The current measles outbreak has gripped US states like Texas and New Mexico leaving people worried whether it would become a new pandemic. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services as of February 21, 90 cases were diagnosed in the last month in the South Plains area, with at least 77 of them were reported in children and teens under 17.

Measles is highly contagious and can be deadly. The outbreak, which started spreading in late January, has resulted in multiple hospitalizations, with at least nine confirmed cases and three probable cases as of early February. Health officials caution that at least one in five infected individuals will have to be hospitalized, highlighting the severity of the situation.

Misinformation surrounding vaccines and with the new Trump administration anti-vaccine campaigs, has causing parents to hesitate or refuse vaccination.

Furthermore, the country down under Australia is also witnessing a surge in measles cases as health officials in Sydney have issued an urgent alert, urging residents to watch for measles symptoms after an infected individual visited several places in Sydney over the last seven days.

Authorities report that the traveller had returned from South East Asia where there are ongoing outbreaks of measles.

What Are The Symptoms Measles?

Key symptoms of measles include fever, a runny nose, sore eyes, and a cough. Typically, a red, blotchy rash appears three to four days later, spreading from the head down to the body. Symptoms can manifest between 7 and 18 days after exposure.

Anyone who experiences these symptoms after potential exposure should immediately contact their doctor or emergency department. It is crucial to call ahead before visiting to avoid potentially exposing others in the waiting room. Dr. Selvey also highlighted that ongoing measles outbreaks are occurring in various parts of the world, making awareness and prompt action essential.

Why It Is Important To Get Vaccinated?

According to CDC everyone should get the MMR vaccine. It protects you from measles, mumps, and rubella. Getting vaccinated helps stop these diseases from spreading. There are two safe MMR vaccines available. They work the same way, so it doesn't matter which one you get. Kids can also get a shot that protects against chickenpox too, but this is only for children.

Who Should Get Vaccinated?

Kids Need Two Shots

All children should get two MMR shots. The first shot should be given when they are between 12 and 15 months old. The second shot should be given when they are between 4 and 6 years old. If needed, the second shot can be given earlier, but it must be at least 28 days after the first shot.

College Students Need to Be Protected

Students going to college or other schools after high school, need two shots if they are not already immune. The shots must be at least 28 days apart.

Adults Need at Least One Shot

Most adults need at least one MMR shot. Some adults need two shots, especially those who work in healthcare, travel a lot, or go to college. These people should get two shots, with 28 days between them.

Travelers Need to Be Extra Careful

Anyone traveling to other countries should make sure they are protected. Babies 6 to 11 months old should get one shot before traveling. Kids 12 months and older, teens, and adults need two shots, with 28 days between them.

Healthcare Workers Must Be Immune

People who work in healthcare should have proof that they are immune to measles, mumps, and rubella. If they are not immune, they need two MMR shots, spaced 28 days apart.

Women Thinking About Having Babies

Women who might get pregnant should talk to their doctor about the MMR vaccine. It's safe to get the shot while breastfeeding.

Meningitis cases in Kent has alerted many to take precautions. As per a BBC report, Mashaal Chugtai, 22, who studies laws in the University said that it feels like "Covid all over again". Amid this, a claim has been circulating that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warned "the UK may need to go into lockdown as early as May if meningitis cases continue to escalate".

Some posts also include an additional quote, supposedly from Sir Keir, that says “I will do whatever it takes to keep the country safe over the election period, even if that means you can’t go outside”.

However, upon fact checking, it was found that Sir Keir made no such statement. Number 10 also confirmed to Full Fact that the Prime Minister did not make such claims and this appeared from a satirical Facebook page.

What Is Happening In The UK?

Meningitis outbreak in Kent University that infected a dozen of people have now further infected more people. The total number as of now is 27, as experts say that incubation period of the bacteria may lead to an increase in number of those who are sick.

The bug that causes the infection has been identified as the known strain of meningitis B and MenB vaccines will be offered to 5,000 students living in the University of Kent halls of residence in Cantebury. While several reports claim that parents are rushing to pharmacies to get their children vaccinated, due to which there is a shortage of the MenB vaccines, health secretary, Wes Streeting has denied any such claims. "There is actually plenty of stock of vaccine supply in the country," he said.

As per the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) official, people infected in Kent were the ones who visited a nightclub on 5,6 or 7 March. The officials, including NHS members and county council public health staff who have been tackling the outbreak believe that it has not been passed on to anyone outside the area. "All cases to date are linked to the current outbreak in Kent," said a UKHSA spokesperson, as reported by The Guardian.

Another official involved in the multi-agency response said, "We may have contained it. There are no cases popping up elsewhere that we know of – no cases that we know of outside the cluster – or not yet anyway. We are rolling out a vaccine and antibiotics and tracing contacts. So there’s nothing we’re not doing.”

Quickest-growing Meningitis Outbreak Ever

UKHSA chief executive Susan Hopkins said the outbreak "looks like a super-spreader" event with "ongoing spread" through universities' halls of residence. She added: "There will have been some parties particularly around this, so there will have been lots of social mixing. I can't yet say where the initial infection came from, how it's got into this cohort, and why it's created such an explosive amount of infections."

She further said that in her 35 years working in medicine, healthcare, and hospitals, "This is the most cases I've ever seen in a single weekend with this type of infection". She added: "It is the explosive nature that is unprecedented here - the number of cases in such a short space of time." She also remarked that this was the "quickest-growing outbreak" she has ever seen in her career.

What Is Meningitis?

Meningitis is a serious medical condition that affects the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, the meninges. While fever is not always present, it is usually considered as one of the classic symptoms of meningitis. It is important to know the varied symptoms, causes, and treatments of meningitis for early diagnosis and proper management of the disease.

Meningitis is an infectious illness that brings about inflammation in the meninges. The most common cause of such inflammation is bacterial or viral infections, though other causes are also possible including fungal, parasitic, or non-infectious causes (autoimmune disease, head injury, or brain surgery). Meningitis may be caused by bacterial meningitis, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates can be so severe and bring about conditions like hearing loss, vision problems, and death if not received on time.

The end of patent on semaglutide, the active ingredient in popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, in India has ushered in the way for cheaper generic -- up to 90 per cent lower than the original drug price.

HealthandMe spoke to various experts to understand whether the cheaper versions of semaglutide will spur better health for Indians, or whether the various side effects seen in Ozempic will also be translated to the low-priced drugs.

The patent for Novo Nordisk, the original maker of semaglutide, ended on March 20. On the same day, NATCO Pharma became the first to introduce Semanat and Semafull for INR 1,290 per month and INR 1,750 -- about 90 per cent cheaper than Ozempic, costing INR 8,800 per month. Eris Lifesciences also announced its plans to launch a multi-dose vial under the brand name Sundae at the same price.

Today, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, and Glenmark Pharmaceuticals launched their generic versions of semaglutide.

Dr. Reddy’s Obeda is priced at Rs 4,200 per month, available in 2 mg and 4 mg strengths.

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries will sell under the brand names Noveltreat (doses ranging from INR 900) and Sematrinity (doses ranging from INR 750). Meanwhile, Glenmark’s GLIPIQ vials range from Rs 325 to Rs 440 per week.

Zydus Lifesciences has also announced the launch of its generic version of semaglutide injection under the brand names SEMAGLYNTM, MASHEMATM, and ALTERMET. The average monthly cost of the treatment will be about Rs 2,200, the company said in a statement.

Dr. V. Mohan, Chairman of Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre, Chennai, told HealthandMe called it a “very positive development” yet stressed the need to ensure “quality”.

According to a BBC report, around 50 branded semaglutide generics will enter the Indian market within months. How will this benefit Indians? Let's take a look.

Semaglutide works as a GLP-1 receptor agonist that mimics the GLP-1 hormone to regulate appetite and blood sugar. It slows gastric emptying and makes you feel fuller longer. It also signals the brain to reduce hunger and cravings, and triggers the pancreas to release insulin when blood sugar is high.

“For a country like India, which carries a large burden of Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity (and related complications), this could translate into meaningful clinical gains,” Dr. Anoop Misra, who heads Delhi’s Fortis-C-DOC Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology, told HealthandMe.

India is facing an alarming diabetes epidemic, ranking second globally with an estimated 101 million people living with diabetes and another 136 million with prediabetes as of 2023, according to the ICMR-INDIAB study.

Similarly, the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2019–21 states that 24 percent of Indian women and 23 percent of Indian men are overweight or obese.

Also read: Ozempic Will Go Generic, Weight-loss Drug Cost Could Lower By 90%

Semaglutide: Risks Vs Benefits

In people with type 2 diabetes, Harvard Health noted that the body's cells are resistant to the effects of insulin and the body does not produce enough insulin, or both. This is when GLP-1 agonists stimulate the pancreas to release insulin and suppress the release of another hormone called glucagon.

These drugs also act in the brain to reduce hunger and act on the stomach to delay emptying, so you feel full for a longer time. These effects can lead to weight loss, which can be an important part of managing diabetes.

Notably, semaglutide is not just a glucose-lowering drug -- it improves weight and has proven cardiovascular, liver, and renal benefits.

Wider availability could therefore help reduce long-term complications such as heart disease and kidney failure. If used appropriately, this could indeed be a major step forward in total metabolic care, the experts said.

“The increasing affordability of GLP-1 receptor agonists is a double-edged development. On one hand, it significantly improves access for patients with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high cardiovascular risk -- conditions that are highly prevalent in India. These drugs have demonstrated meaningful benefits in weight reduction, glycemic control, and even cardiovascular risk reduction, which could translate into long-term public health gains,” Dr Vivek Bindal, Senior Director & Head, Bariatric and Robotic Surgery, at Max Healthcare, told HealthandMe.

A recent study published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal showed that Ozempic can also help tackle the burden of depression, anxiety, and self-harm in high-risk diabetic patients.

However, the benefits are conditional -- it depends on appropriate prescribing, reliable product quality, and adequate patient monitoring, said Dr. Misra.

"These drugs should be strictly prescribed by qualified doctors and used only for therapeutic purposes, not for cosmetic weight loss,” Dr. Mohan said.

Urging for careful monitoring of side effects, the expert also called for more Indian data and strict pharmacovigilance.

“This also presents a great opportunity for India to make these drugs affordable and accessible to other developing countries across Asia and Africa,” the noted diabetologist said.

The experts also warned of “indiscriminate or unsupervised use” due to low cost.

This is particularly for cosmetic weight loss without proper medical evaluation, said Dr. Bindal.

“GLP-1 therapies are not ‘quick fixes’ -- they require careful patient selection, dose titration, and monitoring for side effects such as gastrointestinal intolerance or, rarely, pancreatitis,” he added.

However, the focus should remain on holistic obesity management, including lifestyle modification, rather than over-reliance on pharmacotherapy alone.

Also read: Semaglutide: Wegovy Can Spur Sudden Sight Loss By 5x; Men More At Risk, Finds Study

The major concerns around semaglutide include:

• Quality and manufacturing variability

Semaglutide is a complex peptide, unlike conventional small-molecule drugs. Variations in manufacturing, storage, or delivery devices may affect efficacy and safety.

• Cold-chain and storage issues

Maintaining 2-8°C across India’s diverse healthcare settings is challenging. Breaks in the cold chain could reduce drug effectiveness without being immediately apparent.

• Regulatory burden

With 40+ companies entering the market, ensuring uniform quality, batch consistency, and device reliability will stretch regulatory systems.

• Inadequate physician training

Many prescribers may lack experience with GLP-1 receptor agonists—particularly regarding dose titration, side-effect management, and patient selection.

• Pharmaceutical promotion vs. scientific education

• Indiscriminate or cosmetic use

There is a real risk of semaglutide being used for “quick weight loss” without proper medical supervision.

• Adverse effects and monitoring gaps

Gastrointestinal side effects, gallbladder disease, and rare pancreatitis require counselling and follow-up—often lacking in routine practice.

The greatest benefit will be seen in:

• Patients with Type 2 diabetes and overweight/obesity
• Individuals with poor glycemic control despite standard therapy
• Patients with high cardiovascular risk, or who have suffered heart attacks and strokes
• Those with metabolic syndrome or abdominal obesity
• Selected patients with chronic kidney disease
• People with obstructive sleep apnea (disordered breathing at night)
• People with severe fatty liver and consequent damage to the liver

"In these groups, semaglutide provides multidimensional benefit -- glucose lowering, weight reduction, and cardiometabolic protection," Dr. Misra said.

Who Should Avoid Semaglutide?

Semaglutide should be avoided or used with extreme caution in:

• Patients with a history of medullary thyroid carcinoma
• Individuals with a history of pancreatitis
• Those with severe gastrointestinal disease (e.g., gastroparesis)
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women
• Patients with Type 1 diabetes
• Patients with severe eye problems due to diabetes (can be taken with care)
• Individuals seeking purely cosmetic weight loss without a medical indication.

A whopping 41 million children between the ages of 5 and 19 are living with high body mass index (BMI) in India, according to a recently released report.

The World Obesity Atlas 2026 shows that India is now among the top three countries globally for the highest number of children affected by overweight.

Nearly 14 million children in the same group were also found to be obese, the report showed.

In children aged 10-19 years, more than 26.402 million were overweight or obese.

Between 2010 and 2025, India had a 4.8 percent increase in the prevalence of high BMI and obesity among children aged 5-19 years.

High BMI To Surge Chronic Disease By 2040 In India

By 2040, the report also projected a substantial increase in the risk of diseases among children aged 5-19 years due to a high BMI in India. This includes:

• Hypertension (high blood pressure) is expected to spike by 4.21 million from 2.99 million
• hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) to 1.91 million from 1.39 million
• high triglycerides (excess fats in the blood) to 6.07 million from 4.39 million
• metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) to 11.88 million from 8.39 million

Childhood obesity in India is expected to surge to a whopping 56 million by 2040 -- nearly a 20 percent rise from 2025, according to the report released by the World Obesity Federation.

Of the 56 million, about 20 million children in the country will be obese, while the remaining 36 million will be overweight.

Globally, the number of children aged 5-19 years living with obesity or overweight is predicted to increase to 507 million by 2040 -- from 419 million in 2025.

Another report, Children in India 2025, raised the concerns of high triglyceride levels -- too much fat in the blood -- among children in India. Over one-third of Indian children aged 5–9 have high triglycerides.

High Triglycerides can increase the risk of heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, fatty liver, and pancreatitis, especially when combined with obesity or unhealthy lifestyles.

How To Prevent

“Don't keep on buying junk food from outside. Second, get the child involved in activity, physical activity, sports, and games. Third, the family as a whole should commit to being healthy,” Dr. V Mohan, Chairperson of Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre, was quoted as saying to India Today.

He also urged to sleep on time, cut down on screen time, and not to watch toxic things on television.

"These three or four simple things if you do, childhood obesity can be reduced in India," the noted diabetologist said.

Amid rising levels of obesity in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2025 made a clarion call to fight obesity and reduce oil consumption. He called it a "hidden enemy" and a "silent crisis".

In response, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) oin May 2025 issued a directive to install "Sugar Boards" in schools.

Later in July, the Ministry of Health also asked for the installation of "sugar and oil boards" in government offices to help build a healthy India.

The boards consist of informative posters and digital boards highlighting the harmful impacts of the amount of sugar and oil present in popular food items. It also displays the effects of these foods on the human body as well as shares the recommended amounts of fat and sugar for individual intake.