Healthcare & Laboratory News

CNN (4/23, McPhillips) reports poll data published Wednesday by KFF show that “nearly two-thirds of adults have heard the false claim that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine causes autism,” while about a “third of adults have heard the false claim that the measles vaccine is more dangerous than the disease, nearly double the share from a year ago. And about a fifth of adults have heard the false claim that vitamin A prevents measles.” According to the poll, about a quarter of adults incorrectly believe that the MMR vaccine is “definitely” or “probably” linked to autism, and “about a quarter believe that vitamin A can prevent measles infections, despite caution from health officials about potential dangers.” Furthermore, “about a fifth believe that getting the measles vaccine is more dangerous than becoming infected. These misconceptions were especially prevalent among Republicans and Hispanic adults.” The Hill (4/23, Suter) reports the poll found 51% of respondents said they were “very worried” or “somewhat worried” when it comes to “the outbreak of measles in the U.S.,” while 49% said they were “not too worried” or “not at all worried.”

Reuters (4/23, Rigby) reports global aid funding cuts are harming “efforts to vaccinate children against deadly diseases almost as much as the COVID-19 pandemic did, the United Nations said on Thursday.” Despite a global increase in “outbreaks of infectious diseases, including measles, meningitis and yellow fever,” emergency and routine vaccinations “were significantly affected in nearly half of countries at the start of April due to the funding cuts, according to reports from World Health Organization offices in 108 largely low and lower-middle income countries.”

Pharmacy Times (4/23) reports that “following a full 3-dose mRNA vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, health care workers with distinct exposure histories developed durable, sustained B-cell and antibody responses over a 3-year period, with participants retaining a significant SARS-CoV-2-reactive memory B-cell (MBC) pool that prevented breakthrough infections in naïve participants.” Researchers found that “breakthrough infections post-vaccination increased receptor-binding domain memory B-cell frequencies, shaping the humoral response in non-exposed subjects.” Data also suggest that “previously infected individuals developed stable atypical B-cell populations, with comparable humoral responses 17 months after full vaccination.” Researchers noted that “long-term studies of mRNA vaccine effectiveness are crucial for guiding vaccine recommendations amid emerging variants.” The study was published in Cell Reports.

Bloomberg (4/23, Nix, Subscription Publication) reports CDC data show “whooping cough cases have surged in the US since the beginning of the year, infecting Americans at a faster pace than any time since the mid-1950s as national vaccination rates decline and protection wanes.” Whooping cough “has sickened 8,077 people in the US through April 16. ... That’s more than double the same period a year ago, when the agency confirmed 3,847 cases, and rivals the 2012 outbreak that was the biggest in half a century.”

MedPage Today (4/23, Haelle) reports a study found that “a single dose of the antiviral baloxavir marboxil (Xofluza) led to a lower incidence of influenza virus transmission to household contacts compared with placebo.” Researchers observed that “five days after receiving the intervention, the adjusted incidence of transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza was 9.5% with baloxavir compared with 13.4% with placebo, resulting in an adjusted relative risk reduction of 29%.” Researchers noted that the difference in transmission incidence favoring baloxavir occurred “across age groups, seasons, influenza types (A[H1N1pdm09], A[H3N2], and B), times from symptom onset to receipt of baloxavir or placebo, and geographic regions.” With that said, “experts caution that baloxavir resistance and limited data on novel flu strains remain key challenges.” The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Healio (4/22, Kellner) reports a study found that fewer HCV cases “are reported each year in Alaska, but rates remain higher among men, younger adults, American Indian or Alaska Native people and rural residents.” According to researchers, “5,352 confirmed cases were reported from 2016 through 2023.” They said an “estimated 121 cases per 100,000 adults were reported each year. That rate fell 30% – from 142 per 100,000 between 2016 and 2019 to 99 per 100,000 between 2020 and 2023.” Furthermore, “rates were highest among adults aged 30 to 39 years (196 per 100,000), rural residents (162 per 100,000) and American Indian or Alaskan Native people (223 per 100,000).” Researchers noted that “new cases among adults aged younger than 40 years were nearly double the national rates from 2018 to 2022.” The study was published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Healio (4/22, Stulpin) reports a study suggests that “the baseline seroprevalence of Jamestown Canyon virus antibodies in blood donated by people living in endemic areas was relatively high, which could complicate diagnosing people with active infections.” Researchers explained that they “repeatedly saw serological test results showing that symptomatic patients were positive for Jamestown Canyon virus, but their symptoms were more likely related to something else, such as another arbovirus.” They noted that the “detection of Jamestown Canyon virus antibodies might not correlate with acute illness, especially in older patients.” Researchers concluded, “Overall, we recognized a need for a clearer baseline estimate of Jamestown Canyon virus antibodies in people living in areas where this virus was more common so we could better guide recommendations for diagnostic testing and interpretation of results.” The study was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Reuters (4/22, Sunny) reports the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) “reported 624 cases of measles in the state on Tuesday, an increase of 27 from April 18.” State health officials said cases in Gaines County, “the center of the outbreak, rose to 386 from 371 reported on Friday.” A total of 64 patients “have been hospitalized in Texas, while two unvaccinated children with no underlying health conditions have died of measles in the state.” Meanwhile, New Mexico’s health department “reported 65 cases on Tuesday, up by two cases from its last update.” Most of the state’s cases are located in Lea County, which shares a border with Gaines County. ABC News (4/22, Kekatos) reports DSHS data show that “nearly all of the cases are among unvaccinated individuals or among those whose vaccination status is unknown.” As of Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed 800 measles cases in at least 24 states. Bloomberg (4/22, Nix, Subscription Publication) also provides coverage.

Rheumatology Advisor (4/22, Goldberg) reports a systemic review found that “tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors are associated with an increased risk of fungal infections.” In an analysis of 65 articles comprising 697 patients, researchers “identified 517 invasive fungal infections, of which 306 were associated with infliximab, 56 with adalimumab, 61 with etanercept, and 84 were cases where the TNF-α inhibitor was not identified.” They also “identified 182 superficial infections, of which 49 were associated with infliximab use, 43 with adalimumab, 34 with etanercept, and 56 were cases with no specific inhibitor specified.” Researchers concluded, “The data presented in this study clearly demonstrate an association between the use of TNF-α inhibitors and an increased risk of fungal infections. It is imperative that health care professionals maintain a high level of vigilance when managing patients on these medications.” The review was published in Mycoses.

NBC News (4/20, Alsharif) reported Louisiana, Missouri and Virginia this week “all reported their first measles cases in 2025, and they say all three patients’ cases are linked to international travel.” In Virginia, the case involves “a child in the 0 to 4-year age range who had recently traveled internationally.” Officials did not “clarify if the child was vaccinated against the virus.” The Louisiana case involves an adult “who was not vaccinated against measles, according to the Department of Health.” The patient received treatment at a hospital and will remain in isolation “until no longer infectious.” The Missouri measles case involves a child “associated with recent international travel” visiting Taney County, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said. The child’s “age and vaccination status are not clear.”