Not a Doctor

  • Measles-stricken children in Texas had “intense” symptoms, anti-vaxxers say

    “It was, like, quite intense, those little babies with those sort of almost whooping coughs.” One of the most prominent anti-vaccine activists in the U.S., Brian Hooker, says he caught measles in West Texas and traveled back home. That means either: I wrote about this for the Guardian today, and I hope you’re able to click and…

    Melody Schreiber

  • Are we ready for the next pandemic?

    The U.S. response to the bird flu and measles outbreaks are worrying signs that our pandemic preparedness has eroded. I’ve been covering bird flu for a while now. It wasn’t great under Biden. There was never enough testing to understand where outbreaks are happening and how they are spreading. Health leaders chose not to deploy…

    Melody Schreiber

  • The measles outbreak is getting worse — and so is the misinformation

    Anti-vaccine activists, and the U.S. health secretary, are promoting unproven treatments in place of vaccination. A second child died from measles in Texas this month. Both of the girls, ages 6 and 8, had no previous health conditions, other than being unvaccinated. The outbreak in Texas has now risen to 541 known cases and 56 hospitalizations. The…

    Melody Schreiber

  • What gives me hope

    As the Trump administration attacks science and expertise, and a measles outbreak is already testing its laidback approach to health, ordinary people are fighting back. There’s a good/infuriating article about anti-vaccine sentiment in West Texas during the growing measles outbreak there. It’s really illuminating and I recommend reading it, if you’re able. This line has…

    Melody Schreiber

  • Texas pharmacies are running low on measles vaccine

    The surge in demand comes as a second measles death is reported in New Mexico — and as the top U.S. health official promotes misinformation on measles. There are now 198 known cases, 23 hospitalizations and one death from measles in Texas, and 30 known cases and one death in New Mexico. But if you call a…

    Melody Schreiber

  • Should I be worried about measles?

    Here’s the lowdown on measles in the U.S., and whether you should get a measles booster. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has only been health secretary for a few weeks, but already he’s facing a test that reveals his approach to infectious diseases. A measles outbreak is spiraling in the American Southwest, with a total of…

    Melody Schreiber