Measles, a virus that was once officially eradicated in the United States in 2000, is making a shocking comeback — this time with more sinister layers than ever before. In the latest news, Austin, Texas, health officials announced that an individual with measles traveled to the city between April 25–27. The patron, who lives in El Paso, ate at Terry Black's Barbecue on Barton Springs Road on April 26 between 8–11 p.m. The news has prompted immediate warnings from Austin Public Health, advising anyone who was at the restaurant during that time to watch for symptoms up to May 17.
This exposure is in the midst of a spreading national outbreak that is quickly becoming the worst measles epidemic in the United States in decades. And what's worse is that all of this is happening in the wake of a CDC projection — one that was allegedly buried rather than publicly released — that warned of just this type of risk in low-vaccination areas.
The present outbreak, which started in a small religious group in West Texas earlier this year, has already reached four states in the Southwest. It has so far caused more than 1,000 reported cases, with public health officials estimating the actual numbers could be much higher because of underreporting. Unfortunately, the virus has already killed two school-age children and an adult.
Measles is one of the most contagious illnesses that science has known. A single infected person can spread the virus to as many as 90% of unvaccinated contacts. And in communities where vaccination rates are weak, the virus has rich soil in which to germinate. That makes the CDC's refusal to release its internal risk assessment especially troubling. In internal memos leaked to ProPublica, the agency had drafted a statement highlighting the urgent necessity for vaccination but refused to release it, arguing that it "doesn't say anything that the public doesn't already know."
Traditionally, the CDC has taken a clear and confident position on immunizations. Its messaging was explicit, forward-leaning, and informed by decades of evidence-based public health science. But now, the agency's most recent pronouncement is this: "The decision to vaccinate is a personal one." It's language that mirrors recent opinion piece from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the new US Health and Human Services Department leader and longtime critic of vaccines.
Kennedy's leadership represents a dramatic turn. Once a marginal player in public health circles, his appointment has been accompanied by a weakening of federal vaccine promotion. Rather than emphasizing the well-documented effectiveness of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine — 97% effective — Kennedy has brought attention to exploring other measles treatments, many of which are untested or not yet supported by robust clinical evidence.
In 2000, when the United States formally announced that measles was eliminated, there was broad public backing for routine childhood vaccinations. Most Americans concurred that vaccinating children against infectious diseases such as measles was not only crucial—it was vital to public health.
Today, that virtual unanimity has frayed. Confidence in vaccines during childhood has taken a significant dent, spurred by an increasingly tidal wave of disinformation. Leading this turn is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., currently in charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For more than two decades, Kennedy has advanced discredited arguments connecting childhood vaccines to autism—a story systematically debunked by science.
What was once a fringe perspective has now gained traction within federal health leadership. Kennedy's ascension to power not only indicates a wider skepticism among Americans but also represents a troubling shift in the national strategy for vaccination policy and public health messaging.
Jennifer Nuzzo, Director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University, expressed concern over the CDC’s decision to withhold data. “We’ve already had more measles cases in 2025 than in all of 2024,” she said. “It’s not a coin toss — the data clearly shows we’re in a worsening crisis.” Nuzzo emphasized the need for more transparency, not less, especially as the outbreak spreads to at least 19 states.
The Austin case highlights the actual-world effect of federal indecision. Anyone who attended Terry Black's Barbecue during the period indicated is being encouraged to look out for symptoms, which are:
Unvaccinated, immunocompromised, and pregnant individuals are particularly susceptible and may need preventitive treatment. Public health practitioners have again emphasized staying home and calling a healthcare provider at once if symptoms develop.
Adding to the issue is the recent move by federal officials to eliminate $11 billion in pandemic-related grants, leaving state and local health departments without the funding necessary to respond effectively to outbreaks. In Texas alone, officials have 702 confirmed measles cases as of May 6, up 19 from the previous week — and the cases keep rising.
At the same time, the CDC is disrupted internally as the agency readies to cut 2,400 jobs, further weakening its capacity to launch effective public health responses. With Kennedy's attention drawn away from vaccinations and towards experimental alternatives, public health infrastructure is stretched thinner at a critical juncture.
The most frustrating reality of this crisis is that it is entirely preventable. The measles vaccine has long been one of the most effective tools in modern medicine, and widespread immunization campaigns had nearly eradicated the disease just two decades ago. Yet, amid a landscape shaped by misinformation, underfunding, and wavering leadership, the U.S. is now facing an avoidable public health emergency.
As scientists caution, now is not the moment for passive messaging and loose reassurances. With the virus spreading still and lives hanging in the balance, public health authorities need to step back into the science, rebuild trust, and reestablish the life-saving potential of vaccines beginning with measles.
Credits: Canva
In a controversial move that has rattled the U.S. medical community, federal health officials have severed ties with more than half a dozen major medical organizations from participating in government vaccine advisory workgroups.
The decision, communicated via email on Thursday, disinvites top experts from these groups from contributing to the workgroups that support the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a key body that guides the nation’s vaccination policies.
Organizations affected include the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), and several others, many of whom have historically played a critical role in shaping vaccine guidelines.
“This is deeply concerning and distressing,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a renowned vaccine expert from Vanderbilt University who has been involved with ACIP workgroups for decades. “Removing these organizations will likely create conflicting messages about vaccine guidance. Patients might hear one thing from the government and another from their personal doctors.”
For years, the ACIP has relied on a structured system where experts from various medical and scientific fields evaluate vaccine data and help draft recommendations. These recommendations, once approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), often inform clinical practice and determine insurance coverage.
But according to an email obtained by Bloomberg and confirmed by federal officials on Friday, the medical organizations are now being sidelined on the grounds that they are “special interest groups” and are assumed to carry a “bias” due to the populations they serve.
Dr. Schaffner defended the former system, highlighting how professional organizations offered practical insights on how recommendations could be realistically implemented in clinical settings. Importantly, all members were subject to conflict-of-interest vetting, ensuring objective guidance, he added.
This latest shake-up follows an earlier, unprecedented move in June when U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly dismissed the entire ACIP panel, accusing it of being too closely aligned with vaccine manufacturers. Kennedy, a former leader in the anti-vaccine movement, has since appointed several known vaccine skeptics to the new committee.
Among the organizations removed from the workgroup process are the American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Geriatrics Society, American Osteopathic Association, National Medical Association, and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
In a joint statement released Friday, the AMA and several of the disinvited organizations denounced the decision, calling it “irresponsible” and “dangerous to our nation’s health.” The statement warned that excluding their medical expertise “will further undermine public and clinician trust in vaccines.”
The groups urged the administration to reverse the decision, emphasizing the importance of transparency and collaboration in public health decision-making.
Several of the ousted organizations had previously criticized Kennedy’s overhaul of the ACIP. Last month, three of them joined a lawsuit challenging the government’s decision to halt COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for most children and pregnant women, a policy shift that has been widely criticized by public health experts.
Meanwhile, newly appointed ACIP member Retsef Levi, a professor of business management with no formal medical background, defended the administration's direction on social media. Levi wrote that future workgroups would “engage experts from an even broader set of disciplines,” and claimed that membership would be based on “merit & expertise, not organizational affiliations with conflicts of interest.”
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has not yet disclosed which experts will replace the disinvited members or when the new workgroups will begin operating.
Credits: Canva
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is assessing a potential travel notice for China following a sharp rise in cases of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne viral infection that has sparked public health alarms in southern China, as reported by the Independent and the South China Morning Post.
Nearly 5,200 infections have been reported in the Guangdong province since early July, with most of them concentrated in the city of Foshan. Health officials there have since escalated their emergency response to a level III alert, which signals a “relatively major” public health threat in China’s four-tier system.
While the CDC has not yet published a formal advisory, a spokesperson told The Independent that the agency is “aware of the reported chikungunya outbreak in Guangdong Province in China and is currently assessing the size and extent of the outbreak.”
Chikungunya is a viral infection transmitted by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, the same mosquito species responsible for dengue and Zika. Symptoms typically include sudden onset of fever and joint pain, but may also include headache, muscle pain, swelling, and rash.
Although most cases are mild and self-limiting, some infections can lead to prolonged joint pain or, in rare cases, long-term complications. Serious outcomes are more likely among those with pre-existing health conditions. There are no antiviral treatments available, so prevention, particularly mosquito control and bite avoidance, remains the primary approach.
Vaccines against chikungunya have recently become available and are recommended for travelers to high-risk areas, although they are not yet widely accessible.
According to local health authorities in Foshan, around 95% of reported cases have been mild, with patients recovering within a week. However, the outbreak’s rapid spread has raised concern among international health bodies.
The outbreak in China follows a global pattern of chikungunya resurgence. The World Health Organization (WHO) issued an alert last week warning of the risk of the virus repeating its global spread from two decades ago. Diana Rojas Alvarez, a medical officer with WHO, said that nearly 5.6 billion people across 119 countries live in areas where the virus could potentially spread.
Chikungunya was first identified in 1952 in Tanzania and has since been detected in more than 110 countries, including major outbreaks in India, Italy, and the Americas. The virus is not spread from person to person; instead, it is carried by mosquitoes that have fed on infected individuals and then pass it to others.
The concern is not just local: international travel plays a key role in how the virus crosses borders. Infected travelers returning to or visiting countries with mosquito populations capable of transmitting the virus can trigger new outbreaks.
The first case in this outbreak was reported in Foshan’s Shunde district on July 8 and was believed to be imported. Since then, local and national health authorities have moved quickly to contain the spread.
Measures taken include the use of drones to detect rooftop water accumulation, the release of larva-eating fish into lakes, and widespread public awareness campaigns. Residents have been urged to eliminate standing water, install window screens, and wear protective clothing.
Hospitals in affected areas have increased bed capacity for confirmed cases and designated specialized treatment centres. Border controls have been stepped up in Hong Kong to prevent imported cases from mainland China, with expanded testing capabilities introduced at key entry points.
The CDC’s travel health notices are used to inform travelers about global disease risks and provide precautionary guidelines. The warning system has four levels, ranging from “practice usual precautions” (Level 1) to “avoid all travel” (Level 4).
As of now, China has only a Level 1 travel health notice for measles. However, the CDC has issued Level 2 notices for chikungunya in several countries including Bolivia, Kenya, and Madagascar in recent months.
If the CDC decides to escalate China’s status, it would be a significant development, both in terms of travel planning and diplomatic perception.
The potential issuance of a travel notice also comes against the backdrop of complex US–China relations. While the CDC’s move would be grounded in public health data, the optics of a travel warning could have broader implications.
On Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun responded to the reports, saying that China is in communication with the WHO and “making every effort to ensure a safe environment for travelers.”
The WHO has not issued any travel restrictions related to the outbreak but continues to monitor the situation closely.
With mosquito-borne diseases on the rise globally, driven by climate change, urbanization, and increased mobility, health experts advise travelers to stay informed and take preventive measures.
“Mosquito control is key,” said an official from the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection. “Simple actions like using insect repellent, sleeping under mosquito nets, and avoiding stagnant water can go a long way in preventing infection.”
As global health agencies monitor the chikungunya outbreak in China, travelers to affected areas should remain vigilant and stay updated with official advisories. Prevention remains the best protection in the face of a disease with no cure.
Credits: Canva
August is known as the Hair Loss Awareness Month and the first Saturday of this month is known as the International Alopecia Day.
Hair loss is a common concern, affecting over 85% of men, 55% of women, and between 15–38% of adolescents at some point in their lives. For those with advanced or long-lasting alopecia, the emotional and social impact can be profound.
Baldness has been linked to significant declines in mental health and quality of life, with higher rates of anxiety, depression, stress, and reduced self-esteem.
It is a term used for hair loss that affects the scalp or even the entire body, temporarily or permanently. Alopecia can happen due to variety of reasons, including heredity, hormonal changes, and medical conditions, or as simple as normal aging.
The day aims to form a community of those who experience this autoimmune disease.
International Alopecia Day was initiated by American activist Lynn W. Walker in 2011. She herself lives with a diagnosis of alopecia totalis and created this day to unite people with similar experiences, reduce stigma, and highlight beauty and strength regardless of the presence of hair.
This year's theme as per Alopecia UK is, 'Strength in Numbers', which urges more and more people to join the International Alopecia community and to do away with the shame of hair loss and form a support group, across the world.
As per the National Library of Medicines, US, alopecia refers to the loss or absence of hair in areas where it normally grows. It can be localized or widespread, temporary or permanent, and affects people of all ages and genders. As a symptom with diverse underlying causes, alopecia is generally categorized into two main types: nonscarring (the most common) and scarring (cicatricial).
For many patients, hair loss leads to significant emotional distress and a reduced quality of life. Accurate diagnosis requires a thorough history, physical examination, and targeted investigations to identify the root cause and guide effective treatment. Managing alopecia can be challenging, but this overview outlines key assessment and treatment approaches for the most common forms to support better outcomes.
There are several main types of alopecia, including:
alopecia areata: an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss, often in small, round patches on the scalp, but it can occur anywhere on the body
alopecia totalis: complete loss of scalp hair
alopecia universalis: hair loss over the entire body
androgenetic alopecia: hereditary baldness
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