Health
Florida alerts first measles case of year in public school as experts stress vaccination
A case of measles has been detected in Florida for the first time in 2025.
One student at Palmetto Senior High School tested positive for the disease, according to local sources and Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Superintendent Dr. Jose Dotres addressed the measles case in a news conference on Thursday, noting that the vaccine rate at the school is 99.7%.
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“Everything is very stable,” he stated. “We have no other incident regarding the measles at this point.”
Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo also confirmed the measles case in a press conference in Tampa on Wednesday, noting that it’s possible there “may be more of them.”
Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo is shown at a press conference in Sanford, Florida, in 2024. (Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“Obviously, we wish the best for everyone’s health,” he said.
Amid remarks on a variety of topics, Ladapo acknowledged that measles is “extremely contagious.” He said “it’s one of the most contagious diseases around” — and confirmed that the Florida Department of Health has been in communication with the school about the case.
“We’ve provided information about options that parents have,” he said.
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“One of those — it’s very important — is communicating that their preferences and choices for their healthy kids are going to be respected,” he said.
He also said, “We also have measles vaccines available … for any parent who wants them. So that option is there also, and we provide education there.”
Medical experts stress that the best way to prevent a measles infection is by receiving two doses of the MMR vaccine. (iStock)
Texas, meanwhile, has reported the highest number of measles cases since January, marking 198 infected people as of Friday morning, including 23 hospitalized, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
Most of the cases were detected in unvaccinated, school-aged children — which included one child who died from the disease.
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New Mexico also reported its first measles death on Thursday in an unvaccinated adult, according to state officials.
The DSHS in Texas has stated on its website that the best way to prevent sickness is to receive two doses of the vaccine against measles, “primarily administered” as the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) immunization.
A one-year-old child is held by his mother as he receives an MMR vaccine at a vaccine clinic by Lubbock Public Health Department on March 1, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. (Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images)
Ladapo also mentioned using vitamin A as a treatment for measles for some people, as suggested recently by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which has proven effective in some research.
While this option can work for people who are deficient in vitamin A, according to experts, vaccination is the only way to prevent measles, as vitamin A is not an alternative.
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In a recent opinion piece for Fox News Digital, RFK Jr. noted, in part, “As healthcare providers, community leaders and policymakers, we have a shared responsibility to protect public health. This includes ensuring that accurate information about vaccine safety and efficacy is disseminated. We must engage with communities to understand their concerns, provide culturally competent education, and make vaccines readily accessible for all those who want them.”
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Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, told Fox News Digital that inappropriate dosing of vitamin A can result in toxicity and a condition known as hypervitaminosis.
“Thus, people should not be administering generic vitamin A supplements purchased at a pharmacy or health food store to their children,” he said.
A measles information sheet is seen posted at the Orange County Health Department on May 6, 2019, in Orlando, Florida. (Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Neil Maniar, PhD, MPH, professor of public health practice at Northeastern University, stressed that the MMR vaccine is the “most powerful tool” in preventing and controlling outbreaks.
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“It is vital that we work in partnership with communities to educate individuals and families about the importance of the MMR vaccine and ensure that this vaccine is available to all who need it,” he told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital reached out to Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Miami-Dade Public Schools, Palmetto Senior High School and the Florida Department of Health for further comment.
Health
Katie Couric couldn’t remember the year or the president during frightening brain episode
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
Health
One walking habit could signal a healthier brain after 80, scientists say
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
Health
I Tried the Viral Gelatin Weight-Loss Recipe—Here’s My Honest Take
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