Cold and Flu Season Ramps Up in the US
The US continues to see an uptick in flu, and the CDC confirmed the first pediatric flu death last week. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections are climbing across the US, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic, South, and Southeast states. Emergency room cases and hospitalizations for RSV are increasing among children younger than 4 years old. “Walking pneumonia” has also spiked in many areas of the US in recent weeks.
Full Story: CIDRAP
Measles Continues to Spread as South Carolina Outbreak Grows
The measles outbreak in South Carolina continues to expand. The state has now confirmed 114 cases, over 90% of which are from unvaccinated individuals. Because of the virus’s continuous spread this year, the US moves closer to losing its measles elimination status, a designation earned in 2000. The US essentially eliminated measles in 2000 thanks to high vaccination rates. Since then a downward trend in vaccination rates allowed the virus to rebound, leading to increasingly more outbreaks. If these vaccine trends continue, the outbreaks will only get worse in the coming years. In 2025 the CDC has confirmed 1,912 measles infections, the majority of which occurred in children. Two children died from their illness.
Full Story: HealthDay, Scientific American
