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A South Florida congresswoman is calling for the state’s controversial surgeon general to be ousted over his handling of a measles outbreak in Broward County. Dr. Joseph Ladapo, known for his outspoken skepticism toward the COVID-19 vaccine, sent a letter last week to parents at Manatee Bay Elementary School in Weston where seven students have contracted measles — but refused to declare a public health emergency. A total of nine people in Broward have so far been confirmed with the highly contagious and potentially deadly virus, according to state health officials. (Albert, 2/27)

Seven measles cases have now been linked to an outbreak at Manatee Bay Elementary in Weston, Florida, the Broward County schools superintendent said Tuesday. The Florida Department of Health is reporting 10 cases statewide. The additional cases were reported as lawmakers and health officials from across the country are calling for parents and state officials to take additional steps to protect students. Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo wrote in a letter last week that the health department is “deferring to parents or guardians to make decisions about school attendance” during the outbreak. (Musa, 2/27)

A measles outbreak in a Florida school reveals the chilling effect of the state's turn against public health. (Rivkees, 2/27)

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health officially announced the end of the citywide measles outbreak that spiked between December 2023 and January 2024 on Tuesday. The outbreak impacted nine people, eight of whom -- two adults and six children -- were from Philadelphia. Health Department officials said six of the positive Philadelphia cases were hospitalized at one point but have since been released. (MacAulay, 2/27)

More than a dozen children have died from the flu this season across New York and New Jersey.New York health officials say 11 children have died from the flu. Their ages have not been released. New Jersey reports two child influenza deaths. The victims were between the ages of 5 and 17 years old, and one had significant health conditions. Health officials urge people to get their flu shots, if they haven't already. (2/27)

Norovirus, the highly contagious illness that causes vomiting and diarrhea, has surged in the Northeast region of the United States in the past few weeks, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC statistics show that food is the most common transmission vehicle for noroviruses. While surveillance data show an increase in positive test results nationwide—as is typical for norovirus during the winter months—northeastern states have been hit especially hard, with a three-week average of 13.7 percent for positive norovirus tests. Those tests have held above a 10 percent positive rate since December 2023. (2/27)

An unprecedented shortage of cholera vaccine has public health experts fearing that a recent surge of outbreaks across developing countries will only worsen, a situation they argue is as regrettable as it was avoidable. (Merelli, 2/27)

Gay and bisexual men are using condoms less than ever, and the decline has been particularly steep among those who are young or Hispanic, according to a new study. The worrisome trend points to an urgent need for better prevention strategies as the nation struggles to beat the H.I.V. epidemic, researchers said. Over the past decade, prevention medication known as PrEP has helped fuel a moderate drop in H.I.V. rates. And yet, despite persistent public health campaigns promoting the drugs, they have not been adopted in substantial numbers by Black and Hispanic men who are gay or bisexual. (Ryan, 2/27)