In a significant shift, U.S. health authorities have updated their guidance on measles vaccination for international travelers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends that all Americans traveling abroad receive the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, regardless of the destination.

Previously, the CDC emphasized the need for vaccination only when traveling to countries with active measles outbreaks. The updated guidance reflects a broader concern: the risk of exposure isn’t limited to countries battling large outbreaks but is also present during international transit, including flights and airports.

Also Read: What Are Measles? Everything You Need To Know About Them

Measles vaccination: Why the Updated Guidance Matters?

Ashley Darcy-Mahoney, a professor and researcher at George Washington University’s School of Nursing, described the CDC’s new stance as “significant.” She pointed to a recent outbreak in Colorado that stemmed from an international flight landing in Denver.

“We're seeing a shift from localized outbreaks to transmission in transit,” she explained, adding that the CDC appears to be responding to the growing evidence that travelers can become infected while en route, not just at their destination.

Measles Vaccine Guidance: Who Needs What?

The CDC now advises two doses of the MMR vaccine for all Americans aged 1 and older before traveling internationally. Infants aged 6 to 11 months should receive one early dose prior to travel, even though that shot will not count toward the regular two-dose schedule.

Also Read: Inside Minneapolis' Silent Room: A Place That Makes You Question If Silence Heals or Haunts

Measles is a highly contagious, airborne virus, capable of infecting 90% of unvaccinated individuals who are exposed. Symptoms typically appear 7 to 14 days after exposure and include high fever, cough, runny nose, and a characteristic red rash.

Measles Cases on the Rise Across the U.S.

As of May 30, the U.S. had reported 1,088 measles cases in 2025. Texas remains the epicenter, with 738 confirmed cases, including 10 new cases reported just last week. The outbreak began in late winter and has continued into spring.

Colorado has confirmed seven measles cases so far this year, including an outbreak of three related cases. All three were linked to a mid-May international flight into Denver. The cases involved an unvaccinated child under age 5, a vaccinated adult, and a contagious out-of-state traveler.

Measles: Deaths and Widespread Outbreaks

Tragically, three measles-related deaths have been reported during this year’s outbreak: two young children from Texas and one adult in New Mexico, all of whom were unvaccinated.

Currently, the CDC has identified active outbreaks in 11 states, including Colorado, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas. Measles cases have also been reported in more than 30 other states, from California and Florida to New York and Washington.

Measles Vaccine Rates Falling Below Target

Though measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, vaccination coverage has dropped. A November report by health policy think tank KFF noted that only 11 states met the CDC’s 95% vaccine coverage goal for kindergarteners in the 2023–24 school year, compared to 22 states in 2019–20.

Health Officials Urge Immunization

Despite past skepticism about vaccines, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently acknowledged on social media that “the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine.” However, he also called for a review of the childhood vaccine schedule, citing concerns about links to chronic diseases—a stance that has sparked fresh controversy.

As measles cases continue to rise, public health experts stress that vaccination remains the most effective way to protect individuals and prevent further spread.

An anthrax outbreak has hit Thailand's top tourist areas and has killed man, while four have been hospitalized, confirmed health officials.

As per the authorities, they are now racing against the time to trace the source of this dangerous livestock disease, which has a highly infectious bacterial infection.

What Is Anthrax?

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), anthrax is a serious disease usually caused by Bacillus anthracis bacteria. The bacteria is found in soil around the world and commonly affect livestock and wild animals. People who usually get sick with anthrax may have come in contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products.

People can breathe in anthrax spores, eat food or drink water contaminated with spores or get spores in a cut or scrape in the skin.

What Is Happening In Thailand?

According to Thai authorities, the 53-year-old victim from Mukdahan, near the Laos border, died after showing symptoms consistent with anthrax. He developed a dark lesion on his hand just days after slaughtering a cow last month. Soon after, he experienced swollen lymph nodes, dizziness, and seizures. Although he sought treatment at a local hospital, he died before doctors could intervene effectively. Laboratory tests later confirmed that he had contracted anthrax, local media reported.

Early investigations suggest the man was exposed to anthrax after a cow was slaughtered during a religious ceremony. The meat was shared and consumed within the village, and four other people from the same province later fell ill—each case linked to infected cattle or contaminated meat.

Doctors say three of the infected individuals are close to full recovery, though a fifth case has now been reported. In response, officials have quarantined all animals—including vaccinated cattle—within a five-kilometre radius of the outbreak. Tests on meat, knives, chopping boards, and soil came back positive for anthrax spores. Authorities are currently monitoring over 600 people who may have been exposed to infected livestock or meat.

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), local authorities have “identified and provided post-exposure prophylaxis to all high-risk contacts” and “implemented a robust set of control measures.” They added: “Currently, due to the robust public health measures implemented by Thailand, the risk of international disease spreading through animal movement remains low.”

What Are The Types Of Anthrax?

Cutaneous Anthrax

Cutaneous anthrax is the most common—and least dangerous—form of the infection. It occurs when anthrax spores enter the body through a cut, scrape, or open wound on the skin. This often happens while handling infected animals or contaminated animal products like wool, hides, or hair. The infection typically appears on the head, neck, forearms, or hands as a sore that turns into a black-centered ulcer.

Inhalation Anthrax

This is the most severe and life-threatening type of anthrax. It happens when someone breathes in airborne spores, often in environments like wool mills, slaughterhouses, or tanneries where infected animal products may be present. The disease usually begins in the lymph nodes of the chest before spreading rapidly throughout the body.

Gastrointestinal Anthrax

Gastrointestinal anthrax occurs when someone eats raw or undercooked meat from an infected animal. Although rare—especially in the United States—it can affect the throat, esophagus, stomach, and intestines. Symptoms vary but can include sore throat, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and severe digestive issues.

Welder’s Anthrax

Recently identified, this rare form of anthrax has been found in welders and metalworkers. It leads to severe pneumonia and can be fatal. Workers in metal industries who experience sudden fever, cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, or coughing up blood should seek medical attention immediately.

Injection Anthrax

This type has been reported among heroin-injecting drug users in northern Europe. It occurs when spores are introduced deep under the skin or into the muscle through contaminated drugs. Though similar to cutaneous anthrax, it causes more severe infections in deeper tissues. It has not yet been reported in the United States.

As per the latest American Lung Association report, nearly half of Americans, around 156 million people live in areas that received a failing grade in air quality.

The East Coast has seen a rise in air pollution that came after wildfires and heatwaves, breaking through West Coast city domination of the most annual exposure to fine particulate matter. These were based on the association's "State of the State" report based on 2021 to 2023 data. Most of this is to be attributed to the 2023 Canadian wildfires and the extreme heatwaves.

How Was Air Quality Measured?

Three indicators were used to measure air quality, namely: ozone air pollution, short-term particle pollution and long-term particle pollution.

Exposure to unhealthy air can cause many health risks to a person and could increase the chance of stroke, ischemic heart disease, severity in asthma attacks, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and pneumonia. Air pollution is also linked with increased fetal and infant mortality and pregnancy complication, along with cognitive decline.

Here Are The Top 10 US Cities With Worst Air Pollution:

10. Fairbanks-College, Alaska

This region continues to perform poorly on particulate matter pollution. The area has also been prone to wildfire smoke, use of wood-burning stoves, aggressive heating methods, and large vehicles.

9. Cleveland-Akon-Canton, Ohio

This region experienced a dramatic fall that placed it from 54th to ninth rank in highest exposure of annual particulate matter.

8. Houston-Pasadena, Texas

It is on the list due to the ozone pollution.

7. San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, California

The Bay Area is one of six regions in California that rank among the top 10 in the country for annual particle pollution exposure. Frequent wildfires driven by dry conditions contribute to poor air quality across all three pollution measures in the report. The region also ranks 11th for short-term particle pollution and 14th for ozone pollution. These environmental hazards impact a population of 9 million people, nearly 6 million of whom are people of color.

6. Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, Michigan

The Detroit metro area is a latest addition in the long-term air pollution list, the region was impacted by the Canadian wildfires.

5. Lod Angeles-Long Beach, California

This is the worst rank for ozone pollution in the 25th time in the 26-year history of the 'State of the Air' report.

4. Eugene-Springfield, Oregon

This has ranked third for short-term air quality. The pollution has affected 381,000 people.

3. Fresno-Hanford-Corcoran, California

This region scored firth for both short-term and long-term air pollution and ozone pollution, and has slightly improved from precious years.

2. Visalia, California

This city experienced the highest-ever spike in particulate pollution since the start of the report.

1. Bakersfield-Delano, California

This region top the worst air pollution list for the sixth consecutive year, affection a population of 914,000 people.

Air Pollution And Its Impact

Previously, residents of the US, Canada, and UK also reported mysterious, dense fog. Many residents posted videos that claimed the fog smelled like "burning chemical".

Many on TikTok shared the video of the dense fog, calling it "toxic". The people also shared: "The weirdest part is the taste and smell. It smells like after you set off a bunch of fireworks, and the air tastes toxic. It is super weird". Someone else on X, previously Twitter claimed that the air smells like burning plastic.

Pollution is related with many health risks, a thick fog during winter may not be a reason for concern. However, the residents claiming it to be toxic due to the smell or the adverse affects on their health may lead to it being a cause of concerns. Also, new research highlights a disturbing connection between long-term exposure to air pollution and a heightened danger of deadly blood clots, a condition which is underappreciated but also poses significant health risks. A study, published in Blood, examined how long-term exposure to some pollutants, including fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and nitric oxide, may heighten the chances of VTE hospitalizations.

The outcomes showed that the individuals who had exposure to pollutants in the higher quartile had:

• 43% increased risk of hospitalization for VTE associated with fine particulate matter.
• 2.8 times increased risk from nitrogen dioxide exposure.
• 2.3 times increased risk due to nitric oxide.

Another 2021 study titled Effect of Air Pollution on Obesity in Children: A systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, there is a connection between air pollution and weight gain through biological behavioral mechanism. The major pollutants causing obesity are nitrous oxides, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and particulate matter. These could lead to systematic inflammation and metabolic disturbances, which can lead to weight gain and obesity. The study mentions that fine particulate matter [PM2.5], when it enters our body, it influences the metabolism rates.

A different study published in the JAMA Network Open, stated that higher levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure can increase the risk of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

India is again facing with a familiar warning sign—a spike in COVID-19 cases, localized outbreaks, and fresh deaths. India reported seven COVID-related fatalities in the past 24 hours and recorded 564 new cases, pushing the number of active cases to 4,866 as of June 5, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported. Though still relatively low, the age group spread, spatial concentration, and comorbid condition of the deceased are generating public health signals.

The spike, although not at the level of earlier waves, is significant. Kerala, once the state that was being widely acclaimed for the model response it had followed in the initial phases of the pandemic, now leads the active caseload list with 1,487 cases. Delhi and West Bengal are next with 562 and 538 cases respectively.

Maharashtra (526), Gujarat (508), and Karnataka (436) complete the list of states with more than 400 active cases. These six states collectively account for more than 83% of the nation's present active cases—a stark clustering that indicates the need for focused interventions.

Seven fatalities registered in the last 24 hours present a complicated picture of risk. Of these, three were from Maharashtra, two from Delhi, and two from Karnataka. Importantly, five out of the seven were elderly citizens above the age of 60 with pre-existing conditions like pneumonia, cardiac problems, and states of immunocompromised.

Two of the most troubling fatalities are that of a 42-year-old Delhi man and a five-month-old child from Karnataka. Both were fighting advanced comorbidities when they tested positive for COVID-19, which implies that the virus continues to be opportunistic and targets hardest where there is existing weakness in immunity.

Even while case numbers swell, hospitalization rates are low, and most infections are being treated with home isolation. Nevertheless, the Indian government is not leaving anything to chance. Mock drills were held on June 2 at government hospitals to assess their preparedness.

Sources within the Ministry have also made comments stating that the Centre has asked all states to keep a watchful stockpile of equipment and make sure frontline health workers are ready for any sudden surges.

The distribution of new cases is uneven and appears to be affected, at least in part, by travel-associated exposures. In Madhya Pradesh's Indore, for example, seven new cases were reported—three of them who had recently traveled back from Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Kerala.

District epidemiologist Dr. Anshul Mishra confirmed that Indore currently has 17 active cases of COVID, none of which are critical. All of the patients are in home isolation and under observation for symptoms. But the travel connection points to the necessity of continued vigil at domestic transit points.

Likewise, Himachal Pradesh also confirmed its first case in the past weeks, that of an 82-year-old woman who was admitted with COVID-like symptoms at a government medical college in Sirmour. Her case has been closely monitored because of her weak health profile.

Why There Is A Sudden And Sharp Surge In COVID Cases?

What makes this modest but meaningful surge of concern isn't so much the numbers—it's who it is impacting and how. The intersection of at-risk demographics (infants, seniors, and the comorbid), extensive geographical dissemination, and the chronic unpredictability of viral mutations makes waves past come flooding back.

Complacency is another important consideration. With limitations significantly eased, masking now a rarity, and vaccination emphasis on catch-up shots for seniors instead of widespread precautions, professionals fear that individuals are dropping their guard too soon.

The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to emphasize that COVID-19 hasn't gone away and that endemic status doesn't mean harmlessness. Similar to influenza, it remains potentially lethal—particularly for risk groups.

As global surveillance weakens and test rates fall, health officials highlight the importance of ongoing testing and genome sequencing. These are vital measures to track for any new variants that could act in a different way or lower the effectiveness of vaccines.

India's INSACOG network, which is in charge of genomic surveillance, is being called upon to enhance efforts, especially in clusters such as Kerala, Delhi, and Maharashtra.

The resurgence also places an onus on the community. The public must remain aware of:

Early Signs of COVID-19 Infection In 2025

• Getting vaccinated or boosted, especially for those over 60 or with existing health issues
• Doctors also advise basic precautionary steps, such as:
• Wearing masks in crowded indoor settings
• Maintaining hand hygiene
• Avoiding unnecessary travel if unwell

These small but efficacious steps can come a long way in checking further transmission and safeguarding the vulnerable.

This recent increase in COVID-19 infections and deaths is a reminder, not an alarm call. Unlike the first three waves, India today is better prepared with medical facilities, public awareness, and vaccination access but preparedness does not nullify responsibility.