A health crisis mismanaged by and inept HHS Director
— The US has seen more than 700 cases of measles this year, a sharp rise on the 285 cases reported in 2024
— The majority of infections have occurred in West Texas
— Cases in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas also are linked to the outbreak
— It's not slowing down—best current estimate is that it could take a year or more to control this outbreak
— It has spread rapidly among Mennonites with estimates of the susceptible population could be as many as 40,000 across several counties
— In those areas, public school vaccination rates are as low as 82%
— The religion has no specific doctrines against vaccinations
— At least 118,000 kindergarteners in Texas are exempt from one or more vaccines
— Parents can get a waiver to exempt their child from school vaccine requirements for a variety of reasons
— A cashier at a local pharmacy in the town at the epicenter of the outbreak said no one has stopped by for measles vaccinations since the outbreak started
— Robert F. Kennedy, Jr has toted Vitamin A and Cod Liver Oil as treatments; however, this is not an effective treatment for measles—the recommendation of physicians is full vaccination with the MMR vaccine
— Perhaps due to Kennedy’s misinformation, Texas is seeing a sharp rise of hypervitaminosis A (acute vitamin A toxicity) which can cause a spectrum of complications including seizures, coma, and death
— Kennedy is also spreading word of two physicians supposedly (according to Kennedy) seeing miraculous results having treated over 300 patients with a combination of antibiotic & inhaled corticosteroid—there is no reason to think that such a regimen would be effective
— One of these two physicians is himself actively infected with measles, is currently contagious, and is continuing to see and treat patients
— Mennonite leaders must reach out to their communities, clarify the religion’s position on the role of vaccination, and work with qualified health care professionals to help contain this outbreak
— At this critical point, the Trump Administration is severely cutting health care grants and research
— The majority of infections have occurred in West Texas
— Cases in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas also are linked to the outbreak
— It's not slowing down—best current estimate is that it could take a year or more to control this outbreak
— It has spread rapidly among Mennonites with estimates of the susceptible population could be as many as 40,000 across several counties
— In those areas, public school vaccination rates are as low as 82%
— The religion has no specific doctrines against vaccinations
— At least 118,000 kindergarteners in Texas are exempt from one or more vaccines
— Parents can get a waiver to exempt their child from school vaccine requirements for a variety of reasons
— A cashier at a local pharmacy in the town at the epicenter of the outbreak said no one has stopped by for measles vaccinations since the outbreak started
— Robert F. Kennedy, Jr has toted Vitamin A and Cod Liver Oil as treatments; however, this is not an effective treatment for measles—the recommendation of physicians is full vaccination with the MMR vaccine
— Perhaps due to Kennedy’s misinformation, Texas is seeing a sharp rise of hypervitaminosis A (acute vitamin A toxicity) which can cause a spectrum of complications including seizures, coma, and death
— Kennedy is also spreading word of two physicians supposedly (according to Kennedy) seeing miraculous results having treated over 300 patients with a combination of antibiotic & inhaled corticosteroid—there is no reason to think that such a regimen would be effective
— One of these two physicians is himself actively infected with measles, is currently contagious, and is continuing to see and treat patients
— Mennonite leaders must reach out to their communities, clarify the religion’s position on the role of vaccination, and work with qualified health care professionals to help contain this outbreak
— At this critical point, the Trump Administration is severely cutting health care grants and research
