Perhaps Intuitively Obvious (To Those Paying Close Attention), But Measles Cases In The Very Young Are Also Spiking In DRC Provinces Where Mpox Is On The Rise...

Again, this news underscores the need for much more medical aid (both on an emergency basis, and longer term public vaccination protocols) -- into all the nations now enduring the Mpox Clade 1b outbreak.

And it perhaps argues for a series of nationwide vaccine programs in the schools for the generation of children who never got one, throughout Africa. Here's the latest, from the University of Minnesota's fine CIDRAP reporting:

. . .Ngashi Ngongo, MD, PhD, who leads Africa CDC's mpox incident management team, said suspected measles cases in South Kivu province began rising alongside mpox cases in early May, with a similar trend seen in North Kivu province. He said the pattern is very concerning.

Coverage of measles-containing vaccine is very low in some areas, leaving a cohort of unvaccinated children vulnerable to the highly transmissible disease, he said. He added that trends underscore the risk of co-infection in treatment centers, especially in areas with low measles vaccination rates.

Most of the cases have occurred in children younger than 15 years old.

Ngongo said other factors likely play a role, such as high rates of childhood malnutrition, which can weaken the immune system and increase vulnerability to both diseases. He said researchers are still trying to understand the interaction between measles and mpox. . . .

Please be. . . excellent to one another, now and every day hence. [And Buffs are bowl-eligible! Woot!]

नमस्ते