Apr 9, 2019

NYC declares public health emergency over measles outbreak

An MMR vaccination against measles, mumps, and rubella is prepared. Photo by: BSIP/UIG via Getty Images

New York City declared a public health emergency on Tuesday over the current measles outbreak and ordered mandatory vaccinations for everyone exposed to the virus, adding that the city will issue violations and possibly fines for those who do not comply, the New York Times reports.

The big picture: This year's measles outbreak is the 2nd largest since 2000. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported outbreaks in New York City, Washington state, Texas, Illinois and California. Rockland County in New York declared a local state of emergency at the end of March, while Tuesday's public health emergency follows an ongoing measles outbreak in the Williamsburg Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn.

"This is the epicenter of a measles outbreak that is very, very troubling and must be dealt with immediately. ... The measles vaccine works. It is safe, it is effective, it is time-tested."

— NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio at a news conference in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Go deeper: Measles cases will "certainly" surpass 2018 due to lack of vaccinations

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Mike Allen

Bernie's juggernaut

Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks in San Antonio last night with his wife, Jane. Photo: Eric Gay/AP

Sen. Bernie Sanders won so big in the Nevada caucuses that Democrats are hard-pressed to sketch a way he's not their nominee.

Driving the news: With 60% of precincts counted (slow, but better than Iowa!), Sanders is running away with 46% of delegates — crushing Joe Biden's 20%, Pete Buttigieg's 15%, Sen. Elizabeth Warren's 10% and Sen. Amy Klobuchar's 5%.

Go deeperUpdated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Jacob Knutson

Buttigieg campaign claims Nevada caucuses were "plagued with errors"

Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Pete Buttigieg's campaign wrote a letter on Sunday asking the Nevada State Democratic Party to release early vote and in-person vote totals by precinct and address certain caucus errors identified by campaigns, The Nevada Independent reports.

The big picture: The campaign alleges that the process of integrating early votes on caucus day was “plagued with errors and inconsistencies,” and says it received more than 200 incident reports from precincts around the state.

Go deeperUpdated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Axios

Coronavirus threat grows, threatening some drug supplies

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's Health Ministry. Note: China numbers are for the mainland only and U.S. numbers include repatriated citizens.

As the novel coronavirus continues spreading globally and China grapples with a limited production capability, there's a growing risk to about 150 prescription drugs in the U.S., sources tell Axios.

The big picture: The coronavirus has spread to more countries, with both South Korea and Italy stepping up emergency measures amid rising case numbers on Sunday. COVID-19 has killed at least 2,467 people and infected almost 79,000 others, mostly in mainland China.

Go deeperUpdated 2 hours ago - Health