• No, a vaccine campaign did not cause the Gaines County, Texas, measles case spike

    UTMB’s Dr. Philip Keiser helped PolitiFact debunk the idea that the West Texas measles outbreak was started by vaccinated individuals shedding measles virus. Keiser told PolitiFact there’s no scientific literature supporting the notion that a vaccine virus shed from someone who is vaccinated would be transmissible. This news was also shared by Poynter and the Austin American-Statesman.

  • Measles is one of the world’s most contagious viruses. Here’s what to know and how to avoid it

    “On average, one infected person may infect about 15 other people,” UTMB’s Dr. Scott Weaver tells the AP about measles, a disease that was rare in the U.S. but is making a comeback. An unvaccinated child died in the West Texas outbreak this week. “Any of these outbreaks we’re seeing can easily be prevented by increasing the rate of vaccination in the community,” Weaver said. This news was shared nationally and internationally in outlets such as The Independent, Brietbart, Toronto Sun, MSN and many others.

  • Measles Outbreak in West Texas Marks Largest Surge in 30 Years

    “Prevention is key, and vaccination is the best protection against measles,” UTMB’s Dr. Rachel Britt tells Pharmacy Times. The measles outbreak in West Texas has so far infected more than 120 individuals and claimed the life of one child.

  • New study highlights need for better care to prevent lung problems after abdominal surgery

    "Many patients had lung complications after surgery in our study. Since these complications put patients at risk of more health problems, longer hospital stays, and higher health care costs, it's important to keep researching better ways to prevent them," said Dr. Marcos F. Vidal Melo. He was part of a team that found that interventions to keep lungs expanded before, during, and after abdominal surgery do not result in less severe breathing problems as compared to the usual care.

  • New vaccine could help fight breast cancer

    New research has revealed a promising experimental vaccine made with the patient’s own cancer cells, write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in their latest Medical Discovery News column.

  • Galveston County officials monitoring Texas measles outbreak

    “People who may have been vaccinated as a child but may have a waning immune system — whether they have chronic disease, whether they are immune suppressed for other reasons because of medications or because of some sort of illness — they are more likely to get measles,” UTMB’s Dr. Philip Keiser tells the GCDN. “Despite that, the real issue here is actually the unvaccinated kids.” Local health authorities are watching the West Texas outbreak closely especially as spring break, which brings thousands of people to the region, is just weeks away.

  • Bird flu outbreak tests new U.S. agriculture secretary as Texas farmers remain on edge

    Bird flu continues to spread and farmers in Texas are worried, the Chronicle reports. So far, human cases have only involved workers in the poultry industry but that could change. "The concern is the virus might become highly transmissible among humans, with high morbidity and mortality rates," Dr. Gregory Gray tells the Chronicle. Similar stories ran in outlets across the country and internationally.

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