EVERY SIGNATURE MATTERS - THIS BILL MUST PASS!
CLICK - GOAL - 100,000 NEW SIGNATURES! 75,000 SIGNATURES HAVE ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED TO GOVERNOR CUOMO!
EFF Urges Court to Block Dragnet Subpoenas Targeting Online Commenters
CLICK! For the full motion to quash: http://www.eff.org/files/filenode/hersh_v_cohen/UOJ-motiontoquashmemo.pdf
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Monday, March 10, 2025
When The Inmates Run The Asylum ... Dozens of scientific studies have failed to find evidence of a link. But the C.D.C. now falls under the purview of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long expressed skepticism about the safety of vaccines and has vowed to revisit the data.
C.D.C. Will Investigate Debunked Link Between Vaccines and Autism
Dozens of studies have failed to find evidence of a link. The decision to re-examine the question comes as a measles outbreak, driven by low vaccination rates, widens in Texas.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is planning to conduct a large-scale study to re-examine whether there is a connection between vaccines and autism, federal officials said Friday.
Dozens of scientific studies have failed to find evidence of a link. But the C.D.C. now falls under the purview of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long expressed skepticism about the safety of vaccines and has vowed to revisit the data.
“As President Trump said in his Joint Address to Congress, the rate of autism in American children has skyrocketed. C.D.C. will leave no stone unturned in its mission to figure out what exactly is happening,” Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement Friday.
Mr. Nixon did not offer details about the scope or methods of the project. News of the study was first reported Friday morning by Reuters.
In pursuing the study, the C.D.C. is defying the wishes of the chairman of the Senate Health Committee, Senator Bill Cassidy, who said this week that further research into any supposed link between vaccines and autism would be a waste of money and a distraction from research that might shed light on the “true reason” for a rise in autism rates.
“It’s been exhaustively studied,” Mr. Cassidy, a doctor, said during the confirmation hearing for Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, President Trump’s nominee to lead the National Institutes of Health. “The more we pretend like this is an issue, the more we will have children dying from vaccine-preventable diseases.”
While Dr. Bhattacharya said he is “convinced” from the existing research that there is no link between vaccines and autism, he suggested more research might assuage the fears of nervous parents. Mr. Kennedy’s backers, and allies of his “Make America Healthy Again” movement, lauded the administration’s decision.
“Both Trump and Kennedy are keeping their word,” said Zen Honeycutt, founder of the nonprofit Moms Across America. “We wish that the previous administration had made health and the autism epidemic a priority.”
The news of the planned C.D.C. study comes in the midst of a rapidly spreading measles outbreak in West Texas, driven by low vaccination rates, that has infected nearly 200 people and killed two. Last year, about 82 percent of the kindergarten population in the county most affected had received the measles vaccine, far below the 95 percent needed to stave off outbreaks. According to Texas health officials, 80 of those infected were unvaccinated and 113 had “unknown vaccination status.”
Asked in an interview about the C.D.C.’s plans to re-examine whether autism is connected to vaccination, Xavier Becerra, health secretary to President Joseph R. Biden Jr., said, “All I’ll say is that C.D.C. can do many things. They can walk and chew gum, but I would hope C.D.C. is being used to help us get a grip on measles before another life needlessly dies, perishes.”
The rate of autism diagnoses in the United States is undeniably on the rise. About 1 in 36 children have one, according to data the C.D.C. collected recently from 11 states, compared with 1 in 150 children in 2000. Researchers attribute most of the surge to increased awareness of the disorder and changes in how it is classified by medical professionals. But scientists say there are other factors, genetic and environmental, that could be playing a role, too.
“There are so many promising leads for the cause or causes of autism,” Dr. Paul Offit, a pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said in an email Friday. “Vaccines aren’t one of them. Given that there are limited resources from the C.D.C., this is a sad day for children with autism.”
Like Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Trump has long espoused the idea that vaccines are somehow linked to rising rates of autism; he first raised the idea in 2007 and came back to it as a presidential candidate in 2015. He has also said he would support Mr. Kennedy re-examining the issue, most recently citing the rate of autism diagnoses during his address to Congress on Tuesday.
“We’re going to find out what it is, and there’s nobody better than Bobby and all of the people that are working with you,” he said. “Bobby, good luck. It’s a very important job.”
Mr. Kennedy won Senate confirmation as health secretary by the narrowest of margins. In the end, he prevailed largely by winning over Mr. Cassidy, a Republican of Louisiana, who specialized in liver disease as a doctor and strong supporter of vaccines. During the second day of the confirmation hearings, Senator Cassidy expressed deep concern about Mr. Kennedy’s past questioning of vaccines, and he cited a study of 1.2 million children had found no connection between vaccines and autism.
Mr. Kennedy shot back, saying a new study “showed the opposite.” A New York Times review of that study found that it was financed, authored, and published by a network of vaccine skeptics close to Mr. Kennedy. When the study was rejected by various mainstream medical journals, Andrew Wakefield, the author of a now-retracted 1998 study linking vaccines to autism, helped it find a home in a journal published by several vaccine critics.
After his confirmation, Mr. Kennedy’s first speech to his staff included a pledge to study the rise in chronic diseases in the United States, including with a review of the vaccine schedule, or suite of immunizations given to young children.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/health/vaccines-autism-cdc-rfk-jr.html"Olivia, my eldest daughter, caught measles when she was 7 years old. As the illness took its usual course I can remember reading to her often in bed and not feeling particularly alarmed about it. Then one morning, when she was well on the road to recovery, I was sitting on her bed showing her how to fashion little animals out of coloured pipe-cleaners, and when it came to her turn to make one herself, I noticed that her fingers and her mind were not working together and she couldn't do anything.
'Are you feeling all right?' I asked her.
'I feel all sleepy,' she said.
In an hour, she was unconscious. In 12 hours she was dead." -- Roald Dahlopens in a new tab or window on the death of his daughter to measles in the 1960s.
"I see somebody on a hiking trail carrying a little baby and I say to him, better not get them vaccinated," -- Robert F. Kennedy Jr.opens in a new tab or window (2021)
Since President Trump's second term commenced, we have withdrawn from the World Health Organization, inexplicably canceledopens in a new tab or window the FDA's annual meeting to update next season's flu vaccine, indefinitely postponedopens in a new tab or window the February meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and spent inordinate amounts of time perseverating over what termsopens in a new tab or window are considered unacceptable in CDC publications.
Though he argues he is not anti-vaccine, the bulk of Kennedy's statements and actions seem to indicate otherwiseopens in a new tab or window. Extensive reporting has recounted Kennedy's dismissal of vaccines and claims that they cause autismopens in a new tab or window, speculation that HIV does not cause AIDSopens in a new tab or window, and false claims linking SSRIs and mass shootingsopens in a new tab or window. Yet, Kennedy was still confirmed as head of HHS.
Ideology at Patients' Expense
Many of us in the medical community worry that Kennedy's audacious rhetoric on the national stage will further undermine public confidence in vaccines. In fact, this trend was seen in Florida under Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, MD, PhD, who publicly questioned the necessity and safety of vaccines. Childhood immunization rates in Florida have dropped precipitouslyopens in a new tab or window since Ladapo was appointed in 2021.
We cannot underestimate the power of people's attachment to their ideologies -- to the point that they may even undermine science to create outcomes that fit their ideology. For instance, Ladapo, a vocal supporter of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 and apparent skepticopens in a new tab or window of COVID vaccine safety, allegedly altered dataopens in a new tab or window from a state-driven study on the vaccine to inflate the risk of cardiac complications for young men. A medical professional in a leadership position allegedly engaged in scientific fraud to produce an outcome that suited his beliefs. This is dangerous.
There are many instances of people prioritizing ideology over evidence-based medicine to their detriment -- and even at their children's expense.
"Wellness warrior" Jessica Ainscough offers one tragic caseopens in a new tab or window. After trying chemotherapy initiallyopens in a new tab or window for epithelioid sarcoma, Ainscough rejected further recommended medical treatment in favor of Gerson Therapyopens in a new tab or window, an non-evidence-based alternative treatment predicated on the belief that cancer can be cured with healthy food, nutritional supplements, and enemas. She died 7 years after diagnosisopens in a new tab or window. A character in the new Netflix mini-series Apple Cider Vinegar is loosely based on Ainscoughopens in a new tab or window.
In another instance, college professor Rita Swan, PhD,opens in a new tab or window lost her toddler son to bacterial meningitis after she and her husband, then devout Christian Scientists, declined to pursue immediate medical intervention due to the influence of their church. Deeply regretful and furious with the church, Swan became a prominent advocate against religious restrictions on medical care. Swan later co-authored a seminal 1988 paperopens in a new tab or window examining pediatric fatalities where parents deliberately withheld medical care for religious reasons. The authors concluded that all but three would have benefited from clinical intervention, and 140 of the 172 deaths resulted from illnesses with a >90% chance of survival with medical treatment.
Is it reasonable or right to expect children to bear the consequences of their parents' and politicians' devotion to ideology over medical evidence?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for every thousand people infected with measles in the United States, the virus kills one to three. One study estimated that without vaccination today there would be 400,000 hospitalizations and 1,800 deaths annually.
Death isn’t the only possible consequence. Measles can also cause permanent blindness, deafness and intellectual disability. Before the vaccine became available, about a thousand people every year had encephalitis because of the virus.
In later comments, Mr. Kennedy suggested that severe symptoms mainly affected people who were unhealthy before contracting measles.
RFK Jr. Claims Cod Liver Oil, Steroids, Antibiotics Can Treat Measles—Here’s What Doctors Say
https://www.health.com/rfk-jr-cod-liver-oil-vitamin-a-unconventional-measles-treatments-11691469?Sunday, March 09, 2025
Friday, March 07, 2025
Sounds Like Lakewood or Brooklyn With A Different Hat --- Any direct outreach from public health officials on what to do as the number of those sickened with measles has grown to 159 and a school-age child has died. And though Klassen is a trusted church and community leader, his congregants haven’t asked about whether they should vaccinate their kids — and he wouldn’t want to weigh in.
As the measles outbreak in West Texas worsened, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Sunday posted photos of himself going hikingopens in a new tab or window in California, frustrating officials responding to the outbreak and raising concern among even his allies. (Politico)
Meanwhile, an unvaccinated adult in New Mexico died with measlesopens in a new tab or window, though the cause of death has not been determined. (AP)
The outbreak is forcing Texas doctors to develop an expertise in a disease they never thought they would treatopens in a new tab or window. (USA Today)
Up north, Canada is dealing with its own large measles outbreakopens in a new tab or window, with many of the cases requiring hospitalization. (Toronto Star)
Most Americans (58%) are worried about the potential for another pandemicopens in a new tab or window, a Gallup survey showed.
The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is "one of the most
effective and durable vaccines that we have," she said, with the full
two-dose series being 97% effective against measlesopens in a new tab or window.
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| https://goodsstores.com/collections/amish-mennonite-goods/mens-hats?srsltid=AfmBOoov6mkGyUKPntf6W3fPbk1gpHOBFF-e0Dr8yDMHeK8cymONGa7X |
West Texans, Mennonites at center of measles outbreak choose medical freedom over vaccine mandates
SEMINOLE, Texas (AP) — Measles had struck this West Texas town, sickening dozens of children, but at the Community Church of Seminole, more than 350 worshippers gathered for a Sunday service. Sitting elbow-to-elbow, they filled the pews, siblings in matching button-down shirts and dresses, little girls’ hair tied neatly into pink bows.
Fathers shushed babbling toddlers as their wives snuck out to change infants’ diapers.
A little girl in this mostly Mennonite congregation was among those who’d fallen ill with the highly contagious respiratory disease, senior pastor David Klassen said — but she’s doing fine, and she happily played through her quarantine. He heard that at least two Mennonite schools shut down for a bit to disinfect.
What he hasn’t heard: Any direct outreach from public health officials on what to do as the number of those sickened with measles has grown to 159 and a school-age child has died. And though Klassen is a trusted church and community leader, his congregants haven’t asked about whether they should vaccinate their kids — and he wouldn’t want to weigh in.
Mennonite Katharina “Tina” Wiebe, who works as a custodian and cook at South Seminole Baptist Church, changes the church’s marquee Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Seminole, Texas. Tina and her entire family are vaccinated. She says claims about vaccines being “against Mennonite religion” are false and brings unnecessary criticism to her community. (Eli Hartman/Texas Tribune via AP)
“With this measles situation, I can honestly just tell you we haven’t taken any steps as a church,” he said. “We did leave it up to the mothers.”
As measles — a preventable disease the U.S. considered eliminated in 2000 — spreads through West Texas’ rural expanse, Klassen is sticking to an approach on vaccines that is a key tenet for Mennonites. Family leaders are the top decision-making authority — not outside recommendations, certainly not government mandates.
Alongside measles in this region, where voters overwhelmingly supported President Donald Trump, there’s another outbreak: one of misinformation about vaccines, distrust of local public health officials and fear of governmental authority overruling family autonomy. And on the national stage, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the country’s top health official and an anti-vaccine activist, dismissed the Texas outbreak as “not unusual.”
“Do I trust all the vaccines? No,” Klassen said. “And I get from (Kennedy) that he doesn’t trust all the vaccines, either. And he is very well educated in that; I’m not.”
In an opinion piece for Fox News Digital, Kennedy wrote about the value of the vaccine but stopped short of calling on families to get it, saying the decision is “a personal one.” He urged parents to speak to their health care providers about options.
Vaccine skepticism has also been spurred by state lawmakers who this year filed more than a dozen bills that would strengthen or expand vaccine exemptions, which Texas already allows for “reasons of conscience, including a religious belief.”
Doctors on the front lines
At hospitals in Lubbock, 80 miles to the north and on the front lines of the outbreak, babies with measles are struggling to breathe.
Dr. Summer Davies, a Texas Tech Physicians pediatrician, said she has treated about 10 of the outbreak’s patients, most very young or teens. She said children have had to be intubated, including one younger than 6 months old. Others come in with such high fevers or severe sore throats that they refuse to eat or drink to the point of dehydration.
“It’s hard as a pediatrician, knowing that we have a way to prevent this and prevent kids from suffering and even death,” she said. “But I do agree that the herd immunity that we have established in the past isn’t the same now. And I think kids are suffering because of that.”
In Lubbock County, 92% of kindergarteners are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella shots, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. That’s lower than the 95% threshold experts say is needed to prevent measles from spreading. Gaines County, which includes Seminole, has an 82% MMR vaccination rate, though rates for homeschooled or private school students may be much lower. The vaccine series is required for kids before entering kindergarten in public schools nationwide. Many Mennonite families don’t send children to public schools.
All of the children admitted with measles to Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock were unvaccinated, officials said last week. Dr. Lara Johnson, the hospital’s chief medical officer, told The Associated Press that Covenant has seen more than 20 patients, including children, teens and pregnant mothers, since the outbreak began in late January.
News of a measles case in Seminole, population 7,200, put doctors on a “shared high alert,” said Dr. Martin Ortega, a family physician for Texas Tech Physicians in Odessa, about an hour away. The small towns of West Texas may look completely isolated on a map, with little between them beyond oil and gas facilities and sprawling desert. But the region is connected by its people, who regularly travel long distances to grocery stores, hospitals and houses of worship.
Many doctors are seeing measles cases for the first time in their careers. In Lea County, New Mexico, 30 minutes west of Seminole, nine measles cases with no clear connection to the Texas outbreak, rattled doctors and parents. An unvaccinated infant in Austin also tested positive for measles after an overseas vacation.
It’s “a little bit surreal,” said Dr. Rumbidzai Mutikani, a pediatrician at Nor-Lea Hospital District’s Hobbs Medical Clinic. Parents were so concerned “our phones were just ringing,” Mutikani said.
Katherine Wells, director of Lubbock’s public health department, said West Texas’ rural landscape is a major challenge, not just in getting to patients and transporting test samples, but also in getting the word out.
A lot of the messaging is word of mouth, she said, but they are working on public-service announcements featuring trusted Gaines County residents, putting up billboards about measles, handing out flyers and posting in WhatsApp groups.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused “a lot of distrust in public health” and government requirements, Wells said. On Facebook, people have accused her of making up the measles outbreak. They hope her department loses its funding.
It’s “really hurtful stuff,” she said. “We’re really working to help encourage vaccines for our community and help those kids that are infected to make sure they get medical treatment so that we don’t end up with another death.”
Pro-Trump, but ‘not anti-vaxxer’
The reality on the ground can be nuanced, however.
Brownfield Mayor Eric Horton is pro-Trump, he said, but also pro-MMR vaccine.
His county was hard-hit by COVID-19, Horton said, with nearly 90 deaths. So when measles cases came to his town of 8,600, Horton feared for his community. He said the local hospital has been busy administering vaccines since the outbreak started.
“Out here on the south plains of Texas, we are conservative people, but we also are not anti-vaxxers,” he said.
Across the region, people echoed this sentiment about routine childhood vaccinations in interviews with the AP and The Texas Tribune. Often, though, they are less supportive of COVID-19 and flu shots.
“It’s frustrating that (Mennonites) don’t vaccinate, and they put other people’s families and children at exposure for it,” said Stephen Spruill, a 36-year-old trucker from Seminole.
But “this is America. People have the right to choose.”
Macey Lane, 31, of Hobbs, said: “I do support Donald Trump. I don’t support not requiring vaccines.”
All of Lane’s kids are vaccinated. Praising Sen. Mitch McConnell’s vote against Kennedy’s nomination, she said the fact that “the only Republican that went against RFK was a polio survivor says a lot.” But she said she voted off other issues: her religious beliefs, stance on abortion and who would be best for the region’s oil and gas industry.
“As far as RFK being an anti-vaxxer, this is the most important thing: People have to make a decision for themselves and be as informed as they possibly can,” Horton said.
But in doctors’ offices throughout the region, pediatricians see the consequences of that stance.
Mutikani, the Hobbs pediatrician, said she’s seen vaccine hesitancy increase in recent years as parents come to her with worries that line up with what’s trending on social media. “Virulent” misinformation is especially worrisome in rural areas with few news sources or where many people who don’t regularly see doctors live, she said.
And having “these really big, respected public figures openly going against the grain, going against research and what we know, it makes it really, really difficult,” she said.
Most Texans are still vaccinating their kids, including Jennifer Sanchez, a 26-year-old Odessa resident. She took her 6-year-old and 1-year-old to the local public health department last week to get the measles vaccine.
She is disinfecting her house out of an abundance of caution, wishing she had more information on how to stop the spread.
“The government needs to give us more tools so we can protect ourselves,” she said.
___https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-texas-rfk-vaccines-8cf4641b04731c713edb524ca943490c?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=religion
Thursday, March 06, 2025
*They Still Look Jewish To Me - Or Did They SHMAD Secretly?* “The young men of the August 2024 draft class join a proud tradition of Haredi soldiers who have taken upon themselves the sacred mission of defending the people of Israel,” he said. “Their journey has been not only physical but also deeply moral and spiritual. They are living proof that Torah values and military service can go hand in hand.”
[שְׁמַד] verb Haph`el destroy (ᵑ7 Pa`el make apostatize) - The Hebrew verb "shmad" primarily conveys the idea of complete destruction or annihilation. It is often used in the context of divine judgment or warfare, where the obliteration of a people, city, or object is intended. The term implies a thorough and irreversible action, often as a consequence of sin or rebellion against God.
Haredi Recruits Complete Beret Hike following Weeks of Intensive Training
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| Haredi Netzah Yehuda Battalion recruits at their basic training graduation ceremony. |
Under the glow of the setting sun, the newest batch of soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces’ Netzah Yehuda Battalion and the Tomer Company of the Givati Brigade completed a significant rite of passage: the beret hike.
A beret hike is a military march undertaken by soldiers of the IDF combat units, culminating in the awarding of a uniquely colored beret representing their corps or brigade. This hike also marks the completion of certain training phases, such as the conclusion of basic or advanced training.
For the young ultra-Orthodox recruits, the hike marked the culmination of weeks of intense training, testing both their physical endurance and mental resolve. The soldiers of Netzah Yehuda arrived at the Kfir Brigade Memorial in Afula, where they stood shoulder to shoulder as they received their hard-earned berets, signifying their official entry into the ranks of combat soldiers. Simultaneously, in Eshkol Park, soldiers of the Haredi Tomer Company completed their own hike and were awarded the distinctive purple beret of the Givati Brigade.
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| Haredi Netzah Yehuda Battalion recruits at their basic training graduation ceremony |
The Netzah Yehuda Battalion—often referred to as “Nahal Haredi”—was established in 1999 with the goal of integrating ultra-Orthodox men into combat service while maintaining their religious observance. The battalion provides its members with a framework tailored to their way of life, offering spiritual guidance and social support. The Netzah Yehuda Association, which has accompanied the battalion since its inception, assists soldiers from enlistment through discharge and beyond, helping them transition into civilian life.
Similarly, the Tomer Company in the Givati Brigade was founded to provide Haredi soldiers an opportunity to serve in an elite combat unit while remaining true to their religious commitments. The completion of the beret hike signifies not only the end of basic training but also the beginning of their service as full-fledged fighters.
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| Rabbi Shaul Abdiel, the spiritual guide for Netzah Yehuda, hugs one of ‘his’ soldiers at the graduation ceremony. / Courtesy of Netzah Yehuda Association |
Rabbi Shaul Abdiel, the spiritual guide for Netzah Yehuda, praised the soldiers for their perseverance and commitment.
“The young men of the August 2024 draft class join a proud tradition of Haredi soldiers who have taken upon themselves the sacred mission of defending the people of Israel,” he said. “Their journey has been not only physical but also deeply moral and spiritual. They are living proof that Torah values and military service can go hand in hand.”
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| Haredi Netzah Yehuda Battalion recruits at their basic training graduation ceremony |
The ceremony drew families, friends, and commanders, their faces alight with emotion. For many of the soldiers, the beret symbolizes more than the completion of a training phase—it represents a personal and communal milestone, proof that they can serve their country while staying true to their faith.
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| Haredi Netzah Yehuda Battalion recruits at their basic training graduation ceremony |
One father, watching his son receive his beret in Netzah Yehuda, reflected on the significance of the moment.
“This is something I will never forget,” he said. “To see my son standing here as a warrior in the IDF fills me with indescribable pride. He is defending the people of Israel with his body while safeguarding the Torah and its commandments. The journey has not been easy, but thanks to the support of his commanders and the Netzah Yehuda Association, he has arrived here strong and filled with a sense of purpose.”
With basic training behind them, the soldiers now move on to advanced training before they are deployed to operational sectors, where they will join their fellow troops in safeguarding Israel’s security.
Wednesday, March 05, 2025
Dear Great Big Giant Rabbi (I don't Care If You're An Ignorant anti-Vaxxer) - Should My Kids Get A Measles Vaccine? BTW -- Did You Ever Take Antibiotics? (asking for a friend)
The largest of the outbreaks is in West Texas, where the total number of people diagnosed with measles grew to 146 on Friday. An unvaccinated child in the region died last week. It was the first measles death in the U.S. since 2015.
While the focus in recent weeks has been on Texas, eight other states have confirmed cases of the virus, the CDC reports. Nine cases have been confirmed in New Mexico’s Lea County, and at least one case has been confirmed in Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island.
Twenty percent of the reported cases have required hospitalization, according to the CDC. Most of those infected have been children.
The virus is airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs.
“On average, one infected person may infect about 15 other people,” said Scott Weaver, a center of excellence director for the Global Virus Network, an international coalition. “There’s only a few viruses that even come close to that.”
Measles then spreads from the respiratory tract throughout the body, causing a high fever; runny nose; cough; red, watery eyes; and a rash.
Measles isn’t usually deadly, but it can have serious complications, especially for young children. Among kids with measles, about 1 in every 20 develops pneumonia, which can be fatal. About one in every 1,000 also suffers swelling of the brain called encephalitis — which can lead to convulsions, deafness or intellectual disability.
How can you prevent measles?
The best way to avoid measles is to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.
“Before a vaccine was developed in the 1960s, everybody got” measles, Weaver said. “But then when the vaccine came along, that was a complete game-changer and one of the most successful vaccines in the history of medicine.”
There is “great data” on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, he said, because it’s been around for decades.
“Any of these outbreaks we’re seeing can easily be prevented by increasing the rate of vaccination in the community,” he said. “If we can maintain 95% of people vaccinated, we’re not going to see this happening in the future. And we’ve slipped well below that level in many parts of the country.”
Vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic, and most states are below the 95% vaccination threshold for kindergartners — the level needed to protect communities against measles outbreaks.
Adults can also get MMR boosters, even if they had two doses as a child or aren’t sure if they were vaccinated when young. Those who are immunocompromised or who are living in an area with a large outbreak may want to ask their doctor about getting another dose.
“But I don’t think everyone needs to go and run out to their doctor right now if they did receive two doses as a child,” Weaver said. “If people would just get the standard vaccination, none of this would be happening.”
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5173803-9-states-report-measles-cases-as-outbreaks-grow/
RFK Jr sparks alarm after backing vitamins to treat measles amid outbreak
Health experts wary as US health secretary fails to endorse effective vaccines and instead calls them a ‘personal choice’
Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, has caused alarm among pediatricians, vaccine experts and lawmakers with an opinion piece that focuses on vitamin A and nutrition as treatments for measles.
In response to a measles outbreak in Texas, which resulted in the first American measles death in nearly a decade, Kennedy wrote for Fox News about the benefits of “good nutrition” and vitamin A – but did not explicitly recommend highly effective vaccines.
“In fact, relying on vitamin A instead of the vaccine is not only dangerous and ineffective, but it puts children at serious risk,” Dr Sue Kressly, the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told the Washington Post.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/04/rfk-jr-vitamins-measles-outbreak