One case of measles in 2017. Nine cases in 2018. And now, 18 cases in 2019 with nearly half the year still to go. This is the situation in Texas, where another case of measles in El Paso was just confirmed. "A third case of measles has been identified in an El Paso County resident, bringing the state’s total to 18 cases in 2019," the Texas Department of State Health Services reported. "Since outbreaks have occurred this year in other states and several foreign countries, DSHS is urging health care providers to consider measles when diagnosing patients because early identification, along with ..read more

Vaccination rates for the flu tend to be among the lowest, with only about half of Americans vaccinated each year. Part of that could be the relatively low effectiveness rate of the vaccines. It can be hard to predict which flu strain will dominate; the vaccine must be made months before flu season, and the strains can mutate even during the incubation period. Despite such problems, the vaccines prevent a tremendous amount of illness and if everyone eligible were vaccinated each year, thousands of lives could be saved and many more thousands of hospitalizations prevented. That same rapid evo ..read more

The rotavirus vaccine routinely given to babies appears to have benefits that extend beyond preventing the dangerous gastrointestinal disease. Two recent studies found that it may reduce the risk of a child developing Type 1 diabetes and celiac disease. This wouldn’t be the first time that vaccines were found to prevent health problems that weren’t part of the original intent.  The pneumococcal vaccine appears to help prevent ear infections in children, which means fewer antibiotics during their young lives. In Africa,  the measles vaccine has been shown to  reduce deaths from other infection ..read more

The vaccine against the cancer-causing human papillomavirus has such potential to save lives that an advisory committee to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control is recommending its use in men and women up to age 26, and in some cases, to age 45. But wait. If the vaccine, which is recommended for boys and girls starting in their preteen years, is so effective, why would older people need it? Simple. The vaccine wasn’t available to middle-aged adults when they were teenagers. And despite a massive amount of evidence showing the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness, acceptance among parents has be ..read more

Vaccines – they’re the best thing for us, and also among the best topics for books to inform us. Whether it’s the science of immunization, or the history of the astonishing scientists who have saved countless lives, or the political aspects, this is a subject that touches the biggest points of public policy, and the most personal points of family and individual health. Three years ago, we suggested five terrific books on the subject, and all of them still stand as great reads. But a lot has been written since then, and so it’s time for an updated list of more recent titles to add to your book ..read more

The World Health Organization reported last month that Europe experienced 34,000 measles cases in just the first two months of this year. Of those, 25,000 cases were in Ukraine, and 13 people died of the disease. But outbreaks have afflicted other nations on the continent as well. Germany has seen more than 300 cases so far this year and there is enough alarm that the prime minister has proposed a hefty fine on parents who fail to vaccinate against the disease. By late March, more than 23,000 measles cases had been reported in the Philippines, where more than 300 people have died of the disea ..read more

The measles outbreaks across the nation have brought new urgency to the health preparations you should make for your child to attend summer camp. Children will be living in close quarters, and at sleepaway camp, they’ll be doing that 24/7, sharing bunk houses, eating areas, sporting gear and art supplies. Even if your child walks into a room an hour or two after a measles-infected child has been there, that’s enough exposure for this highly contagious disease to take hold. So if your child isn’t fully vaccinated against measles, right now is a good time to make sure you bring that vaccination ..read more

It was a proud moment for our nation. The year 2000 didn't just mark a new century and millennium. It was also the year when measles was declared eliminated from the United States, a goal the country had been working toward for 34 years. But now we are in danger of losing that designation. The eradication of measles in the United States "was thanks to a highly effective vaccination program in the United States, as well as better measles control in the Americas region," the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention reported in its history of measles. Elimination is defined as  absence of ..read more

There’s some good news for people who have been frustrated trying to get the newer, far more effective vaccine against shingles: The manufacturer announced last month that it was investing $100 million in its manufacturing facility in Montana to help increase its ability to produce the vaccine. In addition, earlier this year it obtained permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to use a site in France to help boost production. This is a promising development worth noting on National Senior Health and Fitness Day , which occurs today. Shingles tends to strike older people. Thankful ..read more

The disturbing outbreaks of hepatitis A across the nation have sadly not abated this year. Arizona has experienced more than 250 cases this year. The Alabama Public Health Department confirmed close to 80 cas es in that state earlier this month. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reports more than 50 cases in that state, most of them in a single county. And that’s not the worst of it. Florida reports that it has more than 1,000 cases of the disease. It’s a troubling but necessary time to observe Hepatitis Awareness Month this May, and Hepatitis Testing Day, which is tod ..read more