is vaccinated to interrupt disease transmission. Herd immunity is especially important for measles, a disease so highly contagious that the virus can live for up to two hours in an airspace where an infected individual was and for which vaccination levels must remain extremely high.
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health departments across the U.S. fought to get measles under control and prevent the U.S. from losing its measles elimination status, we at Texas Children's Hospital knew we had a job to do. We needed to make parents aware of the risk measles poses to the U.S. After all, most parents, myself included, have never experienced measles. We have no memory of its painful reality. As a result, some parents fail to understand and appreciate the impact measles can have on our children and communities. Such complacency and failure to vaccinate allowed measles to take a foothold in our country and it could do so again if we don't learn from our mistakes and ensure we vaccinate our children, on time, every time.
From Texas Children's Hospital this week:
Protect Your Child from Measleswww.texaschildrens.org
03/04/2025
Why does my child need protection against measles?
Measles is a highly contagious virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours. It is so contagious that up to 9 out of 10 people will be infected if unprotected and exposed to the virus.
About 1 out of every 3 people who catch measles will develop a complication. The most common complications are ear infections and diarrhea, but more serious complications like pneumonia and encephalitis (swelling of the brain due to infection), or even death can occur due to measles.
Nearly 1 out of every 5 people who catch measles ends up in the hospital. Measles can be especially dangerous in infants and young children, as well as persons with weakened immune systems. They may need to be hospitalized to receive oxygen or mechanical ventilation due to difficulty breathing or IV fluids due to severe dehydration.
"Didn't happen. A cap of 15% for indirect costs was imposed on universities, which is the same cap already imposed on private sector research."
You are lying, in two ways.
First, that 15% cut is the cut I am referring to.
Second, the only reason the cut didn't happen is because a Federal judge blocked it, for the time being.
You really want cuts to cancer and other valuable medical research, so bad that you'll lie about it. What the hell happened to you?
Temporary Restraining Order Issued Blocking NIH 15% Cap on Indirect Costs
apnews.com
@#34 ... I just don't understand people that refuse to get them. ...
Well, for starters, Sec Kennedy has made lots of money by advocating against vaccinations.
Warren pushes Kennedy on his financial gain from vaccine lawsuits
www.politico.com
... "You won't go to work for a drug company after you leave HHS, but you and I both know there's another way to make money," Warren said. ...
Kennedy has also made millions advocating against vaccinations through books and his nonprofit Children's Health Defense, from which he resigned late last year. According to public tax filings from December 2023, Michael Baum, senior partner at Wisner Baum, is also on the board of Children's Health Defense.
The nominee still expects millions from book deals, including a book titled "Unsettled Science." ...
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