Health
Vaccinating migrants like US children would have prevented disease outbreaks at Chicago shelters: experts
The alarming outbreak of measles and tuberculosis (TB) at migrant shelters in Chicago could easily have been avoided if the illegal migrants had been vaccinated at the border and if they weren’t living in cramped conditions, two medical experts tell Fox News Digital.
Chicago health officials said Wednesday that a “small number” of TB cases were reported at some migrant facilities, following reports of dozens of measles cases at these facilities.
Concerns are quickly growing that these cases will multiply and spread to the general population in the Windy City. There are also fears that similar outbreaks could occur in other sanctuary cities such as New York, Boston and Denver — jurisdictions that are also packing migrants into makeshift shelters and hotels.
Unlike most U.S.-born children who have to follow strict vaccination schedules, migrant students were, up until last month, not required to be vaccinated in order to attend school in Chicago under an exemption for children living in unstable housing, according to reports. In New York City, migrant students were also given waivers at the start of the 2023-2024 school year.
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A student in Florida with measles. (iStock )
At least two students who tested positive for measles were living at Chicago’s Pilsen migrant shelter, although it is unclear at the time of this publication if they had been vaccinated.
Amid the outbreak, Chicago moved to vaccinate all migrants at its shelters. Fox News Digital reached out to the Chicago Board of Education, the mayor’s office and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) about vaccination procedures and exemptions but did not receive a response.
Nearly 40,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago since August 2022, according to the city’s “New Arrivals Situational Awareness Dashboard.” Migrants who are stopped at the border and then released into the general population are rarely medically screened or given vaccines. Legal migrants, like Green Card holders, are required to be vaccinated for a range of inoculations as part of their approval process.
Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a New York City-based double board-certified doctor, says the outbreaks at the Chicago migrant shelters were easily foreseen.
“To be honest, I’m not surprised. We have open borders with all sorts of people coming in from countries from all over the world bringing in various illnesses, viruses, disease and bacterial infections,” Nesheiwat says.
Tuberculosis under a microscope, left, and a Chicago migrant shelter, right. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images, right, NIH/NAID/IMAGE.FR/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, top left, BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, bottom left.)
Measles is a highly contagious and serious airborne disease that can lead to severe complications and even death, especially in children. It is characterized by a fever as high as 105°F and malaise, cough, coryza and conjunctivitis followed by spots and a rash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Tuberculosis, meanwhile, is also transmitted in airborne particles and typically affects the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain.
The measles outbreak at the shelters could easily have been prevented if migrants were given the highly effective measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, Nesheiwat says. However, the tuberculosis vaccine is generally not administered in the U.S. due to its low success rate. Instead, good hygiene and preventing people from living in cramped conditions is the best way to stop tuberculosis from spreading, she explains.
“Tuberculosis is a lung infection and one of the most common lung infections worldwide, it impacts millions of people,” Nesheiwat says.
Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, a New York City-based double board-certified doctor, and, Dr. Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins health policy expert and surgeon, right. (Fox News)
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Tuberculosis cases jumped by around 1,300 cases last year to more than 9,600, the highest total in a decade, according to the CDC. As of March 28, there were 97 confirmed cases of measles in the U.S., shattering last year’s 58 cases total.
“You can catch tuberculosis if someone is coughing or sneezing or in close contact, the bacteria from those particles gets into the air and anybody nearby will breathe that in and that’s how they pick it up and that’s how they catch it,” Nesheiwat says. “It’s concerning to those who may have weak immune systems or who have underlying medical problems like asthma, lung disease, heart disease.”
Tuberculosis is not as contagious as COVID, Nesheiwat says, and you would have to be around someone for a long period of time or be in crowded areas like shelters in order to catch it.
“The good news is we have treatment for it, but the not-so-good news is the treatment is for six to 12 months of treatment of multiple antibiotics,” Nesheiwat says. “What’s scary is that there are some strains of tuberculosis that are resistant to the typical antibiotics.”
A measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, which doctors say is very effective at preventing measles. (iStock)
She also raised fears that migrants who are put on these medications may not follow through with the treatment, which could lead to pockets of outbreaks being replicated throughout the country, adding that it’s hard for health officials to keep tabs on their schedule.
Dr. Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins health policy expert and surgeon, says conditions at the migrant shelters are now a public health concern given that tuberculosis can convert into a chronic disease with “a constellation of health complications affecting almost every organ system in the body.”
“The reports of the crowding are that it is the worst it’s ever been in recent history. We’re seeing outbreaks in highly susceptible populations that are preventable,” Makary explains. “One of the sort of basics in public health is that when people in a crowded area become sick, they should be separated. They should not be in close contact with others when they have no choice, then that is a recipe for an outbreak.”
“However,” Makary continues, “the amount of time spent in the shelter has decreased, suggesting that people may manifest the infection after their time in the shelter.”
A migrant child running, left and an MMR vaccine, right. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images, left, Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images, right)
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He said that measles is typically not fatal, but can cause permanent health damage in the children who acquire it.
The MMR vaccine, while highly effective, does not provide instant immunity in the week in which it’s administered, he says.
“So I think their issue in Chicago is they’re discovering cases of measles after the fact,” he explains. “I don’t think there is a significant risk to the public, because most people are vaccinated against measles while tuberculosis requires some kind of direct interaction. But a migrant who is sick not only needs help, but they also need some degree of precaution.”
Nesheiwat says a measles infection can lead to brain inflammation, blindness, deafness and pneumonia.
“You’re protecting against serious, potentially life-threatening, infections or complications,” Nesheiwat says of the MMR vaccine. “There is a high rate of effectiveness with these vaccines, so the outbreak was absolutely preventable.”
Nesheiwat also says she has been giving shots to migrants attending public schools in New York City, where around 180,000 migrants have arrived since 2022. The city’s board of education tells Fox News Digital that students in temporary housing are still not asked for immunization records or immigration status before they enroll in schools, although they are required to follow the CDC’s immunization catch-up requirements.
Migrants wait in a long line overnight hoping to receive a placement in a New York City shelter in December. (Getty Images )
A CDC report found that about 3% of children entering kindergarten in the 2022–2023 school year were given an exemption in their state — the highest level ever recorded.
With the recent spike in measles and tuberculosis, Nesheiwat says that people should be making sure they are getting their annual physical checkups in order to stay healthy.
“That’s when we listen to your heart and your lungs and check your vital signs,” Nesheiwat says. “And if you’re having any symptoms like prolonged cough or fever, night sweats, chills, weight loss, see your doctor. Don’t put it off, don’t delay because the earlier we can begin treatment, the earlier we can diagnose you and the better the outcomes.”
Health
Dr Oz warns Medicare scammers are stealing billions — and your personal information could be next
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Washington, D.C. – Medicare fraud is a multibillion-dollar problem that government officials say threatens both taxpayer dollars and Americans’ personal identities.
In a July 6 interview with Fox News Digital at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., Dr. Mehmet Oz warned that every dollar stolen through Medicare fraud is a dollar taxpayers lose – a problem that has worsened since the COVID pandemic.
“If I had to just pick one thing to focus on to make healthcare more affordable in America, I’d go to health fraud and all the waste and abuse that accompanies it,” said Oz, who is the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “And just to put this in perspective, we think it’s about $100 billion a year.”
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Medicare fraud can include billing for services that were never provided, overcharging for medical equipment, using stolen patient or doctor information, or performing unnecessary procedures, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
CMS administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz is pictured on stage at the Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., on July 6, 2026. (Angelica Stabile/Fox News Digital)
As the Trump administration ramped up efforts to combat fraud, CMS reported $41.9 billion in Medicare program integrity savings in 2025, up 59% from $26.3 billion in 2024.
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Medicare fraud not only harms the federal budget and steals from taxpayers, but exposes seniors to identity theft, unnecessary care, higher premiums and reduced access, Oz cautioned.
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Removing corruption from the healthcare system will have the greatest impact among seniors, since “so much of the fraud is perpetrated against them,” the administrator said.
“I’m talking about people tricking seniors to give up their Medicare beneficiary numbers, which is like a credit card basically,” he said. “These scammers can take those numbers and use them for all kinds of illegitimate purposes.”
“If I had to just pick one thing to focus on to make healthcare more affordable in America, I’d go to health fraud and all the waste and abuse that accompanies it,” said Oz. (Fox News Digital)
“People are stealing from you by pretending to send you drugs you don’t want, wheelchairs you don’t need, [and] services you never asked for or don’t benefit from,” Oz added.
To prevent this, he shared his top advice for seniors: Do not give your Medicare beneficiary number to anybody, do not answer questions on a phone call from an unknown person and do not give away personal information.
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“These scammers are calling seniors, tricking them, and once they have key information, they can steal it,” he said. “And I won’t know it and you won’t know it.”
“We want to protect people who need these programs the most,” Oz went on. “You do that by making sure scoundrels don’t corrupt the systems and steal money out of the till that is designed to help folks in dire straits when they’re vulnerable and in need of services.”
Seniors should never share their Medicare information with unknown people, the administrator advised. (iStock)
Removing fraud could “double the life expectancy of the trust fund that makes all this possible,” Oz predicted.
“If you’re worried about Medicare being there when you’re ready to retire in a couple decades, depending on how old you are, and you’re concerned that it might not last because of all the fraud that’s hitting it … you’ve got a good [reason to] worry,” he said.
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“If we take the fraud out, we could double the life expectancy, which means you, your kids, your kids’ kids … they could all benefit from this beautiful safety net program.”
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Creatine, the common muscle-building supplement, may help improve depression symptoms, new research suggests.
A systematic review, published in Genomic Press’ Brain Medicine, found that creatine monohydrate may be beneficial as an add-on treatment for major depressive disorder, although the evidence remains preliminary.
The Canada-based researchers analyzed data from five randomized controlled trials, evaluating the impact of creatine monohydrate intake on mental health.
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Four of the trials studied major depressive disorder, and another looked at bipolar disorder with a current depressive episode.
In one trial of women with depression who took 5 grams of creatine per day, plus the antidepressant escitalopram, there was greater improvement after eight weeks. Another study revealed benefit when creatine was added to cognitive behavioral therapy.
One study saw benefit when creatine was added to cognitive behavioral therapy. (iStock)
Other studies involving teen girls found no benefit from a variety of creatine dosages after eight weeks. The bipolar depression study also found no significant improvements when 6 grams of creatine was added to medication after six weeks.
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In a press release, the researchers said previous studies have found that people with mood disorders process creatine differently in the brain. Because creatine helps produce energy, some scientists believe disruptions in this process may contribute to depression.
Although creatine has also been associated with boosting dopamine and serotonin, which most antidepressants target, the authors stressed that the link between brain creatine and mood “remains correlational,” as depression has “many moving parts.”
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Lead study author Bassam Jeryous Fares, a student in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, commented in a statement that the signal is “interesting, but not a verdict.”
“Two trials pointed one way and three pointed another,” he said. “That is not the kind of evidence on which you change clinical practice. It is the kind that tells you the question is worth further exploration.”
Although creatine has also been associated with boosting dopamine and serotonin, which most antidepressants target, the authors stressed that the link between brain creatine and mood “remains correlational.” (iStock)
Nicholas Fabiano, corresponding author and a psychiatry resident at the University of Ottawa, added in the same press release that creatine “appears to be a safe intervention,” noting that side effects were limited to mild stomach pain.
“We cannot yet reliably say that creatine helps with depressive symptoms or if the findings are generalizable to everyone,” he added as a caveat.
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Dr. Thea Gallagher, psychologist and director of wellness programs at NYU Langone, said that although creatine is best known for supporting muscle performance, it also helps the brain produce and use energy.
“Researchers believe that some people with depression may have alterations in brain energy metabolism, and creatine could help support these energy-producing pathways,” Gallagher, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “There is also emerging evidence that it may influence neurotransmitters and reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, although these mechanisms are still being investigated.”
Creatine should be considered a “promising addition” to depression treatments, a doctor said. (iStock)
The research suggests that creatine may be most helpful when combined with established depression treatments rather than as a replacement, Gallagher emphasized.
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“This research is encouraging because it adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that supporting brain energy metabolism may be another pathway for improving depression symptoms,” she said.
“It’s exciting whenever we identify another potential tool that could complement existing treatments, particularly one that is relatively inexpensive and widely available.”
Limitations and caveats
The new study is a review of prior research rather than a new clinical trial, which can pose a limitation, the researchers acknowledged, adding that “larger, well-controlled trials are still needed.”
Gallagher noted that creatine should be considered as a potentially promising addition to treatment, rather than a substitute for psychotherapy, antidepressant medication, regular exercise or healthy sleep habits.
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“While creatine has a strong safety profile for most healthy adults, it’s still important to talk with your healthcare provider before starting any supplement — particularly if you have kidney disease, are pregnant or have other medical conditions,” she advised.
For those experiencing signs of depression, Gallagher recommends seeking evidence-based mental healthcare.
“While creatine has a strong safety profile for most healthy adults, it’s still important to talk with your healthcare provider before starting any supplement – particularly if you have kidney disease, are pregnant or have other medical conditions,” a doctor advised. (iStock)
The doctor noted that depression is a “highly heterogeneous condition, so we still don’t know which patients are most likely to benefit or what the optimal treatment approach looks like.”
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Gallagher also cautioned that supplements have been known to generate “early enthusiasm” before larger studies have revealed “more modest effects.”
“Right now, I’d describe creatine as promising but not definitive,” she concluded. “It’s an area that deserves continued research, but it’s not something people should view as a standalone treatment for depression.”
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A decades-long effort to develop a vaccine against one of the world’s leading causes of severe digestive illness has reached a milestone, according to new research.
Scientists recently developed a technology targeting enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), a bacterium responsible for millions of diarrheal illnesses each year.
The technology has now been licensed to French vaccine manufacturer Valneva for further development.
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The findings come after decades of research led by scientists at the University of Bergen and the Norwegian Research Center (NORCE).
One of the most common bacterial causes of severe diarrhea worldwide, ETEC is known to disproportionately affect children in low- and middle-income countries. Despite years of research, there is currently no broadly effective vaccine to prevent the infection, according to the study.
Researchers have made a major breakthrough in the decades-long effort to develop a vaccine against ETEC, a leading cause of diarrheal disease worldwide. (iStock)
The researchers focused on a toxin produced by ETEC that has long been considered one of the biggest obstacles to vaccine development.
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James Fleckenstein, MD, a professor of medicine and molecular microbiology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said the findings represent a promising step.
“We still have a lot of work to do to translate these findings to an actual vaccine,” Fleckenstein, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital. “But the approach does look promising in the sense that the proteins elicit strong antibody responses that appear to offer protection against diarrheal illness after the first infection in children in developing countries.”
ETEC is a leading bacterial cause of severe diarrhea worldwide, especially among children in low- and middle-income countries. (iStock)
If the vaccine eventually reaches patients, researchers hope it could help protect children against some of the most severe forms of diarrheal disease caused by ETEC.
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In the meantime, Fleckenstein said travelers can take steps to reduce their risk of diarrheal illnesses. He recommends avoiding high-risk foods — including meals from street vendors in areas where sanitation may be poor — drinking bottled water in higher-risk regions, and practicing good hand hygiene.
While a vaccine is still years away, experts recommend avoiding high-risk foods, drinking bottled water and washing your hands to reduce the risk of ETEC. (iStock)
Fleckenstein also noted that vaccines are available to protect against typhoid fever, and said travelers should consult their physician before traveling internationally.
The research did have some limitations, the researchers noted.
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The technology is still in development and has not yet been tested as an approved vaccine among the public.
While the licensing agreement allows Valneva to continue advancing the research, additional laboratory studies, clinical trials and regulatory review will be required before the vaccine becomes available.
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