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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seemed to imply in recent days that the measles outbreak in western Texas was slowing down. In a post on X on Sunday, Kennedy remarked on the second death linked to the outbreak, which occurred in an unvaccinated school-aged child. About 10 minutes later, Kennedy edited the post to add that the curve has been flattening since early March, when he started sending in reinforcements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- supplying clinics with vaccines and other medications. (Kekatos, 4/8)

The measles outbreak in western Texas is continuing to grow, with 24 new cases confirmed over the last five days, according to data published Tuesday. Almost all of the cases are in unvaccinated individuals or in individuals whose vaccination status is unknown, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). (Kekatos, 4/8)

In Lubbock, measles exposure in a day care center has resulted in seven cases in children under the age of 5, Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock Public Health, said Tuesday. This is a particularly vulnerable community, as many of the children are not old enough to get their second dose of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. Under normal circumstances, the CDC recommends one dose of MMR between 12 to 15 months of age and another between 4 and 6 years. In outbreak situations, these guidelines may be updated. (Mukherjee, 4/8)

There are now three confirmed cases of measles in Colorado --  in Pueblo, Denver and Archuleta counties -- according to public health officials. All investigations are ongoing and are typically handled at the county level with support from the state. ... As for whether this constitutes an outbreak, Bob Belknap, the executive director of the public health institute at Denver Health, says it does not -- at least not yet. This is not currently an outbreak as we do not have evidence that the cases are linked. Per public health definition, an outbreak would be once Colorado has three or more related cases of measles, according to a spokesperson for the state. (Arenas, 4/8)

Â鶹ŮÓÅ Health News: Slashed Federal Funding Cancels Vaccine Clinics Amid Measles Surge

More than a dozen vaccination clinics were canceled in Pima County, Arizona. So was a media blitz to bring low-income children in Washoe County, Nevada, up to date on their shots. Planned clinics were also scuttled in Texas, Minnesota, and Washington, among other places. Immunization efforts across the country were upended after the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention abruptly canceled $11.4 billion in covid-related funds for state and local health departments in late March. (Sable-Smith, Zionts and Fortiér, 4/9)

A legal effort could upend a nearly 40-year program that compensates people who say they were injured by vaccines. ... The attempt by Rolf Hazlehurst, a Children’s Health Defense attorney whose son was diagnosed with autism in the early 2000s, hinges on fraud allegations he and then-CHD leader Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leveled at two Justice Department attorneys in 2018. Content published on the website of the anti-vaccine group has suggested that Hazlehurst only recently gathered enough evidence that was admissible in court. (Gardner and Lim 4/8)

Concern is growing among public health experts that anti-vaccine sentiment within federal and state governments may derail emerging and cutting-edge vaccines that are now awaiting regulatory approval in the United States – essentially leaving those vaccines in limbo. (Howard, 4/8)

Tracy Beth Høeg, MD, PhD, who was named a special assistant to new FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH, previously opposed some health policies during the COVID-19 pandemic and has questioned the use of some childhood vaccines. Recent research by Høeg, a sports medicine physician and epidemiologist, includes an examination of visitation restrictions for COVID patients, which showed that current data do not support a net benefit of such restrictions, and a study that found a lack of robust evidence of benefit for the use of face masks among children to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses, as well as potential harms. (Henderson, 4/8)

Five years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic first swept across the U.S., infecting millions and claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. Scientists are already concerned about the next airborne threat, but in the future, a powerful new weapon may be waiting in the wings. Far-UVC light is a form of ultraviolet light that can kill viruses and bacteria in the air without harming humans. Researchers say it could be instrumental in stopping the spread of illnesses like the flu and possibly future pandemics. (LaPook, 4/8)