ABC 10News Weather Expert Moses Small offers a comprehensive analysis into the water year in San Diego, unravelling why the conditions are less wet than usual despite the recent atmospheric river storm. A significant change in the federal health department came with the Trump administration choosing to terminate nearly half of the workforce belonging to a highly respected public health initiative, which leads the charge during disease epidemics. Interestingly enough, this unexpected move took place a day following the official installment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., noted anti-vaccination advocate, and conspiracy theorist, as the Secretary of U.S. Health and Human Services.
The Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), one of CDC’s core entities, was informed on a late Friday that its members would be part of nearly 1,300 employees being laid off from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Primary news sources, including Stat News and CBS News, widely reported this development. In another surprising update, Louisiana’s government declared it will ‘cease to endorse mass vaccination,’ a decision made public on the same day as Kennedy’s transition into his new role as health secretary.
An internal memo, forwarded by Louisiana’s Surgeon General Ralph Abraham on a late Thursday evening, highlighted vaccines as merely ‘a single measure in a comprehensive strategy to fight diseases.’ With this statement, he essentially announced that the state health department won’t advocate for vaccines anymore. He emphasized that any discussions about specific vaccines should occur between a patient and their healthcare provider, as per information released on ABC.
In the wake of the groundbreaking decision from Louisiana’s health department, Texas is grappling with a heightened measles outbreak with doubled incidents. Louisiana’s top health official, Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham, shocked many with an unexpected declaration on a late Thursday. His memo clearly stated that the state health department would ‘not encourage widespread vaccination’ anymore.
In correspondence to his staff, Dr. Ralph Abraham, labeled vaccines as merely ‘one toolkit in the arsenal’ for combating severe illnesses. He advocated for decisions pertaining to specific vaccines to be made during a personal interaction between a patient and medical care provider. This unexpected announcement followed hot on the heels of the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr, renowned anti-vaccine advocate, taking the reins of the Health & Human Services Department under President Donald Trump.
The growing concern in west Texas is the rapid increase in measles cases, with official data released on Friday revealing 48 people affected. This illustrates a worrying return of a once curtailed childhood ailment, as the decline in vaccination rates continues. A downward trend observed across the United States in case of childhood vaccinations was intensified amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Concerns regarding the swift roll-out of mRNA vaccines along with the infiltration of a deluge of misinformation led to diminished public trust in healthcare institutions during this pandemic. This, in turn, further steered the public away from vaccination drives. A reduction in the workforce of USDA’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network program office coincided with a surge in egg costs to an all-time high amidst the worsening outbreak.