Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
More Than Half Of Pennsylvania Counties Report Measles As Case Count Tops 900
At least 13 new measles cases have been confirmed in Pennsylvania since Friday, bringing the total so far this year to 903, according to Monday's update from the state health department. Cases have been recorded in 39 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties. At least 176 people have been hospitalized, and four measles-associated deaths have been reported, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) said. (Kekatos, 9/28)
The Kentucky Department for Public Health confirmed a large increase in measles cases in the commonwealth on Monday. The number of confirmed cases now stands at 82, up from 67 on Friday, after cases were confirmed in Christian and Trigg Counties. (9/28)
Parents who decline to vaccinate their children have been called selfish and stupid. They’ve even been accused of child abuse. But what if they’re actually acting logically? That’s the conclusion of Jennifer Reich, a sociologist at the University of Colorado, who has spent the better part of two decades studying these families’ immunization decisions. (Florko, 9/29)
On E. coli, covid, HPV, and Ebola —
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli infections linked to Graziers raw (unpasteurized) milk cheeses sold by Sierra Nevada Cheese Company of Willows, California. So far 13 cases in nine states have been identified, with eight patients hospitalized, including three with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). No deaths have been reported. HUS is one of the more severe outcomes of E coli infections and can cause acute kidney failure. Over half of the case-patients are under the age of 5 years. (Soucheray, 9/28)
More than one in 10 US adults reported that a preexisting health condition or concern got worse following a COVID-19 infection, according to a survey published last week on the preprint server medRxiv. Participants who reported worsening preexisting conditions also said they experienced challenges managing symptoms, completing daily activities, and accessing care. Long COVID is often described as new-onset symptoms that follow a COVID infection, but the condition also includes exacerbation of preexisting conditions. (Bergeson, 9/28)
Preteens may soon have something to celebrate: Medical experts are discussing the possibility that one dose of a life-saving cancer vaccine, instead of two, may be enough to protect them. U.S. vaccination recommendations have become splintered in the past year, with federal officials and doctors’ organizations disagreeing over guidance and even battling each other in court. But both sides have been exploring revisions in longstanding HPV vaccine recommendations. (Stobbe, 9/26)
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has now topped 8,000 cases, with officials confirming 8,067 cases and 3,901 deaths since mid-May, for a 48% case-fatality rate (CFR). The outbreak is the second-largest in history, but the fastest-growing on record. (Soucheray, 9/28)
Also —
Scientists have found a human gene lurking in a virus that causes skin infections. It may be using our own DNA to infect us. (Zimmer, 9/28)
