Apr 21 What my polio-stricken mother would tell parents today about the importance of immunization By Fred Leonard, STAT The success of immunizations in the U.S., as well as in other developed countries, has had unintended consequences. Continue reading
Apr 12 During measles outbreaks, fines and public bans are legal, but there are limits By Katherine Drabiak, The Conversation A health lawyer explains what states can or cannot legally do when responding to cases of a communicable disease like measles. Continue reading
Apr 10 Watch 6:32 Amid measles outbreak, NYC health officials strive to promote vaccination, dispel myths The U.S. is battling one of the largest outbreaks of measles in decades, with 465 cases confirmed nationwide and 78 new cases in the last week alone. New York City alone has 285 confirmed cases since last fall. Dr. Oxiris… Continue watching
Mar 27 Citing measles emergency, this county just banned unvaccinated children from public places By Helen Branswell, STAT Schools, houses of worship, shopping malls — anywhere that people who are not related to one another congregate indoors — will be off limits for unvaccinated children in Rockland County, New York. Continue reading
Mar 05 Watch 10:33 Measles outbreak sparks fears, renews tensions over mandatory vaccination By Cat Wise, Frank Carlson, Leah Nagy Over 200 cases of measles have been confirmed in the U.S. in the past few months. About half of them occurred in the Pacific Northwest, leading Washington Gov. Jay Inslee to declare an emergency and the state legislature to propose… Continue watching
Jan 29 Measles patients are mostly children. Here’s why By Jamie Leventhal Here’s a look into how the latest epidemic started, why children may face the worst of it, and how it's no surprise that the outbreak hit the Pacific Northwest. Continue reading
Jan 28 Watch 6:38 Washington state’s measles outbreak coincides with low rates of immunization Washington state is experiencing an outbreak of measles, with 35 confirmed cases in a single county. The disease's flare-up is reinforcing concerns about insufficient immunization in some communities. Hari Sreenivasan talks to Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of… Continue watching
Nov 01 How llamas could help us fight the flu By Vicky Stein Researchers now think they’re on the path to universal flu protection. The source of their new defense: llamas. Continue reading
Oct 11 A quiet rise in unvaccinated children could put the U.S. at risk of outbreaks By Jamie Leventhal For the third consecutive year, unvaccinated communities have grown, the CDC reported Thursday. One school in Oregon has toddler vaccination rates lower than those in Venezuela. Continue reading
Sep 05 What’s happened since California let fewer families reject vaccines By Laura Santhanam All 50 states require vaccinations for students entering public school. But the vast majority also give families the ability to opt out of those vaccinations for personal or religious reasons. Continue reading