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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging Americans to make sure they’re protected against measles before traveling to other countries this summer. Last week, the agency updated its travel guidance for the virus as cases pop up nationwide. Nearly all exposures at airports are linked to international travel. That includes six cases linked to a Turkish Airlines flight that landed at Denver International Airport on May 13. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said that four of the patients had been on the plane. (Edwards, 6/2)

Most counties in the United States have seen a decline in childhood measles, mumps and rubella vaccination rates over the last five years, according to a new report published Monday. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University looked at data from 2,066 counties across 33 states between 2019 and 2024. They found that 78% of the counties, or 1,614, reported a decrease in vaccination rates over that period. What's more, the average vaccination rate fell from 93.92% pre-pandemic to 91.26% post-pandemic, according to the report. This represents a decline of about 3%. (Kekatos and Pakanati, 6/2)

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on May 31 issued an epidemiological alert about a rise in pertussis cases in a number of countries in the Americas, which comes in the wake of a sustained decline in pertussis vaccine coverage that gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic period. The average global pertussis case total declined sharply during the pandemic, reaching a historical low in 2021. Since then, cases have been on a steady rise. (Schnirring, 6/2)

The Colorado Department of Public Health (CDPH) and their partners in El Paso and Arapahoe counties have reported three more measles cases linked to exposure at Denver International Airport and on a Turkish Airlines flight, raising the outbreak total to six. In a statement, the CDPH said the three new cases include two unrelated unvaccinated adults from El Paso County who were at the airport around the same time on May 14. (Schnirring, 6/2)

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said a multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to whole cucumbers has grown from 26 to 45 cases in the past 2 weeks. Three more states are now affected in the outbreak, raising the number of states reporting cases to 18. Illnesses started on dates ranging from April 2 to May 10, 2025. The investigation is ongoing. (Soucheray, 6/2)

Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia now allow cannabis use for medical reasons, and in 24 of those states, as well as Washington, recreational use is also legal. As older adults’ use climbs, “the benefits are still unclear,” Dr. Han said. “But we’re seeing more evidence of potential harms.” A wave of recent research points to reasons for concern for older users, with cannabis-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations rising, and a Canadian study finding an association between such acute care and subsequent dementia. (Span, 6/2)

Words that cautioned about the health effects of e-cigarettes increased beliefs in the harms associated with these tobacco products, a meta-analysis showed, supporting additional warnings beyond nicotine addiction. Text-only warnings of the health effects were associated with increased beliefs about the harm and addictiveness of e-cigarettes, an increased intention to quit, and other measures of risk perception versus control conditions, Seth Noar, PhD, of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and colleagues reported in JAMA Internal Medicine. (Phend, 6/2)

Gov. Greg Abbott is facing intense political pressure over a bill that would ban products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, as hemp industry leaders mount a full-court press urging the governor to veto the measure while Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and his allies urge Abbott to sign it into law. The issue has sparked backlash from both sides of the aisle, including from conservatives ordinarily supportive of Patrick’s hardline agenda. An April statewide survey by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin found that 55% of Republicans believe Texas’ marijuana and cannabis laws should be less strict or left as they are now, compared to 40% who said they should be stricter. (Scherer and Serrano, 6/2)

The doctor is in — the mailbox, that is. You can now do self-administered tests for everything from thyroid function to HIV in the privacy of your own home — and that list continues to grow, as the Food and Drug Administration recently approved the first at-home cervical cancer test. While the tests can make it easier for people to access health care and can be helpful for those who have extreme anxiety about sensitive or invasive medical exams, experts warn that most of the tests cannot replace an actual in-person visit. (Bose, 6/2)

A Texas bill on the verge of becoming law would require labels on packaged food from Skittles to Mountain Dew that warn about ingredients “not recommended for human consumption” by other countries. Texas Senate Bill 25, backed by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is now awaiting the signature of Gov. Greg Abbott. Foods containing certain ingredients would require warning labels on new packaging beginning in 2027 in order to be sold in Texas, which is the second-most populous US state with 31 million residents. (Kubzansky and Cohrs Zhang, 6/3)