CNN
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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is on the ground in Texas to respond to the growing measles outbreak. The agency posted on X that it’s partnering with the Texas Department of State Health Services.
“This partnership – known as an Epi-Aid- is a rapid response by CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) to tackle urgent public health issues like disease outbreaks. EIS officers provide local officials onsite support for 1-3 weeks, aiding in quick decision-making to control health threats. The local authority leads the investigation while collaborating with CDC experts,” the post said.
Speaking to Fox News on Tuesday, US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. described delivering vitamin A and providing ambulance assistance from Gaines County, the West Texas county that has seen the highest number of cases. He also described treatments with a steroid, budesonide and an antibiotic, clarithromycin, and cod liver oil.
The CDC has previously provided lab support and measles-mumps-rubella vaccines to Texas. Kennedy did not mention vaccines during the portion of the interview aired on Fox.
“What we’re trying to do is really to restore faith in government and to make sure that we are there to help them with their needs, and not particularly to dictate what they ought to be doing,” Kennedy said.
“We’re going to be honest with the American people for the first time in history about what actually about all of the tests and all the studies, what we know, what we don’t know, we’re going to tell them, and that’s going to anger some people who want you know an ideological approach to public health.”
In an update on Friday, Texas reported 146 measles cases, including 20 hospitalized patients. Last week, Texas announced the first death in the outbreak, a school-age child who was not vaccinated. It was the first measles death in the US since 2015 and the first in a child in the US since 2003.
Texas is expected to share an update on the number of cases on Tuesday.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.