Gaps

• Een groeiende mazelenuitbraak in South Carolina, die de afgelopen dagen is gemeld, heeft geleid tot een stijging van het aantal gevallen door lage vaccinatiegraden in bepaalde gemeenschappen. • Volksgezondheidsfunctionarissen melden meerdere blootstellingen en dringen erop aan dat ongevaccineerde personen onmiddellijk een MMR-vaccinatie halen. • De uitbraak onderstreept de kwetsbaarheden van de VS, waarbij de nationale MMR-dekking op 92,7% ligt, wat onder de drempelwaarde voor groepsimmuniteit ligt en het risico op verdere verspreiding vergroot.

• Recent defections of several Rajya Sabha MPs have renewed scrutiny on the 10th Schedule of the Constitution, introduced in 1985 to curb political defections. • Critics argue the law has proven ineffective against contemporary challenges like party-switching in upper house elections. • Calls grow for comprehensive amendments to strengthen disqualification provisions and address interpretation issues.

• Between 2009 and 2023, the US recorded at least 402 tetanus cases with 37 deaths, primarily among those unvaccinated or overdue for boosters. • None of the fatalities involved individuals with three or more doses of tetanus-containing vaccine, highlighting booster importance every 10 years. • The analysis underscores ongoing risks from this bacteria despite effective vaccines, with many cases in people lacking full primary series.

Ministers drawing up contingency plans for ‘reasonable worst-case scenario’ if supply of CO2 is disruptedBusiness live – latest updatesThe UK could face some gaps on supermarket shelves this summer if disruption caused by the Iran war continues, with shortages of carbon dioxide potentially hitting supplies of chicken, pork and fizzy drinks.Government ministers are reportedly drawing up contingency plans for a “reasonable worst-case scenario” if the key shipping lane of the strait of Hormuz does not reopen, disrupting supplies of the CO2 required by the food industry. Continue reading...

• Following the closure of a rural Texas hospital, a local health center has expanded services to prevent care deserts for patients now traveling miles across county lines. • The initiative addresses immediate gaps in primary and emergency care in underserved areas, maintaining access for vulnerable populations. • Rural hospital closures exacerbate public health challenges, with this response demonstrating community health centers' role in continuity.

• Recent research links extreme heat exposure, gaps in obesity coaching, cancer treatment delays, ACA premium cost spikes, and income inequality to widening health disparities across the US. • These factors exacerbate vulnerabilities in underserved populations, with global implications but focused US data. • Findings underscore needs for targeted interventions in public health equity amid rising climate and economic pressures.

Colorectal cancer has become the leading cause of cancer death for adults under 50 in the United States, yet a national survey by the Colorectal Cancer Alliance reveals only half of Americans know about convenient at-home screening options available to them. The survey found that nearly one-third of all Americans and almost half of adults under 45 reported doctors dismissing their stomach or bowel symptoms, indicating potential gaps in clinical recognition of warning signs in younger populations. More than one-quarter of adults don't follow through with recommended screening, with cost, fear, and lack of knowledge cited as primary barriers, though over 60 percent of respondents indicated they would pursue screening with better understanding of personal risk factors. March has been designated National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month to address these critical knowledge gaps and encourage adoption of accessible screening methods.