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Measles: Amplifying the Public Trust in Nurses to Address the Outbreaks

As of March 7, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that a total of 222 measles (rubeola) cases had been reported in 12 different U.S. jurisdictions: Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington. Among those cases, 94% were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. Seventeen percent were hospitalized, with the majority of those cases among children 19 years of age or younger. Unfortunately, measles has already claimed the life of an unvaccinated child in Texas, which is reporting the largest outbreak, at 159 cases. The cause of a second death, of an unvaccinated deceased adult in New Mexico who was found to have measles, is still under investigation.

Measles is an airborne, highly infectious, and potentially severe illness. The vaccine [measles-mumps-rubella (MMR)] vaccine is more than 97% effective in preventing disease. In the United States, MMR coverage among kindergartners is now below the 95% coverage target, with rates much lower in some communities, and is continuing to decrease. In addition, global measles activity is increasing, leading to more opportunities for an unvaccinated person to become infected when traveling outside the U.S. or for an infected person visiting or living in the U.S. to transmit to a susceptible unvaccinated person. Groups of unvaccinated individuals provide opportunities for ongoing transmission and the resultant illness. These outcomes are preventable.

2025-03-10T10:03:13-04:00March 10th, 2025|infectious diseases, Nursing, Public health|1 Comment
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A Tumultuous Seven Weeks for Public Health in the United States

Editor’s note: AJN news director Karen Roush, PhD, RN, FNP, will be providing regular updates on AJN Off the Charts about the details and implications of rapid and potentially momentous changes being made by the Trump administration to the public health system in the United States.

It’s been a tumultuous seven weeks since President Trump’s inauguration. Changes in leadership and priorities have swept across every federal department, bringing uncertainty and disruption. Trump signed more than 70 executive orders (EOs) in his first month in office, including orders to erase diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts from federal agencies and the military (EO 14151); limit the rights of transgender people and declare that only two “sexes,” biological males and females, would be recognized by the federal government (EO 14168); end birthright citizenship (EO 14160); and further limit access to abortion (EO 14182). Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, has fired tens of thousands of federal employees, dismantled entire agencies, including USAID, and pulled grant funding from universities, nongovernmental organizations, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The appointment of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to head HHS.

Many of the […]

2025-03-07T10:02:20-05:00March 7th, 2025|health care policy, infection control, infectious diseases, Nursing, Public health|0 Comments
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When Politics Overrides Nurse Workforce Diversity and Patient Care

(Guest opinion from a nurse practitioner and educator.)

Elizabeth Hanna, DNP, PMHNP, AGACNP

I am deeply concerned by recent legislative actions in my home state of Utah and a number of other states that undermine the foundational principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in publicly funded higher education. While I am fortunate to teach at an institution not subject to these restrictions, I am a proud alum of Utah’s state university system, which educates the vast majority of our nurses and nurse practitioners.

Utah’s “Equal Opportunity Initiatives” law (H.B. 261), which took effect on July 1, 2024, prohibits DEI practices, programs, policies, and initiatives in higher education and government employment. As a result, DEI offices and cultural centers have been dismantled at institutions such as the University of Utah, Southern Utah University, Utah State University, and Weber State University. Eliminating these initiatives threatens the quality and integrity of nursing education and undermines our commitment to culturally competent care.

The loss to patient care and workplace diversity.

It has been shown that more diverse and culturally competent nurses achieve better patient outcomes, including improved satisfaction, treatment adherence, and overall health. DEI initiatives help train nurses to recognize implicit biases and reduce health disparities. Furthermore, […]

2025-02-19T11:57:03-05:00February 19th, 2025|Nursing|5 Comments
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H5N1 Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) Update for Nurses and Other Health Providers

Influenza is a clever virus and one that deserves respect. Current concerns with the H5N1 avian influenza virus strain demonstrate why public health around the world continues to watch and monitor for impact on human health. Although the situation is not one that currently affects us on a day-to-day basis, it is important that we have a basic understanding of why this remains newsworthy.

Spread and evolution of H5N1.

Since its emergence, H5N1 has spread across multiple continents, affecting wild birds, poultry, and mammals. In late 2023, the virus was detected in Antarctica for the first time, raising concerns about its impact on native wildlife. By 2024, H5N1 had been reported in various regions, including Europe, Asia, and the Americas, leading to significant poultry losses and economic challenges.

In the United States, H5N1 has been detected in wild birds, poultry, and mammals across all 50 states. As of early 2025, nearly 70 human cases have been confirmed, primarily among individuals with direct exposure to infected animals. In December 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first severe human case of H5N1 in Louisiana, involving a patient hospitalized with severe illness.

We have seen H5N1 move across nonhuman animal species, to situations where humans have become mildly ill after contact with animals, and now to situations where animal contact has resulted in severe human illness.

Since this particular strain of influenza has been detected in a variety of animals, but rarely in humans, what is the concern? The concern […]

2025-02-13T12:42:43-05:00February 13th, 2025|infection control, infectious diseases, Nursing, Public health|0 Comments
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Human Metapneumovirus: Another Important Cause of Respiratory Illness

Photo by Maria Kovalets/Unsplash

Respiratory viruses are part of our surrounding ecology, with rates increasing and decreasing across seasons and in accordance with the individual virus environmental preferences and human interactions. The SARS-CoV2 pandemic heightened international concern regarding respiratory virus presence and continues to serve as a stark reminder that illness anywhere in the world can have a profound impact on health in the United States. Recent surveillance information from East Asia and the United States have recognized an increase in a respiratory virus that may not be familiar to many, human metapneumovirus (hMPV or HMPV).

Human metapneumovirus is a respiratory virus that belongs to the Paramyxoviridae family, the same family as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and parainfluenza viruses. Although hMPV was first identified in 2001, it has not gained as broad name recognition as other respiratory viruses and may still be unfamiliar to many.

This virus causes respiratory tract infections in people of all ages, but it is most common in young children, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals. hPMV infections are common in late winter and early spring. By the age of 5, most children have been exposed to the virus; reinfections can occur throughout life, though they are generally less severe in healthy adults. This […]

2025-02-03T13:49:44-05:00February 3rd, 2025|Nursing|0 Comments
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Views expressed on the blog are solely those of the authors or persons quoted. They do not necessarily reflect AJN’s views or those of Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
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