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.

With Christmas only a week away, doctors are raising alarms over a growing “tripledemic” spreading across New York. Data shared by Northwell Health on Long Island shows a worrying rise across the state. RSV cases have increased by 35 percent, COVID cases by 15 percent, and flu has surged the most, with hospital admissions jumping 75 percent in just one week.

Flu Rising Faster This Year Compared To 2024, Doctors Say

The festive season often brings family gatherings and travel, but it also creates the perfect setting for respiratory viruses to spread. In New York, flu, RSV and COVID cases have climbed steadily since Thanksgiving, and doctors believe numbers will continue to rise through the holidays. “Flu is increasing much faster than what we saw last year,” said Dwayne Breining, senior vice president of lab services at Northwell Health. Speaking to ABC News, Farber added that he has not seen deaths among vaccinated patients, while many severe cases involved people who were unvaccinated.

Flu season usually lasts until early spring, which means doctors say getting vaccinated now can still offer protection. Health experts also emphasise simple but effective habits such as washing hands regularly, wearing a mask if unwell, and skipping holiday events when sick to reduce the risk of spreading infections.

Flu Symptoms You Need To Take Note Of

Common flu symptoms include a sudden fever, chills, muscle pain, headache, extreme tiredness, cough, sore throat, and a blocked or runny nose, often appearing quickly. In some cases, especially among children, vomiting or diarrhoea may also occur. Emergency warning signs include difficulty breathing, chest pain, severe dizziness, confusion, or symptoms that seem to improve but then return and worsen. These signs need urgent medical care, according to the CDC.

What Is H3N2 Subclade K?

H3N2 Subclade K is a more altered version of the influenza A (H3N2) virus, a strain already linked to more severe illness compared to others. A subclade signals genetic changes in the virus, which may help it spread more easily or partially evade immunity gained from past infections or vaccinations.

What Is RSV?

RSV, short for Respiratory Syncytial Virus, is a highly contagious virus that commonly causes respiratory infections. While it often feels like a mild cold, it can lead to serious breathing issues in infants, older adults, and people with weakened immunity. The virus affects the nose, throat and lungs. Most children catch RSV by the age of two, but repeat infections are common. Symptoms include cough, runny nose, fever and wheezing, and medical help is needed if breathing becomes difficult.

Nearly 5 Million Flu Illnesses Reported So Far Nationally

New York City is currently reporting some of the highest flu-like illness levels in the country. States such as Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island and Texas are seeing moderate respiratory illness activity. All other states remain at low or very low levels. The CDC estimates that this flu season has already resulted in at least 4.6 million illnesses, around 49,000 hospitalisations and approximately 1,900 deaths nationwide.

"So, I am in New Delhi, India, and the air quality is over 750. It is the equivalent of smoking 18 cigarettes a day," says Alex, a British travel vlogger in a video uploaded seven days ago on Instagram. He calls the current situation in health a public health emergency. In the video, he walks around the city wearing an N-95 mask and says, "It is super sad. I cannot even see 50 meters in front of me. That is how bad the air quality is in Delhi."

Read: Breathing Delhi's Toxic Air Is Like Smoking 20 Cigarettes A Day, According To Pulmonologist

As of Monday 7am, the city's average AQI remains under the "very poor" category, with the reading of 366 as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Seven areas slip under the 'severe' zone, with Narela recording the worst AQI of 418.

As per the CPCB, AQI between 0 to 50 is good, 51 to 100 is satisfactory, 101 to 200 is moderate, 201 to 300 is poor, 301 to 400 is very poor and 401 to 500 is severe.

Impact Of Toxic Air On Its Population

Not just Delhi, but several other metro cities too have recorded a worsening in its air quality levels, in this backdrop, a Lancet study revealed that due to long-term air pollution exposure in India, every year, 1.5 million deaths occur. The study noted that every 10μg/m³ increase in annual PM2·5 concentration was associated with an 8.6 pc higher risk of all-cause mortality.

Using India’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards, researchers estimate that about 3.8 million deaths between 2009 and 2019 were linked to PM2.5 exposure. When WHO guidelines were applied, the number rose sharply to 16.6 million, nearly one-fourth of all deaths in the country. The analysis relied on advanced causal methods and high-resolution models that mapped district-level PM2.5 exposure across India, while accounting for factors such as socioeconomic status, age distribution, and indoor air pollution.

Also Read: 'No Direct Link Between Lung Disease And Air Pollution,' Says Minister; But Studies Say Something Else

These findings are backed by a 2017 time-series study from Delhi that examined the short-term impact of air pollution on deaths from natural causes. The researchers pointed out that studies worldwide have consistently shown a clear link between common urban air pollutants and harmful health effects. Despite Delhi’s well-documented air quality crisis, they noted that limited local evidence on how specific pollutants affect health had long slowed meaningful policy action.

Furthermore, several other studies also reveal the impact of toxic air on different organs of the body, including lungs causing respiratory illness, as well as increasing the risk of dysmenorrhea in women.

A study published in Frontiers in Public Health, explored the data of 2,96,078 women and girls between the age of 16 to 55 years in Taiwan and correlated it with the long-term air pollution data between 2000 and 2013. None of these women had any history of dysmenorrhea before the survey had began.

Another 2017 study titled Pulmonary Health Effects of Air Pollution, it is clear that lung cancer could be exacerbated due to exposure to a variety of environmental air pollutants with greatest effects due to particulate matter (PM), ozone, and nitrogen oxides.

Delhi's Toxic Air Should Concern All

As of now, the air that we breathe in Delhi contains the same chemicals that are present in a cigarette. These chemicals include carbon monoxide, benzene, cadmium, formaldehyde, and benzopyrene.

Also Read: Simple Blood Tests Detecting Multiple Cancer; Do They Really Work?

Flu cases in the US has touched almost the 5 million mark, as per the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). New York City has seen the highest levels of flu-like activity, revealed the data. Among the other states are Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Texas. All these states noted a "moderate" level of flu-like or respiratory illnesses, while rest of the states remain in "low" or "very low" levels of flu-like activities.

Also Read: Simple Blood Tests Detecting Multiple Cancer; Do They Really Work?

What Does The CDC Data Reveal In Flu Cases?

As per the CDC data, there have been at least 4.6 million illnesses, with 49,000 hospitalization, and 1,900 deaths so far by flu in this season. These cases of flu are linked with the new variant known as the subclade K. CDC notes that among the samples sent to it, of the over 900 of them, 0-% were A(H3N2), of those that had further testing, nearly 90% of them were subclade K.

The CDC also notes that this mutant is a mismatch from the season's flu vaccine composition, however, according to experts the vaccine is still useful as the first line of defense against flu, including to avoid any severe illness, hospitalization, and or death.

John Brownstein, an epidemiologist told the ABC News, "Even with this new variant and some mismatch with the vaccine, getting a flu shot is still absolutely worth it. The vaccine continues to provide strong protection against severe outcomes like hospitalization and death, and that’s especially important as flu activity ramps up."

Flu Deaths In Children

Two pediatric flu deaths were reported this week, which brought the total number three to this season. Last season, there were 288, the same as the number in 2009 during the H1N1 pandemic, It is the highest levels since 2004. It was in that year when flu child deaths became mandatory for states to report to CDC.

Also Read: Using An Air Purifier At Home? Pulmonologist Warns These 5 Common Mistakes Could Put Your Lungs At Risk

The CDC found that about 90% of children who died from flu last season were not vaccination. The CDC study found that flu vaccination among kids have dropped 10% points lower than the pre-pandemic levels, with about only 40% of children getting the flu shot this season.

As of now, around 140 million doses of flu have been distributed, whereas last year, it was 128 million. The CDC also notes that anyone over the age of 6 months must get their annual flu shot. It is never too late to get the vaccine, note the experts.

Brownstein also notes: "This is the time of year when flu typically starts to take off, and we expect activity to continue increasing in the weeks ahead. As people gather indoors and travel more around the holidays, those conditions can accelerate spread."

H3N2 Symptoms

• High fever (often above 101°F)
• Severe body aches and muscle pain
• Extreme tiredness that lasts longer
• Dry cough that can be persistent
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea (especially in children)

The recovery time of any influenza could last up to 5 to 14 days, the key is to monitor breathing patterns and avoid over medication.