Amid declining vaccination rates and weakened public health systems, the U.S. faces a troubling resurgence of preventable childhood diseases like measles and whopping cough. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States has officially recorded 712 confirmed cases of measles across 24 states — the highest figure since 2019 and a number that’s rising week by week. This spike has put the nation on the brink of exceeding the 1,274 cases recorded in 2019, a milestone that would make this the worst measles outbreak in more than three decades, dating back to 1992.

The majority of cases have emerged in western Texas, where health departments are battling an outbreak that began in January. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, 541 cases have been reported in Texas alone, a jump of 36 in just a few days.

Even more distressing: at least two confirmed deaths have occurred in school-aged, unvaccinated children, and a third fatality in an unvaccinated New Mexican adult is under investigation.

Why Are Measles Cases Suddenly Spiking Again?

Once considered eliminated from the U.S. in 2000, measles is making a worrying comeback. The key reason? Lagging vaccination rates.

The CDC has confirmed that 97% of current cases are among the unvaccinated or those with unknown vaccination status. Only a tiny fraction (3%) had received one or both doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which remains over 90% effective in preventing the disease.

The agency recommends two MMR doses — the first at 12–15 months, and the second between 4–6 years of age. Still, vaccination coverage has dropped significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic, making communities more vulnerable.

Who Is Most at Risk?

Children remain the most affected demographic. The CDC reports that 11% of all measles patients this year have been hospitalized, most under the age of 19. The outbreak also places babies under one year — too young for their first MMR shot — at high risk of severe complications, including pneumonia, brain swelling, and death.

These outcomes underscore the community-wide importance of high vaccination coverage: when the majority is protected, herd immunity shields those who can’t yet be vaccinated, such as newborns and immunocompromised individuals.

Whooping Cough Isn’t Far Behind

While measles has grabbed headlines, pertussis commonly known as whooping cough is surging just as dramatically — and with deadly consequences.

After reaching historic lows during the pandemic, pertussis cases have skyrocketed by over 1,500% since 2021, with 10 deaths in 2024 — far exceeding the usual 2–4 deaths per year. Already in 2025, the CDC has documented 7,111 cases, more than double this time last year, and experts fear the numbers will spike further as we move into summer and fall.

Recent fatalities include two infants in Louisiana, a child in Washington state (its first pertussis death in a decade), and others in Idaho, South Dakota, and Oregon, where two died last year.

Why Are Vaccine Rates Dropping Fast?

The sharp rise in both measles and whooping cough can be traced back to declining vaccination rates across the U.S. According to ProPublica’s analysis of federal data, at least 36 states have seen a drop in vaccination coverage for key childhood diseases since the 2013–14 school year. In some states — notably Wisconsin, Utah, and Alaska — the drop exceeds 10 percentage points.

For instance, in Washington, kindergarten vaccination for whooping cough sits at 90.2%, just under the national average. But the coverage for toddlers between 19–35 months is just 65.4%, with some counties reporting rates below 12% — levels dangerously insufficient for community immunity.

This crisis isn’t unfolding in a vacuum. Experts point to significant federal cuts to public health infrastructure, including staffing and vaccination programs, over the past decade. On top of that, vaccine misinformation and distrust have surged — exacerbated by political figures with anti-vaccine sentiments.

Ironically, it wasn’t until two measles-related child deaths occurred in Texas that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, acknowledged the importance of the MMR vaccine, calling it “the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles.” But the damage may already be unfolding.

The measles virus is one of the most contagious pathogens known, capable of spreading via airborne droplets and lingering in a room for up to two hours. A single infected individual can transmit it to up to 90% of nearby unvaccinated people.

Similarly, pertussis poses extreme danger to newborns, who can suffer from breathing pauses, brain damage, and pneumonia. The CDC urges pregnant women and caregivers of infants to receive the Tdap vaccine as a protective measure.

Yet declining trust in vaccines, paired with cutbacks to preventive care access, poses a growing risk to public health — one that could usher in the return of once-contained diseases like polio, diphtheria, and hepatitis B.

This isn’t just a momentary public health scare — it's a wake-up call. Vaccines are not just personal choices; they are public responsibilities. Each missed shot creates an opening for an outbreak, and each outbreak endangers the most vulnerable members of our society.

As birch pollen peaks throughout the UK this spring, health experts are warning of the worsening hay fever season and advising key protective measures. Spring in the UK isn't all about flowers blooming and sunshine, it's also the height of hay fever season. Health experts and the UK Met Office now implore residents across the country to take an unprecedented but crucial step- shut windows and doors between 10am and 3pm, especially in areas of high pollen. It comes after a sudden increase in tree pollen, particularly birch, which is forecast to hit "very high" levels in many areas this week.

Pollen counts in the air usually rise from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. During that window, when the sun becomes more intense and wind speeds increase, pollen becomes airborne and is more prevalent. Sealing your doors and windows during this time frame can greatly reduce your exposure.

“It’s extremely beneficial to keep windows and doors closed during certain hours of the day, particularly when it’s windy,” explained a Met Office spokesperson. “Right now, we’re in tree pollen season, with birch being the most dominant and allergenic.”

These alerts are based on ideal conditions for pollen dispersal: warm, dry weather, low rainfall, and wind. Unfortunately for allergy sufferers, that’s exactly what the UK has experienced in recent weeks.

What's Causes Hay Fever?

The culprit of this year's worst allergy onslaught? Birch pollen.

Tree pollen season typically begins in March and lasts until mid-May. Birch trees, one of the UK's most allergenic tree species, are booming this year after ideal growing conditions last spring and summer. According to the Met Office, this has led to above-average levels of pollen.

Tree pollen affects around 25% of hay fever sufferers, but this could be more this year as a result of the record amounts seen in most parts of the nation.

Hay Fever Symptoms

Hay fever, or seasonal allergic rhinitis, affects more than 10 million people in the UK. It occurs when pollen enters the body and the immune system reacts by treating it as a foreign invader, producing histamines that induce symptoms such as:

• Sneezing
• Watery, itchy eyes
• Runny or blocked nose
• Sore or itchy throat
• Sleep and tiredness

In some cases, hay fever can exacerbate asthma symptoms, leading to wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.

How to Protect Yourself This Season?

Although hay fever cannot be avoided, there are some good methods to minimize exposure and alleviate symptoms:

• Consult local pollen predictions and limit outdoor activity low at peak times.
• Keep doors and windows shut, especially between 10am and 3pm.
• Use home air cleaners or HEPA filters in your vehicle.
• Shower and launder after spending time outside to eliminate pollen grains.
• Use antihistamines or nasal sprays—many are available over the counter.
• Rinse pollen from nasal passages with a saline solution.

These easy actions can make a dramatic difference in quality of life in spring and summer.

Where Pollen Levels Are 'Very High' This Week

According to the latest pollen forecast map published by the Met Office, the following regions are of concern with extremely high pollen concentration:

Monday: East of England, London, South East, East Midlands

Tuesday: West Midlands, East Midlands, Eastern England, London, South East

Wednesday and Thursday: London, Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire

When to Seek Doctor Help?

If symptoms persist with over-the-counter medication, or hay fever begins to disrupt activities, consult a medical doctor. Allergy testing, prescription medication, or perhaps even immunotherapy (allergy shots) might be needed for long-lasting relief.

Hay fever is usually underestimated, but in severe cases, it can impact sleep, focus, and general well-beingparticularly in children, seniors, and individuals with asthma.

Dengue fever has been a public health crisis for decades, especially in tropical and subtropical regions, and India has been one of the worst-hit countries in recent years. With rising cases and fatal outbreaks, the country has required a reliable and inexpensive vaccine to prevent the spread of the disease. That changed with the launch of DengiAll, India's indigenous tetravalent dengue vaccine. After all these years of research, trials, and international collaboration, the vaccine is now in the last stage of testing, and a breakthrough seems at hand.

Developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in collaboration with Panacea Biotech, DengiAll will be a game-changer for India's battle against dengue. The vaccine is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials, which are being conducted at 19 sites in 18 states and union territories with more than 10,335 healthy volunteers enrolled so far. The trials have shown promising results, with earlier phases (1 and 2) being successful for the vaccine to combat dengue across various strains.

The significance of the vaccine is not just its possibility in dengue prevention but also that it's an indigenous development, carefully crafted to fulfill India's needs. Balram Bhargava, former Director General of ICMR, who has played a key role in India's fight against COVID-19, ensured that India's first indigenous tetravalent dengue vaccine will be in the market by mid-2026—a landmark moment for India's health sector.

Dengue fever, transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, is one of the most common vector-borne diseases in India, especially prevalent during the monsoon season between May and September. The disease is characterized by fever, severe headache, joint pains, and sudden drop in platelet levels. It can, in severe cases, progress to dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) or dengue shock syndrome (DSS), which will prove fatal without urgent medical treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that the worldwide incidence of dengue has grown eight times greater than two decades ago, thus emerging as a public health issue of major concern.

DengiAll is a tetravalent vaccine, and it has the goal of protecting against all four serotypes of the dengue virus (DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4). This is a significant feature since dengue is a multi-serotype disease, and immunity to one serotype will not protect against others. In protecting against all four serotypes, the vaccine provides broad protection, which is extremely important in a country like India, where outbreaks are ever-present and in large part unpredictable.

The vaccine development is based on the TV003/TV005 strain, which was originally developed by the United States' National Institutes of Health (NIH). The strain was licensed to Panacea Biotech, a top Indian pharma company, and was adapted for domestic use. The company has achieved significant milestones in re-developing the vaccine to meet the specific needs of the Indian population, for whom it holds a process patent for development.

Highest Number of Cases Recorded In India

Approximately 188,401 cases were identified in 2017, with 325 deaths. Highest number of infections was reported from Tamil Nadu, followed by Kerala, Karnataka, then Punjab and West Bengal. In the 20th century, there was the significant rise in number of infections reported in 2003, 2010, 2012, and 2013, with an exponential increase beginning in 2015 onwards. During this time, repeated dengue outbreaks were reported in states of Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and West Bengal. In 2017, dengue cases were to be the highest in India.

India, in particular, has experienced frequent outbreaks in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Delhi, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. The outbreaks have claimed thousands of lives and loaded the healthcare system with a great burden. Over 5 million cases of dengue have been reported to date as of 2023, with the Indian contribution playing a significant role in the surge. Since DengiAll is presently in its final stages of trials, the vaccine is set to reduce significantly the incidence of dengue and its complications in the country.

Why Dengue Cases Are On A Steady Rise?

Although India has been battling with dengue for years now, the illness has also been on the rise globally. The WHO states that the number of dengue cases reported globally has grown over twice in the past few years, with a total of 10.6 million cases having been reported thus far in the year 2024 alone. The growth is driven by various factors:

• Warm, humid temperatures offer ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
• Overcrowded cities with poor waste management infrastructure facilitate the disease transmission.
• Increased international travel has led to dengue's expansion into non-endemic areas.

There is no cure for dengue known at the moment. It is treated with supportive care—hydration, management of fever, and close attention to platelet levels. If it is severe, hospitalization is required, and there are concerns regarding the burden this causes to the health system, especially in low-resource settings.

The presence of a dengue vaccine like DengiAll would be a welcome preventive. While a vaccine would not replace effective measures for mosquito control, it could be an extra tool in the public health arsenal, significantly reducing the number of severe cases and fatalities.

When Will Dengue Vaccine Hit the Market?

So far, DengiAll is in Phase 3 trials, and although it shows a great deal of promise, it should be kept in mind that the final approval phase could take time. If the ongoing trials continue to progress well, it is hoped that the vaccine would become available by mid-2026. This is a rough estimate, though, as it includes successful completion of the clinical trials and regulatory approvals.

Signs and Symptoms of Dengue Fever

Symptoms of dengue fever typically appear 4 to 10 days from the time of a bite from an infected mosquito and persist for 3 to 7 days. Asymptomatic cases are most common, but about 1 in 20 individuals will experience severe dengue when the initial symptoms start to resolve. Typical symptoms of dengue fever are:

• High fever
• Rash
• Severe pain behind the eyes
• Nausea and vomiting
• Muscle, bone, and joint pain

If you notice any of these symptoms, it is imperative that you receive medical care immediately, particularly if the symptoms are increasing.

Autism diagnoses for children in the United States continue to rise, with the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicating that one out of every 31 eight-year-olds have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The findings, published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, are a low-key but significant improvement over previous years and come at a time when the disease is facing heightened political scrutiny, including from the administration of President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

While the CDC attributes this steady rise to improved screening, increased awareness, and broader access to diagnostic care, Kennedy has introduced fresh unsubstantiated claims of a connection between autism and exposures to the environment and vaccines—despite decades of contradiction from empirical evidence suggesting no such association. His comments have stoked controversy surrounding the causes of autism even as experts emphasize that the evidence must be reflected in more comprehensive policies and support systems, not fear or misinformation.

Is Autism Really on the Rise Or Early Detection?

In its recent report both pointing to gains in early detection and persistent issues with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that autism rates in the United States have reached an all-time high. Through 2022, approximately 1 in 31 U.S. 8-year-olds had an autism diagnosis—an increase from 1 in 36 two years before. Though some have called this a "public health epidemic," health care providers and scientists credit the trend to a more longer-term shift in diagnostic patterns, increased awareness, and increasing access to services, especially within historically disenfranchised populations.

The CDC's latest biennial surveillance report, published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, includes a comprehensive picture of autism prevalence across the country. Using data collected from several Texas, Georgia, and California communities, the findings show significant regional variation. For example, in one San Diego metropolitan community, 1 in 19 children had been diagnosed with autism—the highest rate in the study.

Of note, these rises are not always a reflection of a rise in the prevalence of children with autism, but rather an increase in the ability to identify it, particularly at earlier stages in life. According to the CDC, enhanced screening tools, parent and pediatrician education campaigns, and community-based interventions have all contributed to this diagnostic shift.

The report comes on the heels of autism having received new political attention. President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. placed autism at the center of their healthcare agenda. Kennedy, who has long drawn criticism for linking autism with vaccines—a myth that has been often debunked by the scientific world—called the condition an "epidemic running rampant."

Contrary to Kennedy's assertions, the CDC and senior health leaders maintain that increases in autism diagnosis are primarily due to positive trends in detection and awareness, rather than an explosion of cases with environmental or medical causes.

Kennedy's call for new investigations into vaccines and autism has raised alarm among advocacy groups and scientists. The decades-long, peer-reviewed push against the myth that vaccines cause autism has demolished the trope. According to the CDC, vaccines remain safe and essential to public health.

This rhetoric does more harm than good," stated Christopher Banks, president and CEO of the Autism Society of America. "Prevalence data should drive equity and access—not fear, misinformation, or political rhetoric.".

Perhaps most notably, the CDC report highlights the growing trend of autism diagnoses in children of color. Traditionally disproportionately diagnosed in white, affluent communities, ASD increasingly is being diagnosed in Black, Hispanic, and Asian children. The trend, first reported in the 2020 CDC report, continues, a sign of growing outreach and access to care in historically underserved communities.

In fact, autism now happens less frequently in upscale neighborhoods than in socially disadvantaged communities—a reversal of the decades-ago trend. The CDC emphasized that the trend reversal is likely a result of concerted efforts to reduce gaps in early screening and diagnostic services, and not because there is any increased biological risk in some communities.

Autism remains significantly more common in boys than girls. In 2022, autism was diagnosed in boys at a rate 3.4 times higher than girls. While the disparity has lessened in recent years, scientists caution that the disparity is not wholly due to improved diagnostic practices in girls. The nuance and lower disruptive impact of ASD presentation in women—frequently more subtle and less disruptive—can still lead to underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis.

Local variation in autism prevalence also tends to correlate with the existence of early intervention services. California, for example, has an excellent program training pediatricians to screen for early signs of autism and providing state-funded regional centers for kids with developmental disorders. These models that are based within communities provide roadmaps for the enhancement of autism identification and treatment systems across the country.

Likewise, Puerto Rico's recent investment in public autism awareness campaigns had a profound influence on diagnostic rates. Children born after the island-wide early detection initiative was initiated had one of the highest rates of diagnosis among their age group, a reflection of the effectiveness of preventive public health initiatives.

While the slight uptick in autism rates may sound alarming, health professionals urge the public to interpret the numbers with caution. “This is not an epidemic,” said one CDC epidemiologist familiar with the report. “What we’re seeing is the fruit of years of advocacy, education, and systemic change.”

Experts and autism advocacy leaders reinforce that message. "This entire generation of children is not damaged," said the Autism Society's Banks. "They are being seen, heard and served more than ever before."