florida travel advisory cdc

Your browser is not supported for this experience. We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.

Find Your Favorite Beach

Atlantic Coast

Beach Camping

Family-Friendly

Places to stay.

Campgrounds

Travel Ideas

Accessible Travel

Eco-Friendly Travel

African American Heritage Travel

More Travel Ideas

Popular links.

Florida Webcams

Toll Roads Info

Travel Guides

No travel safety advisories are in effect at this time. .

View live webcams and get updates from all over the state here .

Additional Resources

• Visit  FloridaDisaster.org  for the latest on the state's response actions.
• Follow  FLSERT  on Twitter for real-time updates from the State’s Emergency Response Team.
• Florida 511  has the latest information on traffic conditions.
• Go to  Alert Florida  to sign up for emergency alerts and other public safety notifications in your community. 
• Check  The National Hurricane Center  for the latest information on any storms.
• The Expedia Emergency Accommodations Portal  
• Florida Attractions Association - Attractions Status Page
• Florida State Parks - Current Park Closures

STRATEGIC ALLIANCE PARTNERS

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• March Madness
• AP Top 25 Poll
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

No, the CDC didn’t issue a travel advisory for Florida over an increase in leprosy cases

• Copy Link copied

CLAIM: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a travel advisory for Florida due to increased cases of leprosy.

AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. A CDC journal published a report about increased incidence of the disease in Florida that suggested that travel to the state should be considered when conducting contact tracing. But the agency didn’t advise people not to visit.

THE FACTS: Leprosy , officially known as Hansen’s disease, is a bacterial infection that can affect the nerves, skin, eyes, and lining of the nose. While the disease has historically been uncommon in the U.S., a new report about cases in Florida has stirred false claims that federal officials are advising people to avoid the state.

“The CDC has issued a travel advisory for the state of Florida due to increase in leprosy cases,” reads one recent post on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter. “Maybe Ron DeSantis should focus on that instead of Mickey Mouse and drag queens.”

Another claimed: “The CDC has issued a travel advisory in Florida due to LEPROSY.”

But the CDC hasn’t issued such a travel advisory.

In fact, the agency’s page about the disease clearly states : “CDC has not issued a travel advisory for Florida, or any other state, due to Hansen’s disease (leprosy).”

“Hansen’s disease, also known as leprosy, is very rare in the United States, with less than 200 cases reported per year,” the page adds. “Most people with Hansen’s disease in the U.S. became infected in a country where it is more common. In the past, leprosy was feared as a highly contagious, devastating disease, but now we know that it’s hard to spread and it’s easily treatable.”

The agency’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal published a recent report about Florida noted that the state has experienced increased cases of leprosy “lacking traditional risk factors.”

“Those trends, in addition to decreasing diagnoses in foreign-born persons, contribute to rising evidence that leprosy has become endemic in the southeastern United States,” it added.

The report further said that travel to Florida “should be considered when conducting leprosy contact tracing in any state,” but didn’t advise against people visiting the state.

Leprosy cases have been rising over the last decade, the report said, and Florida was among the top states reporting new cases in 2020.

The CDC notes that the spread of leprosy between people is not completely understood, though scientists believe it’s transmitted through droplets when a person with the disease coughs or sneezes. The CDC and the World Health Organization both say catching the disease requires prolonged, close contact over months with someone with untreated leprosy. ___ This is part of AP’s effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP .

CDC updates travel guidelines; boost expected to Central Florida's economy

Cdc changes guidelines for travelers.

The CDC's new travel guidelines is expected to give Central Florida's economy a big boost.

ORLANDO, Fla. - The CDC says fully vaccinated people can travel with low risk and without quarantining. As more people get vaccinated, Central Florida economic experts say it's going to help the state's bottom line. 

Travelers at Orlando International Airport tell FOX 35 Orlando they felt more comfortable traveling because they were vaccinated. 

"We're vaccinated so that made a big difference," said Caryn Putchat, who was traveling to Orlando from Baltimore. "It puts us at less risk of catching it and less risk of giving it to other people, and that's important to us."

The CDC released a highly anticipated update to travel guidelines Friday, which says people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and traveling within the U.S. will not have to quarantine. 

The owner of On Deck Travel, Effie Walthall, says the new CDC guidelines, along with more people getting vaccinated have been bringing in business.

"Starting Monday, the floodgates opened," Walthall said. "People are calling me saying, 'Effie, I'm vaccinated. Where can you send me? I'm ready to travel.' So, I think the vaccine is a force to get people to travel again."

CDC: Vaccinated Americans can travel with low risk

The CDC issued its travel guidelines for vaccinated Americans, saying those who have been fully vaccinated are OK to fly with low risk.

Visit Orlando says the updated guidelines will work toward recovering Florida's travel and tourism industry. 

The Visit Orlando CEO said in a statement to FOX 35 Orlando: 

"The CDC’s updated guidelines for travel for fully vaccinated people is an important step in the recovery of Orlando’s travel and tourism industry which brings a 75 billion impact to our local economy and supports 41% of our workforce. We still have progress to make, including opening up international travel, but this update adds to our optimism that recovery is on the horizon."

Director of the Institute of Economic Forecasting at UCF Sean Snaith says the travel and tourism industry in Central Florida is trending up.   "I would expect to see that this recovery and travel will accelerate as we move through 2021," Snaith said. 

He says it would not only help places like Walt Disney World and Universal Studios but the surrounding businesses and their employees too. 

"The tourism industry is the most directly impacted by the number of visitors we get in the region, but you have to understand that impact spreads throughout the economy," Snaith said.

How do I prevent and prepare for COVID-19?

Public health is everyone’s responsibility. The best way to prevent disease and illness is to practice good public health mitigation measures, including:

Cover coughs and sneezes

COVID-19 spreads when an infected person breathes or coughs, expelling respiratory droplets that contain particles of the virus. Other people can breathe or come into contact with these droplets and become infected.

With this method of transmission, it is important to cover coughs and sneezes that can transmit the virus over long distances. Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, throw used tissues in the trash, and use your sleeve or the inside of your elbow when a tissue is not available.

Good respiratory hygiene can protect those around you from airborne illnesses like COVID-19, influenza (flu), and the common cold.

Improve ventilation

COVID-19 is an airborne illness that spreads when a healthy person comes into contact with the respiratory droplets of an infected person. Improving ventilation (airflow) can slow the spread of COVID-19 by preventing virus particles from collecting in your home.

Use the following methods to improve ventilation and clear virus particles:

• Bring fresh air into your home by opening windows and doors – be mindful of risks such as the presence of young children, outdoor pollution, and allergens.
• Set the HVAC fan to “on” rather than “auto.”
• Use properly fitting pleated filters rather than furnace filters.
• Change your filter every three months or according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Have your ventilation system professionally inspected each year.
• For extra protection, use a portable high-efficiency particulate air cleaner with a Clean Air Delivery Rate that meets or exceeds the square footage of the room where it will be used.
• Use standing and ceiling fans to improve airflow – when used in proximity of an open window, fans can help expel virus particles from your home.

Additional Steps

Wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds to help stop the spread of germs. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Make sure to wash your hands after coughing or sneezing, and before and after visiting sick people.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth . Studies have shown that, on average, people touch their face between 15-23 times an hour. Your hands may touch infected surfaces and become contaminated with disease-causing bacteria.

Maintain a hygienic environment by cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces, including tables, doorknobs, countertops, handles, and phones using a household cleaner that contains soap or detergent. To disinfect your home, use a disinfectant from EPA List N or a bleach solution.

What do I do if I think I was exposed to COVID-19?

What do i do if i'm sick, what are the symptoms and signs of covid-19.

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms.

People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Muscle or body aches
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting

This list does not include all possible symptoms. Read about  COVID-19 symptoms .

Where can I get a COVID-19 vaccine?

Florida has many sites that are providing free COVID-19 vaccines.

Is there a cost or a fee for the vaccine?

• Entertainment
• Newsletters

CDC study finds rising cases of leprosy in Florida

Veronica Crespo , Digital Journalist

Hatzel Vela , Reporter

A study conducted by the Center for Disease Control calls Central Florida an “endemic” location for leprosy.

According to a case report by the CDC for Aug. 2023 , Central Florida, in particular, accounted for 81% of cases reported in Florida and almost one fifth of nationally reported cases.

A 54-year-old man from Central Florida showed signs of the disease recently.

Dr. Giorgio Tarchini, an infectious disease specialist and Chief Medical Officer at HCA Florida Northwest in Margate, reviewed pictures of the patient provided by the CDC with Local 10′s Hatzel Vela.

“It’s important to know it’s a very rare disease and it’s also very difficult to get it,” said Tarchini.

According to the CDC study, scientists believe transmission cases may be linked to bacteria in the soil. The cause of some cases has also been linked to armadillos and person-to-person contact through respiratory droplets.

Leprosy, or Hansen disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by the acid-fast rod Mycobacterium leprae. Leprosy primarily affects the skin and peripheral nervous system and causes nerves to become swollen, causing numbness and also causing skin discoloration.

According to the CDC, in 2020, 159 new cases of leprosy were reported in the United States. This year, the state’s health department has reported 16 cases in Florida. With four cases in Brevard County, Three in Volusia County and zero in Miami-Dade and Broward County.

In 2022, the state reported eight cases.

Doctors believe it is highly unlikely to become infected.

“Actually, 95 percent of people in general have naturally immunity, so even if they’re exposed, they’re not going to get infected,” said Tarchini.

According to the Florida Department of Health, doctors are required to report leprosy in Florida by the next business day.

For more information about the study, click on this link .

Copyright 2023 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

About the Authors

Veronica crespo.

Veronica Crespo writes for Local10.com and also oversees the Español section of the website. Born and raised in Miami, she graduated from the University of Miami, where she studied broadcast journalism and Spanish.

Hatzel Vela

In January 2017, Hatzel Vela became the first local television journalist in the country to move to Cuba and cover the island from the inside. During his time living and working in Cuba, he covered some of the most significant stories in a post-Fidel Castro Cuba. 

RELATED STORIES

Estudio de los cdc encuentra un aumento de los casos de lepra en florida.

Recommended Videos

You are using an outdated browser. Upgrade your browser today or install Google Chrome Frame to better experience this site.

United States Traveler View

Novel Coronavirus Travel Information

• Level 3: Cruise Ship Travel
• Coronavirus and Travel in the United States

For general advice about your trip to the United States, see these additional resources:

• US Department of State’s Travel.State.gov - including information on visas for foreign citizens traveling to the United States.
• US Customs and Border Protection
• Transportation Security Administration

Map Disclaimer - The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on maps do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full agreement are generally marked.

Other Destinations

If you need help finding travel information:

Message & data rates may apply. CDC Privacy Policy

File Formats Help:

• Adobe PDF file
• Microsoft PowerPoint file
• Microsoft Word file
• Microsoft Excel file
• Audio/Video file
• Apple Quicktime file
• RealPlayer file
• Zip Archive file

Exit Notification / Disclaimer Policy

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
• Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
• You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
• CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website.

CDC issues leprosy warning for people making Florida travel plans

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning that cases of leprosy , also known as Hansen’s disease, are surging in Florida and should be considered when making travel plans.

The infectious disease primarily affects the skin and nervous system and can be easy to treat if caught early.

Leprosy has been historically uncommon in the United States, but has more than doubled in the South over the last 10 years. In a case report issued Monday , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that Central Florida has accounted for 81% of reported cases in the state and almost one-fifth of reported cases nationwide.

Of the 159 new leprosy cases reported in the United States in 2020, Florida was among the top reporting states with nearly 30 cases. The Florida Department of Health reported 19 cases from July 2022 to July 2023, with one South Florida case in Palm Beach County.

The CDC said if untreated, the disease can progress to paralysis, blindness, the loss of one’s eyebrows, physical disfigurement, and even the crippling of hands and feet. Symptoms include loss of feeling in hands and feet, nasal congestion and possibly dry, stiff, sometimes painful skin.

The warning comes because of what health officials learned when examining patients diagnosed with leprosy.

“Whereas leprosy in the United States previously affected persons who had immigrated from leprosy-endemic areas, about 34% of new case-patients during 2015–2020 appeared to have locally acquired the disease,” the CDC report says. According to the World Health Organization, medical officials report more than 200,000 cases of leprosy every year in more than 120 countries. While the reason behind the rising cases in Florida is unclear, there is some support for the theory that international migration to Central Florida of people with leprosy is fueling the locally-acquired transmission.

“Prolonged person-to-person contact through respiratory droplets is the most widely recognized route of transmission,” the CDC report says.

When contact tracing cases in Central Florida, health officials found no associated risk factors, including travel, zoonotic exposure, occupational association, or personal contacts. “The absence of traditional risk factors in many recent cases of leprosy in Florida, coupled with the high proportion of residents who spend a great deal of time outdoors, supports the investigation into environmental reservoirs as a potential source of transmission,” the report says.

Because Florida, particularly Central Florida, may represent an endemic location for leprosy, the CDC recommends that physicians consider leprosy if patients who recently have traveled Florida show symptoms.

Featured Clinical Reviews

• Screening for Atrial Fibrillation: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement JAMA Recommendation Statement January 25, 2022
• Evaluating the Patient With a Pulmonary Nodule: A Review JAMA Review January 18, 2022
• Download PDF
• Share X Facebook Email LinkedIn
• Permissions

Mounting Evidence Suggests Leprosy Is Endemic in Florida

In recent years, an increasing number of people in Florida have been diagnosed with leprosy who don’t have a history of risk factors for typical transmission routes. These routes include travel to areas where the condition is widespread or contact with armadillos, which may harbor the infection-causing Mycobacterium leprae . Leprosy diagnoses in people born outside the US have also been decreasing.

Taken together, the trends suggest that the condition, also known as Hansen disease, has become endemic in the southeastern US, according to a report published in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) journal Emerging Infectious Diseases . The article included a case report of a person in central Florida without traditional risk factors who was recently diagnosed with leprosy.

Read More About

Harris E. Mounting Evidence Suggests Leprosy Is Endemic in Florida. JAMA. 2023;330(9):798. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.13938

Manage citations:

© 2024

Artificial Intelligence Resource Center

Cardiology in JAMA : Read the Latest

Browse and subscribe to JAMA Network podcasts!

Others Also Liked

Select your interests.

Customize your JAMA Network experience by selecting one or more topics from the list below.

• Academic Medicine
• Acid Base, Electrolytes, Fluids
• Allergy and Clinical Immunology
• American Indian or Alaska Natives
• Anesthesiology
• Anticoagulation
• Art and Images in Psychiatry
• Artificial Intelligence
• Assisted Reproduction
• Bleeding and Transfusion
• Caring for the Critically Ill Patient
• Challenges in Clinical Electrocardiography
• Climate and Health
• Climate Change
• Clinical Challenge
• Clinical Decision Support
• Clinical Implications of Basic Neuroscience
• Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Consensus Statements
• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Critical Care Medicine
• Cultural Competency
• Dental Medicine
• Dermatology
• Diabetes and Endocrinology
• Diagnostic Test Interpretation
• Drug Development
• Electronic Health Records
• Emergency Medicine
• End of Life, Hospice, Palliative Care
• Environmental Health
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Facial Plastic Surgery
• Gastroenterology and Hepatology
• Genetics and Genomics
• Genomics and Precision Health
• Global Health
• Guide to Statistics and Methods
• Hair Disorders
• Health Care Delivery Models
• Health Care Economics, Insurance, Payment
• Health Care Quality
• Health Care Reform
• Health Care Safety
• Health Care Workforce
• Health Disparities
• Health Inequities
• Health Policy
• Health Systems Science
• History of Medicine
• Hypertension
• Images in Neurology
• Implementation Science
• Infectious Diseases
• Innovations in Health Care Delivery
• JAMA Infographic
• Law and Medicine
• Leading Change
• Less is More
• LGBTQIA Medicine
• Lifestyle Behaviors
• Medical Coding
• Medical Devices and Equipment
• Medical Education
• Medical Education and Training
• Medical Journals and Publishing
• Mobile Health and Telemedicine
• Narrative Medicine
• Neuroscience and Psychiatry
• Notable Notes
• Nutrition, Obesity, Exercise
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Occupational Health
• Ophthalmology
• Orthopedics
• Otolaryngology
• Pain Medicine
• Palliative Care
• Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
• Patient Care
• Patient Information
• Performance Improvement
• Performance Measures
• Perioperative Care and Consultation
• Pharmacoeconomics
• Pharmacoepidemiology
• Pharmacogenetics
• Pharmacy and Clinical Pharmacology
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
• Physical Therapy
• Physician Leadership
• Population Health
• Primary Care
• Professional Well-being
• Professionalism
• Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
• Public Health
• Pulmonary Medicine
• Regulatory Agencies
• Reproductive Health
• Research, Methods, Statistics
• Resuscitation
• Rheumatology
• Risk Management
• Scientific Discovery and the Future of Medicine
• Shared Decision Making and Communication
• Sleep Medicine
• Sports Medicine
• Stem Cell Transplantation
• Substance Use and Addiction Medicine
• Surgical Innovation
• Surgical Pearls
• Teachable Moment
• Technology and Finance
• The Art of JAMA
• The Arts and Medicine
• The Rational Clinical Examination
• Tobacco and e-Cigarettes
• Translational Medicine
• Trauma and Injury
• Treatment Adherence
• Ultrasonography
• Users' Guide to the Medical Literature
• Vaccination
• Venous Thromboembolism
• Veterans Health
• Women's Health
• Workflow and Process
• Wound Care, Infection, Healing
• Register for email alerts with links to free full-text articles
• Access PDFs of free articles
• Manage your interests
• Save searches and receive search alerts

Update April 12, 2024

Information for u.s. citizens in the middle east.

• Travel Advisories |
• Contact Us |
• MyTravelGov |

Find U.S. Embassies & Consulates

Travel.state.gov, congressional liaison, special issuance agency, u.s. passports, international travel, intercountry adoption, international parental child abduction, records and authentications, popular links, travel advisories, mytravelgov, stay connected, legal resources, legal information, info for u.s. law enforcement, replace or certify documents.

Share this page:

Learn about your destination

Take 90 seconds for safer travel.

Travel Advisory Levels

Enroll in step.

Subscribe to get up-to-date safety and security information and help us reach you in an emergency abroad.

Recommended Web Browsers: Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.

External Link

You are about to leave travel.state.gov for an external website that is not maintained by the U.S. Department of State.

Links to external websites are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of State of the views or products contained therein. If you wish to remain on travel.state.gov, click the "cancel" message.

You are about to visit:

NAACP Issues Travel Advisory in Florida

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

May 20, 2023

Contact: Chyna Fields [email protected]

WASHINGTON – Today, the NAACP Board of Directors issued a formal travel advisory for the state of Florida. The travel advisory comes in direct response to Governor Ron DeSantis' aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools. 

The formal travel notice states, "Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals. Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color." 

"Let me be clear - failing to teach an accurate representation of the horrors and inequalities that Black Americans have faced and continue to face is a disservice to students and a dereliction of duty to all," said NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson. "Under the leadership of Governor Desantis, the state of Florida has become hostile to Black Americans and in direct conflict with the democratic ideals that our union was founded upon. He should know that democracy will prevail because its defenders are prepared to stand up and fight. We're not backing down, and we encourage our allies to join us in the battle for the soul of our nation."

The travel advisory was initially proposed to the Board of Directors by NAACP's Florida State Conference. NAACP's collective consideration of this advisory is a result from unrelenting attacks on fundamental freedoms from the Governor and his legislative body. 

"Once again, hate-inspired state leaders have chosen to put politics over people. Governor Ron DeSantis and the state of Florida have engaged in a blatant war against principles of diversity and inclusion and rejected our shared identities to appeal to a dangerous, extremist minority," said Chair of the NAACP Board of Directors, Leon Russell. "We will not allow our rights and history to be held hostage for political grandstanding. The NAACP proudly fights against the malicious attacks in Florida, against Black Americans. I encourage my fellow Floridians to join in this fight to protect ourselves and our democracy."

Following Gov. DeSantis' so-called leadership in driving the state to reject students' access to AP African American studies course in March, the NAACP distributed 10,000 books to 25 predominantly Black communities across the state in collaboration with the American Federation of Teachers's Reading Opens the World program. The majority of the books donated were titles banned under the state's increasingly restrictive laws. The NAACP continues to encourage local branches and youth councils to start community libraries to ensure access to representative literature.

The NAACP encourages Florida residents to join this effort to defeat the regressive policies of this Governor and this state legislature. Interested residents and supporters can visit www.naacp.org for additional information and updates. 

About NAACP

The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for the civil rights due to Black America. Our legacy is built on the foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st century activists. From classrooms and courtrooms to city halls and Congress, our network of members across the country works to secure the social and political power that will end race-based discrimination. That work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities.

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund – also referred to as the NAACP-LDF - was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but now operates as a completely separate entity.

• Health & Well-being
• Press Statement
• Legislative & Political Action
• Travel Advisory

Health | South Florida store linked to Salmonella…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on X (Opens in new window)

Daily e-Edition

Evening e-Edition

SUBSCRIBER ONLY

Health | south florida store linked to salmonella outbreak from trader joe’s basil, cdc says.

A South Florida herb company supplied contaminated basil to Trader Joe’s that is now linked to a Salmonella outbreak, health officials said.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory Wednesday telling people to throw away Trader Joe’s organic basil supplied by the company Infinite Herbs. Currently, 12 people have reported infections since February, three in Florida and nine in other states, though the actual number of sick people is likely much higher. One person has been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported.

Ten of 12 people interviewed by the CDC said they shopped at Trader Joe’s prior to getting sick. Seven of eight people “with information available” reported buying the organic basil sold in the 2.5 oz clamshell-style containers, the Food and Drug Administration said .

The FDA traced the basil to a Miami-based supplier, Infinite Herbs, LLC. The shop is based in Doral, according to its website.

“The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” CDC officials wrote in the investigation details posted Wednesday. “This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.”

Anyone who owns the basil should throw it out and clean any surfaces it may have touched, including refrigerator shelves and cutting boards.

Outside of Florida, the basil is sold at Trader Joe’s locations in 28 states and Washington, D.C. On April 12, Trader Joe’s stopped receiving shipments and the product is no longer in stores.

“Investigators are working to determine if additional products may be contaminated,” the CDC said.

Symptoms of Salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. They begin anywhere from six hours to six days after consuming the bacteria. Most people recover within four to seven days without needing treatment. However, children under 5, elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems are at risk of becoming more severely sick and even hospitalized.

The bacteria causes over 1.3 million infections a year, about 420 of which result in death, according to CDC estimates.

This is a developing story, so check back for updates.  Click here  to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.

More in Health

Politics | Poll shows Florida abortion, marijuana referendums short of passage; bigger challenge for pot question

Environment | Once praised, settlement to help sickened BP oil spill workers leaves most with nearly nothing

Marijuana | Florida blocks sale of hemp products from Hollywood business

Local News | Broward audit criticizes heart test pilot program; new sales tax shelved for now

Durability of Original Monovalent mRNA Vaccine Effectiveness Against COVID-19 Omicron–Associated Hospitalization in Children and Adolescents — United States, 2021–2023

Weekly / April 18, 2024 / 73(15);330–338

Laura D. Zambrano, PhD 1 ; Margaret M. Newhams, MPH 2 ; Regina M. Simeone, PhD 1 ; Amanda B. Payne, PhD 1 ; Michael Wu, MSc 1 ; Amber O. Orzel-Lockwood, MPH 2 ; Natasha B. Halasa, MD 3 ; Jemima M. Calixte, MS 2 ; Pia S. Pannaraj, MD 4 ,5 ; Kanokporn Mongkolrattanothai, MD 6 ; Julie A. Boom, MD 7 ; Leila C. Sahni, PhD 7 ; Satoshi Kamidani, MD, PhD 8 ,9 ; Kathleen Chiotos, MD 10 ; Melissa A. Cameron, MD 11 ; Aline B. Maddux, MD 12 ,13 ; Katherine Irby, MD 14 ; Jennifer E. Schuster, MD 15 ; Elizabeth H. Mack, MD 16 ; Austin Biggs, MD 16 ; Bria M. Coates, MD 17 ,18 ; Kelly N. Michelson, MD 17 ,18 ; Katherine E. Bline, MD 19 ; Ryan A. Nofziger, MD 20 ; Hillary Crandall, MD, PhD 21 ,22 ; Charlotte V. Hobbs, MD 23 ; Shira J. Gertz, MD 24 ; Sabrina M. Heidemann, MD 25 ; Tamara T. Bradford, MD 26 ,27 ; Tracie C. Walker, MD 28 ; Stephanie P. Schwartz, MD 28 ; Mary Allen Staat, MD 29 ; Samina S. Bhumbra, MD 30 ; Janet R. Hume, MD 31 ; Michele Kong, MD 32 ; Melissa S. Stockwell, MD 33 ,34 ,35 ; Thomas J. Connors, MD 35 ,36 ; Melissa L. Cullimore, MD 37 ; Heidi R. Flori, MD 38 ; Emily R. Levy, MD 39 ; Natalie Z. Cvijanovich, MD 40 ; Matt S. Zinter, MD 41 ; Mia Maamari, MD 42 ; Cindy Bowens, MD 42 ; Danielle M. Zerr, MD 43 ; Judith A. Guzman-Cottrill, DO 44 ; Ivan Gonzalez, MD 45 ; Angela P. Campbell, MD 1, *; Adrienne G. Randolph, MD 2 ,46 ,47, *; Overcoming COVID-19 Investigators ( View author affiliations )

What is already known about this topic?

COVID-19 vaccination was shown to be effective against pediatric COVID-19 hospitalization before the emergence of the Omicron variant.

What is added by this report?

During December 19, 2021–October 29, 2023, receipt of ≥2 doses of an original monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccine was 52% effective against pediatric COVID-19 hospitalization and 57% effective against critical illness related to COVID-19, when the last dose was received within the 4 months preceding hospitalization, but protection decreased over time.

What are the implications for public health practice?

These findings support existing recommendations that children and adolescents aged 5–18 years remain up to date with COVID-19 vaccination given low vaccination coverage and waning effectiveness over time against COVID-19–related hospitalizations.

• Article PDF
• Full Issue PDF

Pediatric COVID-19 vaccination is effective in preventing COVID-19–related hospitalization, but duration of protection of the original monovalent vaccine during SARS-CoV-2 Omicron predominance merits evaluation, particularly given low coverage with updated COVID-19 vaccines. During December 19, 2021–October 29, 2023, the Overcoming COVID-19 Network evaluated vaccine effectiveness (VE) of ≥2 original monovalent COVID-19 mRNA vaccine doses against COVID-19–related hospitalization and critical illness among U.S. children and adolescents aged 5–18 years, using a case-control design. Too few children and adolescents received bivalent or updated monovalent vaccines to separately evaluate their effectiveness. Most case-patients (persons with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result) were unvaccinated, despite the high frequency of reported underlying conditions associated with severe COVID-19. VE of the original monovalent vaccine against COVID-19–related hospitalizations was 52% (95% CI = 33%–66%) when the most recent dose was administered <120 days before hospitalization and 19% (95% CI = 2%–32%) if the interval was 120–364 days. VE of the original monovalent vaccine against COVID-19–related hospitalization was 31% (95% CI = 18%–43%) if the last dose was received any time within the previous year. VE against critical COVID-19–related illness, defined as receipt of noninvasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, vasoactive infusions, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and illness resulting in death, was 57% (95% CI = 21%–76%) when the most recent dose was received <120 days before hospitalization, 25% (95% CI = –9% to 49%) if it was received 120–364 days before hospitalization, and 38% (95% CI = 15%–55%) if the last dose was received any time within the previous year. VE was similar after excluding children and adolescents with documented immunocompromising conditions. Because of the low frequency of children who received updated COVID-19 vaccines and waning effectiveness of original monovalent doses, these data support CDC recommendations that all children and adolescents receive updated COVID-19 vaccines to protect against severe COVID-19.

Introduction

mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been recommended for U.S. children and adolescents aged ≥5 years since November 2021 † ( 1 ). Two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) vaccine protected against COVID-19–related hospitalizations before and after emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant ( 2 , 3 ). Throughout Omicron variant predominance (beginning in December 2021), estimated pediatric COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) of the original monovalent vaccine was lower ( 2 , 4 ). This analysis evaluated durability of effectiveness of original monovalent vaccines, which were only available before September 2022, against COVID-19–related hospitalization among children and adolescents aged 5–18 years during December 19, 2021–October 29, 2023, when the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant predominated.

Study Participants

VE of ≥2 original monovalent COVID-19 vaccine doses § against COVID-19–related hospitalizations (December 19, 2021–October 29, 2023 ¶ ) across 34 Overcoming COVID-19 Network sites** was evaluated using a case-control design according to previously described methods ( 2 , 3 ). Case-patients were children and adolescents aged 5–18 years who were hospitalized for acute COVID-19 and received a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result. †† Control patients hospitalized for COVID-19–like illness were matched to case-patients by site, age group, and admission date, but received a negative SARS-CoV-2 test result. §§ Critical COVID-19–related illness was defined as receipt of noninvasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, vasoactive infusions, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and illness resulting in death. Children and adolescents were a priori excluded from the analysis if they 1) received their most recent dose ≥365 days before hospitalization, 2) had an incomplete COVID-19 mRNA primary vaccination series, 3) had a COVID-19 hospitalization within the preceding 60 days, 4) had an unverifiable vaccination status, or 5) received a positive influenza test result. ¶¶ Given subsequent findings of low (3%) bivalent vaccination coverage and no reported receipt of updated (2023–2024 formula) monovalent doses, children who received updated formulations were post hoc excluded from VE analyses.

Statistical Analysis and Vaccine Effectiveness Estimation

Bivariate associations between sociodemographic factors and both case or control status and vaccination status among case- and control patients were assessed using chi-square tests for binomial or categorical variables or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests for continuous variables. VE was estimated among all hospitalized patients and among patients without documented immunocompromising conditions*** and calculated as (1 − adjusted odds ratio) × 100% by time between last vaccine dose and hospitalization and by age, ††† using multivariable logistic regression, §§§ including hospital site as a repeated effect using generalized estimating equations, and adjusting for the presence of one or more underlying medical condition, age (in years), month and year of hospitalization, U.S. Census Bureau region of hospital, social vulnerability index (SVI; i.e., continuous ranging from 0–1, with higher scores indicating increased vulnerability), and race and ethnicity. SAS software (version 9.4; SAS Institute) was used to conduct all analyses. This activity was reviewed by CDC, deemed not research, and conducted consistent with applicable federal law and CDC policy. ¶¶¶

Characteristics of Enrolled Population

During December 19, 2021–October 29, 2023, a total of 3,348 patients were enrolled, including 1,551 (46%) case-patients and 1,797 (54%) control patients.**** Only 3% of case-patients and of control patients had received bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, and none reported receipt of an updated monovalent dose; therefore, VE for these specific formulations could not be estimated. Case- and control patients were similar in age, sex, hospital U.S. Census Bureau region, †††† presence of any underlying respiratory condition (e.g., asthma or chronic lung disease), and clinical support received ( Table 1 ). The presence of at least one underlying health condition was more common among case-patients (82%) than among control patients (73%) (p-value <0.001). Critical illness occurred in 294 (19%) case-patients and 322 (18%) control patients (p = 0.43). Patients living in lower SVI areas were more frequently vaccinated ( Table 2 ).

Vaccine Effectiveness

VE of original monovalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines against COVID-19–related hospitalization was 52% (95% CI = 33–66) when the most recent vaccine dose was received 7–119 days before hospitalization, 19% (95% CI = 2–32) when it was received 120–364 days before hospitalization, and 31% (95% CI = 18–43) if the last dose was received any time within the previous year. VE against critical COVID-19–related illness was 57% (95% CI = 21–76) when the last dose was 7–119 days before hospitalization, not significant when it was received 120–364 days before hospitalization, and 38% (95% CI = 15–55) when the most recent dose was received at any point within the previous year. During the peak of pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations (December 19, 2021–March 19, 2022), VE was 55% (95% CI = 38–67) against COVID-19–related hospitalizations when the last dose was received a median of 129 days before hospitalization (IQR = 47–198 days) and 79% (95% CI = 59–89) against critical COVID-19–related illness when the last dose was received a median of 132 days before hospitalization (IQR = 46–215) (Supplementary Table, https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/152988 ). Estimates were similar after excluding children and adolescents with documented immunocompromising conditions ( Table 3 ).

During the period of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron predominance, receipt of ≥2 original monovalent COVID-19 vaccine doses was associated with fewer COVID-19–related hospitalizations in children and adolescents aged 5–18 years; however, protection from original vaccines was not sustained over time, necessitating increased coverage with updated vaccines. Most children and adolescents in this analysis who were hospitalized with COVID-19 were unvaccinated, and few had received updated vaccine doses despite a high prevalence of underlying comorbidities associated with more severe disease. Vaccination frequency declined with increasing social vulnerability, highlighting disparities in vaccination coverage comparable with published estimates from at least one other U.S. public health surveillance network ( 5 ). This finding might be driven by factors including vaccine hesitancy or barriers to accessing vaccines among more vulnerable populations ( 5 ).

VE of original monovalent doses against COVID-19–related pediatric hospitalizations was lower than previous VE estimates reported by the Overcoming COVID-19 Network before Omicron emergence ( 2 ). However, VE estimates from this report among children and adolescents hospitalized during December 19, 2021–March 19, 2022, were similar to previously published VE estimates from this network among children and adolescents hospitalized within the same date range ( 2 ). In a separate U.S. study of children and adolescents aged 5–15 years, VE against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections was reported to wane in the months after a second dose, with improved VE observed after receipt of a booster dose ( 4 ). Effectiveness of bivalent vaccine formulations against pediatric hospitalizations was not estimable in this investigation; however, two recent studies report that receipt of a bivalent vaccine was associated with higher VE against symptomatic pediatric infections ( 6 ) and COVID-19–related hospitalizations in immunocompetent adults ( 7 ).

Limitations

The findings in this report are subject to at least four limitations. First, SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced immunity was not assessed ( 8 ); increased seroprevalence after Omicron BA.1 emergence ( 9 ) might have influenced observed VE. Second, limited viral sequencing data prevented consideration of subvariant-attributed immune evasion ( 10 ). Third, limited coverage with bivalent vaccines and currently recommended updated monovalent vaccines precluded the estimation of VE of these formulations. Finally, previously healthy children and adolescents accounted for <20% of case-patients, limiting generalizability.

Implications for Public Health Practice

Among approximately 1,500 children and adolescents aged 5–18 years with a COVID-19–related hospitalization, including nearly 300 with critical illness, original monovalent COVID-19 vaccines were associated with fewer hospitalizations, particularly within the first 4 months after vaccination. To address low coverage of updated vaccines and waning effectiveness of the original monovalent vaccine, children and adolescents should remain up to date with COVID-19 vaccination, including the current CDC recommendation for all persons aged ≥6 months to receive vaccination with updated (2023–2024) COVID-19 vaccines ( 1 ).

Overcoming COVID-19 Investigators

Meghan Murdock; Heather Kelley; Candice Colston; Ronald C. Sanders; Laura Miron; Masson Yates; Ashlyn Madding; Alexa Dixon; Michael Henne; Kathleen Sun; Jazmin Baez Maidana; Natalie Triester; Jaycee Jumarang; Daniel Hakimi; Kennis-Grace Mrotek; Liria Muriscot Niell; Natasha Baig; Elizabeth Temte; Lexi Petruccelli; Heidi Sauceda; Nicolette Gomez; Mark D. Gonzalez; Caroline R. Ciric; Jong-Ha C. Choi; Elizabeth G. Taylor; Grace X. Li; Nadine Baida; Heather E. Price; Mary Stumpf; Suden Kucukak; Eve Listerud; Maya Clark; Rylie Dittrich; Allison Zaff; Patrick Moran; Jessica C. Peterson; Noelle M. Drapeau; Lora Martin; Lacy Malloch; Maygan Martin; Cameron Sanders; Kayla Patterson; Melissa Sullivan; Shannon Pruitt; Elizabeth Ricciardi; Celibell Y. Vargas; Raul A. Silverio Francisco; Ana Valdez de Romero; Sheila Joshi; Merry Tomcany; Nicole Twinem; Chelsea C. Rohlfs; Amber Wolfe; Rebecca Douglas; Kathlyn Phengchomphet; Jenny Bush; Alanah Mckelvey; Mickael Boustany; Fatima A. Mohammed; Laura S. Stewart; Kailee Fernandez; Leenah Abojaib; Molly J. Kyles; Amanda Adler

Corresponding author: Laura D. Zambrano, [email protected] .

1 Coronavirus and Other Respiratory Viruses Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC; 2 Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; 3 Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee; 4 Division of Infectious Diseases, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; 5 Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California; 6 Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; 7 Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Immunization Project, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas; 8 The Center for Childhood Infections and Vaccines of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia; 9 Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia; 10 Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 11 Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, UC San Diego-Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego, California; 12 Department of Pediatrics, Section of Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado; 13 Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado; 14 Section of Pediatric Critical Care, Department of Pediatrics, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Little Rock, Arkansas; 15 Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri; 16 Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina; 17 Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; 18 Division of Critical Care Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; 19 Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio; 20 Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron, Ohio; 21 Division of Pediatric Critical Care, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah; 22 Primary Children’s Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah; 23 Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi; 24 Division of Pediatric Critical Care, Department of Pediatrics, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, New Jersey; 25 Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Central Michigan University, Detroit, Michigan; 26 Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana; 27 Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana; 28 Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Children’s Hospital, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; 29 Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; 30 Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana; 31 Division of Pediatric Critical Care, University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota; 32 Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama; 33 Division of Child and Adolescent Health, Department of Pediatrics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York; 34 Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health Columbia University, New York, New York; 35 New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital; New York, New York; 36 Division of Critical Care and Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York; 37 Division of Pediatric Critical Care, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska; 38 Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, Ann Arbor, Michigan; 39 Divisions of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota; 40 Division of Critical Care Medicine, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, Oakland, California; 41 Department of Pediatrics, Divisions of Critical Care Medicine and Allergy, Immunology, and Bone Marrow Transplant, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California; 42 Department of Pediatrics, Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern, Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Texas; 43 Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, Washington; 44 Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon; 45 Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida; 46 Department of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; 47 Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. Danielle M. Zerr reports institutional support from Merck and consulting fees from AlloVir. Melissa S. Stockwell reports institutional support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Mary Allen Staat reports institutional support from NIH, Pfizer, Cepheid, and Merck and receipt of royalties from UpToDate for chapters on adoption and immunization. Jennifer E. Schuster reports institutional support from NIH, the Food and Drug Administration, and the State of Missouri, receipt of an honorarium from the Missouri chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and participation on the advisory board of the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. Adrienne G. Randolph reports institutional support from NIH, royalties for UpToDate for work as a section editor, consulting fees from Inotrem, Inc. and ThermoFisher, Inc., receipt of honoraria from St. Jude Children’s Research Center and Volition, Inc., travel support from the International Sepsis Forum, participation on a data safety monitoring board for NIH and the Randomized Embedded Multifactorial Adaptive Platform for Community-acquired Pneumonia, serving as chair (2023–2024) of the International Sepsis Forum, and receipt of equipment from Illumina, Inc. (for institutional use). Pia S. Pannaraj reports institutional support from the National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and AstraZeneca, receipt of honoraria from IDweek and Infectious Diseases in Children Symposium, payment for expert testimony from BBV Law Firm and Helsell Fetterman Law Firm, waiver of registration fee for IDweek meeting, uncompensated participation on three data safety monitoring boards 1) Phase II, Double-Blind, Multicenter, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial to Assess the Safety, Reactogenicity and Immunogenicity of One or Two Doses of Multimeric-001 (M-001) Followed by One or Two Doses of an Influenza A/H7N9 Vaccine, 2) Therapeutic Fecal Transplant on the Gut Microbiome in Children with Ulcerative Colitis, and 3) Safety of Fecal Transplant in maintenance of pediatric Crohn’s disease), and uncompensated services as president of the California Immunization Coalition and the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases. Kanokporn Mongkolrattanothai reports institutional support from Gilead. Samina S. Bhumbra reports travel support from CDC to present a plenary lecture at the Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases. Kathleen Chiotos reports institutional support from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and travel support from IDWeek (2022), Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (2022), and Pediatric Academic Societies (2022). Bria M. Coates reports institutional support from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the American Lung Association, payment for expert testimony from Triplett Woolf Garretson, and participation on a Sobi Data Safety Monitoring Board. Thomas J. Connors reports grant support from NIH. Melissa L. Cullimore reports institutional support from NIH. Heidi R. Flori reports receipt of consulting fees from Lucira Health for advisory role for rapid diagnostic devices for COVID-19. Shira J. Gertz reports ownership of Pfizer stock. Ivan Gonzalez reports receipt of honoraria from the Florida Chapter of AAP for educational infection control initiatives and travel support from the Florida Chapter of AAP for regional conference attendance. Judith A. Guzman-Cottrill reports receipt of a consulting contract from the Oregon Health Authority. Natasha B. Halasa reports receipt of investigator-initiated grants from Sanofi, Quidel, and Merck. Charlotte V. Hobbs reports receipt of consulting fees from Dynamed.com and royalties as a content reviewer for UpToDate.com. Janet R. Hume reports institutional support from NIH and uncompensated participation on a data safety monitoring board for a study at the University of Minnesota (Magnesium sulfate as adjuvant analgesia and its effect on opiate use by postoperative transplant patients in the pediatric intensive care unit). Satoshi Kamidani reports institutional support from NIH, Pfizer, Moderna, Meissa, and Bavarian Nordic and receipt of honoraria from AAP. Michele Kong reports institutional support from NIH and uncompensated service on the Board of Directors for Jefferson County Department of Health, Callahan Eye Hospital, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and KultureCity. Regina M. Simeone reports payments received by her spouse from a previously managed Pfizer investment, which was sold in April 2023. No other potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

* These senior authors contributed equally to this report.

† A comprehensive listing of COVID-19 vaccination recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is available. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/acip-recs/vacc-specific/covid-19.html

§ The original monovalent vaccine was administered for all COVID-19 vaccinations until the bivalent formulation was authorized (on September 1, 2022, for third or higher doses for those aged >12 years; October 12, 2022, for third or higher doses for children aged 5–11 years; and April 22, 2023, for first or second doses for all eligible ages).

¶ To use all available data, this investigation included children and adolescents admitted through October 29, 2023, which included September 11, 2023–October 29, 2023, when children and adolescents were eligible to receive updated monovalent vaccines specific for the Omicron XBB lineage. However, no child or adolescent in this investigation had received an updated monovalent dose before the October 29, 2023, cutoff date.

** Children and adolescents were enrolled from 34 hospitals in 26 states across all four U.S. Census Bureau regions. Northeast : Boston Children’s Hospital (Massachusetts), Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center (New Jersey), and Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York-Presbyterian (New York); Midwest : Akron Children’s Hospital (Ohio), Children’s Hospital of Michigan (Michigan), Children’s Mercy Kansas City (Missouri), Children’s Nebraska (Nebraska), Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Center (Ohio), C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital (Michigan), Lurie Children’s Hospital (Illinois), Mayo Clinic (Minnesota), Minnesota Masonic (Minnesota), Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Ohio), and Riley Children’s (Indiana); South : Arkansas Children’s Hospital (Arkansas), Children’s of Alabama (Alabama), Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University (Georgia), Children’s Hospital of New Orleans (Louisiana), Children’s Medical Center of Dallas (Texas), Holtz Children’s Hospital (Florida), Medical University of South Carolina Children’s Health (South Carolina), Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt (Tennessee), Texas Children’s Hospital (Texas),University of Mississippi Medical Center (Mississippi), and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Children’s Hospital (North Carolina); West : Children’s Hospital Colorado (Colorado), Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (California), Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children’s Hospital (Oregon), Primary Children’s Hospital (Utah), Seattle Children’s (Washington), University of California, San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland (California), University of California San Diego-Rady Children’s Hospital (California), and University of California, San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital (California).

†† Case-patients received a positive result for a SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) or antigen test result 10 days before or within 72 hours after admission, with COVID-19 as the primary reason for hospitalization (directly or as an exacerbation of an underlying disease).

§§ Control patients matched to cases (1:1) by site, age group, and date of admission (within 3 weeks). COVID-19–like illness among control patients was defined as one or more of the following <14 days of hospitalization: fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, new or elevated respiratory support, new pulmonary findings on chest imaging, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Control patients received negative test results for SARS-CoV-2 by NAAT during or ≤7 days before hospital admission, with no positive NAAT/antigen test result <3 days after hospitalization.

¶¶ Patients who had an incomplete COVID-19 mRNA vaccination series included those who received only 1 dose of an mRNA primary series or whose last dose was too recent (second dose was completed within 14 days of hospitalization or third or higher dose was received within 7 days of hospitalization). Those excluded because of unverifiable vaccination status include those whose vaccination status could not be verified through source documentation (such as state immunization information systems, electronic medical records, or pediatrician records) or plausible self-report, whereby a parent or caregiver provided the date and location of dose.

*** Immunocompromising conditions included active or previous oncologic disorder or nononcologic immunosuppressive disorder (including solid organ transplant, HIV or AIDS, primary immunodeficiency, bone marrow transplant for nononcologic disease, and other disorder requiring treatment that suppresses immune system).

††† Analyses included time since last dose as a multilevel categorical predictor and used the following cutoffs: 14–119 days for second dose or 7–119 days for a third or higher dose, and 120–364 days for all second or higher doses. The interval between receipt of the last dose and hospitalization was calculated as the number of inclusive days between those events. Models examining VE by age were stratified by age group (ages 5–11 years and 12–18 years).

§§§ Multivariable models controlled for the presence of at least one underlying medical condition, continuous age in years, month and year of hospital admission, U.S. Census Bureau region, continuous SVI ranging between 0 and 1, and race and ethnicity, categorized as non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black or African-American, Hispanic or Latino, and other races, multiple races, or unknown.

¶¶¶ 45 C.F.R. part 46.102(l)(2), 21 C.F.R. part 56; 42 U.S.C. Sect. 241(d); 5 U.S.C. Sect. 552a; 44 U.S.C. Sect. 3501 et seq.

**** Initial inclusion criteria were met by 1,815 potential case-patients and 2,087 potential control patients. Among potential enrollees, 264 case-patients and 290 control patients were excluded, based on receipt of last vaccine dose ≥365 days before hospitalization (155 case-patients and 143 control patients), COVID-19 hospitalization within 60 days (13 case-patients and one control patient), incomplete vaccination or dose too recent (91 case-patients and 136 control patients), and unverifiable vaccination status through source documentation or plausible self-report (five case-patients and 10 control patients).

†††† https://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/maps-data/maps/reference/us_regdiv.pdf

• Regan JJ, Moulia DL, Link-Gelles R, et al. Use of updated COVID-19 vaccines 2023–2024 formula for persons aged ≥6 months: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices—United States, September 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72:1140–6. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7242e1 PMID:37856366
• Price AM, Olson SM, Newhams MM, et al.; Overcoming Covid-19 Investigators. BNT162b2 Protection against the Omicron variant in children and adolescents. N Engl J Med 2022;386:1899–909. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2202826 PMID:35353976
• Olson SM, Newhams MM, Halasa NB, et al.; Overcoming Covid-19 Investigators. Effectiveness of BNT162b2 vaccine against critical Covid-19 in adolescents. N Engl J Med 2022;386:713–23. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2117995 PMID:35021004
• Fleming-Dutra KE, Britton A, Shang N, et al. Association of prior BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccination with symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents during Omicron predominance. JAMA 2022;327:2210–9. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2022.7493 PMID:35560036
• Dalton AF, Weber ZA, Allen KS, et al. Relationships between social vulnerability and coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination coverage and vaccine effectiveness. Clin Infect Dis 2023;76:1615–25. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciad003 PMID:36611252
• Feldstein LR, Britton A, Grant L, et al. Effectiveness of bivalent mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years. JAMA 2024;331:408–16. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.27022 PMID:38319331
• Link-Gelles R, Weber ZA, Reese SE, et al. Estimates of bivalent mRNA vaccine durability in preventing COVID-19–associated hospitalization and critical illness among adults with and without immunocompromising conditions—VISION network, September 2022–April 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72:579–88. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7221a3 PMID:37227984
• Kahn R, Schrag SJ, Verani JR, Lipsitch M. Identifying and alleviating bias due to differential depletion of susceptible people in postmarketing evaluations of COVID-19 vaccines. Am J Epidemiol 2022;191:800–11. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwac015 PMID:35081612
• Marks KJ, Whitaker M, Anglin O, et al.; COVID-NET Surveillance Team. Hospitalizations of children and adolescents with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19—COVID-NET, 14 states, July 2021–January 2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022;71:271–8. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7107e4 PMID:35176003
• Cao Y, Yisimayi A, Jian F, et al. BA.2.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5 escape antibodies elicited by Omicron infection. Nature 2022;608:593–602. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04980-y PMID:35714668

Abbreviations: BiPAP = bilevel positive airway pressure; CPAP = continuous positive airway pressure; ICU = intensive care unit. * Binomial or categorical variables were compared using chi-square tests of independence, and continuous variables were compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. † The social vulnerability index is a scale (range = 0–1), reflecting a composite score of socioeconomic status, household characteristics, racial and ethnic minority status, and housing type and transportation. A lower score indicates lower social vulnerability, whereas a higher score indicates higher social vulnerability, which might predispose a population to worse health outcomes. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi § https://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/maps-data/maps/reference/us_regdiv.pdf ¶ Periods of Omicron subvariant circulation were defined as follows: BA.1: December 19, 2021–March 19, 2022 and BA.2/BA.4/BA.5/XBB.1.5/XBB.1.6: March 20–October 29, 2022. ** Immunocompromising conditions included active or previous oncologic disorder or nononcologic immunosuppressive disorder (including solid organ transplant, HIV or AIDS, primary immunodeficiency, bone marrow transplant for nononcologic disease, and other disorder requiring treatment that suppresses the immune system). †† All monovalent doses were original monovalent doses directed against wild type SARS-CoV-2. No child or adolescent had received an updated (2023–2024 formula) monovalent dose, authorized on September 11, 2023, before their hospitalization. §§ Children and adolescents who received a bivalent dose were excluded from the primary vaccine effectiveness analysis because bivalent vaccination coverage was insufficient to calculate vaccine effectiveness for this formulation. ¶¶ Critical illness was defined as illness resulting in noninvasive ventilation, invasive mechanical ventilation, receipt of vasoactive infusions, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or death.

Abbreviations : d = days before hospitalization; SVI = social vulnerability index. * This analysis excludes 43 of 1,551 case-patients who received a bivalent vaccine dose. † This analysis excludes 58 of 1,797 control patients who received a bivalent vaccine dose. § All monovalent doses received before hospitalization were original monovalent vaccine doses directed against the original SARS-CoV-2 strain. No child or adolescent had received an updated (2023–2024 formula) monovalent vaccine dose, authorized on September 11, 2022, before hospitalization. ¶ Binomial or categorical variables were compared using chi-square tests of independence and continuous variables were compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. ** One unvaccinated case-patient had sex noted as “other” and was excluded from this comparison. †† SVI is a scale (range = 0–1), reflecting a composite score of socioeconomic status, household characteristics, racial and ethnic minority status, and housing type and transportation. A lower score indicates lower social vulnerability, whereas a higher score indicates higher social vulnerability, which might predispose a population to worse health outcomes. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi §§ https://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/maps-data/maps/reference/us_regdiv.pdf ¶¶ Underlying medical conditions were coded as not present if they were either specifically marked as absent or if they were not noted in the child’s medical record. The reference group for each comparison is defined by those who did not have the listed underlying health condition. *** Immunocompromising conditions included active or previous oncologic disorder or nononcologic immunosuppressive disorder (including solid organ transplant, HIV or AIDS, primary immunodeficiency, bone marrow transplant for nononcologic disease, and other disorder requiring treatment that suppresses the immune system).

Abbreviation : VE = vaccine effectiveness. * All analyses excluded patients who received a bivalent vaccine dose (43 case-patients and 58 control patients). Models examining VE by time since last dose incorporated a three-level categorical predictor variable (unvaccinated, last monovalent dose 7–119 days before hospitalization, and last original monovalent dose 120 –364 days before hospitalization) to obtain VE estimates for each interval range. Models examining VE by age were stratified by age group (5–11 years and 12–18 years). All children who had received any original monovalent dose received their last dose within the previous year before hospitalization (<365 days). † All models controlled for underlying medical condition, continuous age (in years), month and year of hospital admission, U.S. Census Bureau region, continuous social vulnerability index (range = 0–1), and race and ethnicity (categorized as non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black or African-American, Hispanic or Latino, and other, multiple races, or unknown. Hospital site of enrollment was incorporated as a repeated effect. § This analysis excludes an additional 264 case-patients and 160 control patients who had documented immunocompromising conditions, yielding 1,244 case-patients and 1,579 control patients without any documented immunocompromising condition. ¶ Immunocompromising conditions included active or previous oncologic disorder or immunosuppressive disorder (defined as solid organ transplant, HIV or AIDS, primary immunodeficiency, bone marrow transplant for nononcologic disease, or other disorder requiring treatment that suppresses the immune system). ** Where models did not converge, subvariant period (BA.1: December 19, 2021–March 19, 2022 and BA.2/BA.4/BA.5/XBB.1.5/XBB.1.6: March 20, 2022–October 29, 2023) was substituted as a covariate in place of month and year of hospital admission. †† Critical illness was defined as illness resulting in noninvasive ventilation, invasive mechanical ventilation, receipt of vasoactive infusions, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or death. Both case-patients and control patients were required to have met this definition to be included in this subanalysis. §§ Some estimates are imprecise (where 95% CIs were wider than 50%), which might be due to a relatively small number of persons in each level of vaccination or case status. This imprecision indicates that the actual VE could be substantially different from the point estimate shown, and estimates should therefore be interpreted with caution. Additional data accrual could allow more precise interpretation.

Suggested citation for this article: Zambrano LD, Newhams MM, Simeone RM, et al. Durability of Original Monovalent mRNA Vaccine Effectiveness Against COVID-19 Omicron–Associated Hospitalization in Children and Adolescents — United States, 2021–2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:330–338. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7315a2 .

MMWR and Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report are service marks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are provided as a service to MMWR readers and do not constitute or imply endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CDC is not responsible for the content of pages found at these sites. URL addresses listed in MMWR were current as of the date of publication.

All HTML versions of MMWR articles are generated from final proofs through an automated process. This conversion might result in character translation or format errors in the HTML version. Users are referred to the electronic PDF version ( https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr ) and/or the original MMWR paper copy for printable versions of official text, figures, and tables.

Exit Notification / Disclaimer Policy

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
• Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
• You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
• CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website.

CDC Urges Americans To Stay Up-To-Date On Measles Vaccinations Citing Rise In Cases

T he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday issued an advisory addressed to clinicians and public health officials to note a recorded increase in global and U.S. measles cases since the start of the year, and repeat its call for vaccinations against the disease.

The public health agency urged Americans to make sure children over the age of 1 are up-to-date on their measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccinations to prevent infections and reduce the risk of community transmission of the highly contagious disease. The CDC added that children from 6 to 11 months old who plan to travel internationally should receive one dose of the MMR vaccine prior to departure.

While measles is highly preventable through vaccination, falling immunization rates in the U.S. and other countries have led to outbreaks in most years, despite the fact that the U.S. declared it had eliminated measles in 2000.

“From January 1 to March 14, 2024, CDC has been notified of 58 confirmed U.S. cases of measles across 17 jurisdictions, including seven outbreaks in seven jurisdictions compared to 58 total cases and four outbreaks reported the entire year in 2023,” the advisory reads.

About 93% of cases reported this year were connected to travel, the majority of which were recorded among children who had not received their MMR vaccinations.

Still, the CDC noted that the risk of a widespread outbreak is low in the U.S. given most of the population has immunity against the disease, but “pockets of low coverage leave some communities at higher risk for outbreaks.”

Measles carries the risk of major health complications, including pneumonia and even death, especially among those who have not been vaccinated against the disease. It also has the potential to spread really fast as the CDC notes it takes just one person to infect nine out of 10 people who they come into close contact with.

Vaccine coverage of U.S. kindergarteners with regards to measles has fallen in recent years with the CDC estimating that about 250,000 children have been vulnerable to the disease each year since 2021.

In the 2022 to 2023 academic year, under 95% of schoolchildren in 36 states and Washington, D.C., had been vaccinated against measles.

Meanwhile, last month, an elementary school in South Florida reported multiple cases of measles after the CDC had urged health care providers across the country to be “on alert” for potential cases. Out of the Florida school’s 1,100 students, 86 had not received the MMR vaccine, CBS News reported .

The U.S. is far from the only country reporting outbreaks as Austria, the Philippines, Romania and the U.K. have also had similar waves.

• Florida Has A Measles Outbreak. Here's What That Actually Means For You.
• Measles Outbreak At Florida Elementary School After CDC Warns Of Nationwide Rise
• Philadelphia Warns Of Measles Outbreak After Quarantined Kid Sent To Day Care Anyway
• An Ohio Measles Outbreak Could Be A Warning Sign

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Credit card rates
• Balance transfer credit cards
• Business credit cards
• Cash back credit cards
• Rewards credit cards
• Travel credit cards
• Checking accounts
• Online checking accounts
• High-yield savings accounts
• Money market accounts
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Car insurance
• Home buying
• Options pit
• Investment ideas
• Research reports
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Will seaweed on Florida beaches be bad in 2024? Here's the latest outlook

Just over a year ago, several Florida beaches w e re inundated by a smelly, irritating seaweed known as sargassum.

Will the same thing happen in 2024?

The University of South Florida reported earlier this month the amount of sargassum moving into the eastern Caribbean continued to increase over late February and "this trend will continue in the coming months."

Here's the latest outlook of what to expect.

Will Florida beaches be free of sargassum in April?

The southeast coast of Florida, including the Florida Keys, will be largely free of sargassum until late May, according to the University of South Florida's March Sargassum Outlook Bulletin.

When is sargassum expected to reach Florida beaches?

"According to what’s going on now and according to history, Florida should be largely free of Sargassum by at least late May or even early June," said Chuanmin Hu, professor of optical photography with the University of South Florida.

When sargassum does come, what Florida beaches could see the biggest impact?

"If large amounts of sargassum do come to Florida at that time — late May or early June — the most impacted areas will be the lower Florida Keys (ocean side) and along the southeast coast of Florida (Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, etc)," Hu said.

Will 2024 be a big sargassum year?

"It’s too early to predict whether this will be a major sargassum year for those areas," Hu said.

What about the Caribbean? When is the seaweed expected to reach those beaches?

The report said increased amounts of sargassum are expected in the central Atlantic and "particularly in the eastern Caribbean Sea over the next few months.

"By late April or early May, the coastal regions in the western Caribbean Sea may receive small to moderate amounts of Sargassum."

Read the full March Sargassum Outlook bulletin

Can't see the report. Open in a new browser.

Will hurricanes break up sargassum seaweed?

Forecasters are predicting a very busy Atlantic hurricane season due to record warm water temperatures and the presence of La Niña, which doesn't have the wind shear to tear apart developing storms like El Niño does.

Could those factors affect the seaweed in the Atlantic?

"It may be counter intuitive, but changes in sargassum quantity from year to year do not appear to be related to ocean temperature," Hu said.

"Hurricanes may dissipate large mats into pieces, but these pieces may aggregate again after hurricanes. In the past, we have seen both declines and increases in sargassum quantity after hurricanes. So the answer is, the impacts of hurricanes are variable."

Looking back at Florida beaches in April, May 2023

In April 2023, blooms stretched 5,000 miles across the Atlantic, weighing an estimated 13 million tons.

By May it was piling up on beaches in South Florida  and elsewhere.

Is there a way to tell exactly where sargassum will show up?

Not yet, but scientists are hopeful. USF researchers hope to improve forecasting to pinpoint specific beaches where the seaweed will appear.

“The goal is to be able to put a single beach on alert when a sargassum inundation is imminent, instead of alerting the entire Caribbean,” Brian Barnes, an assistant research professor and a principal investigator, said in 2023.

Their work is part of a five-year, $3.2 million NOAA grant for research into sargassum and sargassum forecasting. The grant also is shared by Florida Atlantic University and other institutions.

See conditions at Florida beaches using these webcams, interactive map of water quality

Planning to spend some time at the beach but want to check out the latest conditions? Here are several  webcams  around the state.

Use our interactive map to check water quality across Florida. You've be able to see if any health advisories have been issued for a particular location, whether for bacteria, blue-green algae or red tide.

What is sargassum?

Sargassum is a type of large brown seaweed — which actually is a type of algae — that floats in masses before it washes up on beaches.

These large floating clumps, patches, rafts, or "blobs" can stretch for miles across the ocean.

The rafts provide habitats for crab, shrimp, sea turtles and fish.

Does touching sargassum cause problems? What about breathing it in?

Tiny organisms that live in sargassum — like larvae of jellyfish — may irritate ski n if you come into contact with it, according to the Florida Department of Health.

"Exposure to decomposing seaweed can result in difficulty breathing, headaches, nausea, and skin eruptions called 'swimmers’ dermatitis,'” according to the Centers for Disease Control.

As sargassum rots, it releases hydrogen sulfide, which can be irritating. Seek medical attention if you experience respiratory problems, the CDC said.

If you do touch or swim with sargassum, the CDC advised rinsing off with "copious amounts of fresh water."

Can you eat sargassum seaweed?

"You should not use sargassum in cooking because it may contain large amounts of heavymetals like arsenic and cadmium," according to the Florida Department of Health.

How can you protect yourself from exposure to sargassum?

Tips from the Florida Department of Health include:

Always supervise children at the beach.

Avoid touching or swimming near seaweed to avoid stinging by organisms that live in it.

Use gloves if you must handle seaweed.

Stay away from the beach if you experience irritation or breathing problems from hydrogen sulfide — at least until symptoms go away.

Close windows and doors if you live near the beach.

Avoid or limit your time on the beach if you have asthma or other respiratory problems.

Contributor: Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Sargassum blobs in Florida: When will seaweed hit beaches in 2024?

Recommended Stories

Cities: skylines 2's embarrassed developers are giving away beachfront property for free.

Cities: Skylines 2 developer Colossal Order is unlisting and refunding purchases of its controversial Beach Properties asset pack less than a month after its release.

Get up close and personal with the Beatles, the Beach Boys and Jon Bon Jovi: New docs show fans a new side of their favorite artists

From in-depth interviews to never-before-seen footage, these documentaries go beyond the music.

Lacking a definitive top prospect, the 2024 NFL Draft’s running back class could face a historically long wait

An NFC GM suggested that as much as there is lacking star power at the top, there could be as many as “12 to 15” running backs drafted from the top of the second round to the end of the fourth.

Washington Mystics announce June game vs. Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever moved to Capital One Arena

The venue will provide a bigger capacity than their current 4,200-seat home.

2024 Shelby Super Snake upgrades the Mustang with insane power and plenty of carbon fiber

Shelby's new Super Snake is a super-limited, one-year-only build that takes the Mustang to a whole new level of performance.

Trump Media stock jumps for second day as company goes to battle with short sellers

Trump Media is advising investors on ways to prevent their shares from being loaned for a short interest position.

Dental hygienists are 'completely amazed' with this $13 teeth whitener — and it's nearly 60% off

'Like nothing I've ever seen or used before!' says one fan. 'I'm a smoker and all I drink is coffee ... After one use I saw results.'

Razer's Kishi Ultra gaming controller works with damn near everything, including some foldables

Razer just released the Kishi Ultra mobile gaming controller. It works with some foldable phones, in addition to Android devices, iPhones and iPads.

Hackers are threatening to publish a huge stolen sanctions and financial crimes watchlist

A financially motivated criminal hacking group says it has stolen a confidential database containing millions of records that companies use for screening potential customers for links to sanctions and financial crime. The hackers, which call themselves GhostR, said they stole 5.3 million records from the World-Check screening database in March and are threatening to publish the data online. World-Check is a screening database used for "know your customer" checks (or KYC), allowing companies to determine if prospective customers are high risk or potential criminals, such as people with links to money laundering or who are under government sanctions.The hackers told TechCrunch that they stole the data from a Singapore-based firm with access to the World-Check database, but did not name the firm.

'My skin is tighter and softer': Grab this popular anti-aging retinol cream for $14 — that's 40% off

Raved a 65-year-old fan: 'I tried this lotion on one arm and did a comparison. OMG! The difference was astounding and immediate.'

J.Crew sale items are an extra 60% off — grab flattering closet essentials under $50 while you can

You'll find summery white jeans for $18, an adorable swim dress for $44 and so much more.

LSU transfer Hailey Van Lith reportedly headed to TCU

Hailey Van Lith is transferring to TCU after an uneven year at LSU.

These are the best Hoka shoes for walking in 2024

Looking for a little extra cushioning while you get your steps in? You've come to the right place.

Former Augusta National Golf Club employee charged with stealing millions in Masters memorabilia

The former employee was a warehouse coordinator in charge of Masters memorabilia.

Meta adds its AI chatbot, powered by Llama 3, to the search bar across its apps

Meta's making several big moves today to promote its AI services across its platform. The company has upgraded its AI chatbot with its newest Large Language Model, Llama 3, and it is now running it in the search bar of its four major apps, Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp across multiple countries. This confirms and extends a test that TechCrunch reported on last week, when we spotted that the company had started testing Meta AI on Instagram's search bar.

I’m a chronic over-packer, and this lightweight duffel completely changed how I travel

The Calpak Luka duffel is my own personal Mary Poppins bag — but a lot chicer.

Patriots 'open to anything,' not committed to taking quarterback with No. 3 pick during NFL Draft

The Patriots traded quarterback Mac Jones to the Jaguars in March.

Uber, Nvidia-backed Serve Robotics hits public markets with $40M splash

Serve Robotics, the Uber and Nvidia-backed sidewalk robot delivery company, debuted publicly on the New York stock exchange Thursday, making it the latest startup to choose going public via a reverse merger as an alternative path to capital needed to fund growth. The company, which spun out of Uber's acquisition of Postmates in 2021, hits the Nasdaq under the ticker "SERV" with gross proceeds of roughly $40 million -- "prior to deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses," per regulatory filings -- at a share price of $4. Serve completed its reverse merger with blank-check company Patricia Acquisition Corp. in August 2023, and at the same time secured $30 million in a round led by existing investors Uber, Nvidia and Wavemaker Partners, bringing its total amount raised at the time to $56 million.

The Fantasy Baseball Numbers Do Lie: Is the best yet to come from Shohei Ohtani?

With over two weeks of fantasy baseball data available to us, Dalton Del Don exposes the statistics we should be wary of.

Playdate developers have made more than $500K in Catalog sales

Panic is celebrating Playdate's second birthday this month, and the party favors include some piping-hot statistics about Catalog game sales.

Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More

Continue in Browser

Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts.

Please enter a valid zipcode.

Black Maternal Health: Advocacy, awareness and answers

FLORIDA —  Florida has some of the highest numbers of babies and mothers dying in the country — ranked in the top ten. However, maternal mortality is a worldwide issue .

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , each year in the U.S. hundreds of people die during pregnancy or in the year after. Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause.

Fast Facts:

• Infant mortality is the death of a live-born baby during the first year of life.
• Maternal mortality (or death) is the term for when a mother dies from a pregnancy-related health issue or an existing condition exacerbated by pregnancy. It can occur at any time during pregnancy or in the 42 days after giving birth.

Justice For All's Saundra Weathers and Tammie Fields share the personal stories, highlighting the racial disparities during what is supposed to be the most magical time of our lives: childbirth.

• Family of mom who died days after childbirth highlights risks during Black Maternal Health Week  ⬇️
• Fathers making an impact on Black Maternal Health  ⬇️
• Black mothers impacted by infant deaths tell their stories  ⬇️
• Black Maternal Health Week events wrap, but work continues  ⬇️
• Saving moms: 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, says Orlando clinic founder  ⬇️

Family of mom who died days after childbirth highlights risks during Black Maternal Health Week

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch issued a proclamation designating April 11 - 17 as Black Maternal Health Week in the city of St. Pete. The city’s proclamation aligns with National Black Maternal Health Week, which also starts on April 11. The week started back in 2018 by the  Black Mamas Matter  alliance to raise awareness and help improve Black maternal health outcomes.

We’ve heard the difficult birthing stories from women like tennis star Serena Williams talking about how dangerous it was for her to give birth as a Black woman. It’s sparked a conversation that birthing experts say they’ve been emphasizing for years.

Numbers from the CDC show how  Black mothers are dying at higher rates , and those numbers continue to climb. One Bay area mother says, sadly, her daughter’s death is counted in those numbers.

Fathers making an impact on Black Maternal Health

We’ve heard the devastating numbers from the Florida Department of Health that show Black women were  almost four times more likely to have a pregnancy-related death  compared to white women. The numbers from the CDC for Black infants in the U.S.  have 2.4 times the infant mortality rate  as whites.

Those are the kind of numbers that have dads in our area coming together to help with solutions. 

Jamaur Johnson is one of those dads who wants to do more.  

Black mothers impacted by infant deaths tell their stories

We're learning more about the health disparities linked to Black mothers and pregnancy-related deaths.

Spectrum News is also examining more troubling statistics a group of mothers wants to shine a light on by sharing their stories of loss.

Like most moms, not only can she remember every moment, Jennifer Johnson saved everything she could when she had her first son, Malachi.

“Malachi means messenger of God, and Omari means he who is full of life,” Johnson said. “It’s hard to talk about it and not feel it. I’m there.”

The pictures of her tiny baby are a reminder he was here, too. His birth certificate — stamped with the word “deceased” — along with the void left behind, is a reminder that he’s gone.

Amplifying the voices of mothers like Jennifer is what Xaviera Bell had in mind when she started collecting stories for her book, The Mourning After.  

Black Maternal Health Week events wrap, but work continues

In 2020, non-Hispanic Black mothers in the state of Florida were nearly 4 times more likely to pass away due to pregnancy-related causes. This disparity is larger than what is seen nationally.

If the alarming statistics showing Black infants dying at the highest rates in the Tampa Bay area don’t get your attention, Marshara Fross is hoping her story does.

“I actually ended up losing one of my twins. I lost one of the twins around 12 or 13 weeks. And that was kind of a jarring process because I didn’t really know how to feel,” she said.

The details and danger are there. "I went to the hospital and they were just like 'yeah it seems like you might be miscarrying,' after kind of feeling ignored for a while," Fross said.

Sadly, this is her and the story of so many others who look like her.  

Saving moms: 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, says Orlando clinic founder

“We have the highest maternal mortality rate amongst all developed nations — we are worse — in the entire developed world in terms of birth outcomes in this country,” said Jennie Joseph, founder and president of Commonsense Childbirth in Orlando. Meanwhile, the CDC says  80% of pregnancy-related deaths were preventable , according to data from 2017 to 2019. 

Joseph, a mother, has made it her life’s work to let expectant families know they don’t have to be afraid. Education and help are available for better outcomes.

For as long as she can remember, Joseph said she has always wanted to work in this career field.

“My brother was born when I was 10 years old and I decided that that was my baby, and I just commandeered that baby right out of my mom’s arms and that was when it hit,” she said. “I want to work. I want to be around babies.”

That was in England, where she could not start training in midwifery until she was 20 years old, but her passion and her persistence got her in the door when she was 19.