Connecticut
Connecticut Health Officials Warn Of Potential Measles Outbreaks At Dozens Of Schools | CT News Junkie
HARTFORD, CT — As measles outbreaks spread across the United States, Connecticut health officials are urging residents to double check their vaccination status, while also raising the alarm about the potential for outbreaks at more than two dozen elementary schools with low immunization rates.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 378 confirmed cases of measles in the United States in 18 different jurisdictions, as far west as Alaska and California, as far east as New York and Rhode Island, and as far south as Texas and Florida. That number already eclipses the total number of measles cases for all of 2024, which stood at 285 at the end of the year.
There has been one confirmed death from measles, and another death remains under investigation.
Connecticut has avoided having any measles cases so far, but public health officials say the conditions exist for an outbreak.
Dr. Manisha Juthani, commissioner of the state Department of Health (DPH), said in an interview that there have been no confirmed cases of measles in Connecticut so far, but that cases in neighboring states require that residents be aware of their vaccination status and get the shot if needed.
“Vaccination is the number one way that we can make sure that we can help people stay protected, because you don’t always know exactly what your exposure has been, or what the situation may be,” she said. “Say if you’re in a broader group setting, like you’re at a park or in a movie theater, or something like that. You may not know somebody specifically (with measles), but there could have been somebody there.”
Juthani said the department is not concerned about community spread right now, thanks to high vaccination rates for measles in adults in the state. She also pointed to Connecticut’s childhood vaccination rate for children entering kindergarten, which is 97.7%.
There is still cause for concern though, she said. Juthani said in order to achieve herd immunity against measles, 95% of a given population needs to be fully vaccinated. Herd immunity is an epidemiological concept where high rates of immunizations protect those who are not immunized.
However, according to the state’s 2023-24 school year data on kindergarten immunization rates by school, there were 62 elementary schools where immunization rates below 95%. Of those, 26 were below 90%, and five schools had rates below 80%. The school with the lowest rate of immunization – Stamford Charter School For Excellence – had just 62.5% of its kindergarteners fully immunized.
Waterbury led the list with seven elementary schools where immunizations for measles were below 90%. Bridgeport was second with four, followed by Hartford with three. Schools in Mansfield, Ledyard, Moosup, and other small towns also had schools with sub-90% immunization.
“We continually work with areas where we may see (low immunization rates). When you have less than 95% there is a potential risk in a given community,” Juthani said.
Lack of clarity on immunizations at the federal level, and threats of funding cuts, have placed several state departments on edge, and DPH is no exception.
“We are a highly dependent agency in terms of federal dollars,” Juthani said. “We receive 80% of our funding from the federal government, and we are closely monitoring the situation on a daily and hourly basis, quite frankly.”
Juthani said she did not know what cuts could be coming to her department, “but we do need funding to be ready and to have a response.”
The size of the outbreak has garnered national attention from healthcare professionals.
David Higgins, a practicing pediatrician and health service researcher at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, said even though vaccination rates may be high at the state level, measles spreads at the community level.
“We know, and this is why we’re here today, that in some communities we have seen vaccination rates drop so low that we’re seeing a resurgence in the spread of measles outbreaks,” he said Thursday during a webinar hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. “I like to say that when vaccination rates drop in a community, it is not a question of if, it’s a question of when.”
Measles is one of the world’s most highly transmissible viruses, with a single victim infecting an average of 18 others.
The DPH recommends that everyone should ensure that their vaccination status is up to date before traveling internationally or to areas in the United States with an active measles outbreak. Children ages 6 to 11 months should receive a dose of the MMR vaccine at least two weeks before traveling.
The CDC describes measles an airborne, extremely infectious, and potentially severe rash illness. Before the measles vaccine was introduced, an estimated 48,000 people were hospitalized and 400 to 500 people died of it in the United States each year. This year’s death of a child from measles was the first in the U.S. since 2015.
The data below are listed by name of school, public or non-public, town, MMR vaccination rate %, and number of religious, medical and total exemptions.
2023-2024 Connecticut Kindergarten Immunization Rates by School by Doug Hardy
Connecticut is set to receive more than $154 million aimed at improving health care in rural communities.
The funding comes from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Rural Health Transformation Program, according to a community announcement.
The Connecticut Department of Social Services will lead the initiative, partnering with other state agencies to implement projects across four core areas: population health outcomes, workforce, data and technology, and care transformation and stability, according to the announcement.
The program will include several innovative projects, such as a mobile clinic pilot with four primary care and four dental vans, a health workforce pipeline through the Area Health Education Center and UConn Health Center, and community health navigators.
“Rural Connecticut has unique challenges, and its residents deserve the same access to high-quality care and support as anyone who lives anywhere else,” Lamont said. “This investment allows us to tackle those challenges head-on – from expanding mental health services and building a stronger health care workforce to modernizing our technology infrastructure and connecting residents to the services they need. This is about making sure every corner of Connecticut has the opportunity to thrive.”
The program was developed through extensive public engagement, including more than 250 written comments, meetings with health care providers, local government officials and community organizations, as well as in-person and virtual listening sessions held across the state, according to the announcement.
Andrea Barton Reeves, commissioner of the state Department of Social Services, highlighted the program’s long-term vision.
“This program reflects our commitment to building systems that work for rural residents over the long term,” she said in the release. “We are excited and grateful to CMS for this opportunity to make sure that our investments are coordinated, impactful, and built to last.”
The program aims to bring health care closer to rural residents while supporting the workforce that provides care, said Dr. Manisha Juthani, commissioner of the state Department of Public Health.
“Every person in rural Connecticut deserves good health care close to home, and the people who provide that care deserve real support too,” Juthani said. “This funding helps us bring care to where people are and build the healthcare workforce our communities need. When we invest in both, we give everyone a better chance at staying healthy.”
Additional information about the Rural Health Transformation Program, including opportunities for public engagement, will be made available as implementation proceeds.
For more information, visit the Connecticut Department of Social Services website at ct.gov/dss.
This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
When a house has been loved for generations, its walls tend to hold stories. In the case of one family residence in Darien, Connecticut, that sentiment was taken quite literally. On the casement between the living room and kitchen are ticks that denote decades of growth, a quiet record of childhoods unfolding in real time. Several of those measurements belong to the home’s newest steward—the original owners’ daughter—who was ready to put her own mark on the property.
Eager to see what she could make of the 1930s structure, she and her husband tapped British-born designer Becca Casey of Connecticut-based Becca Interiors to breathe new life—and old soul—into the interior. For Casey, being entrusted with that kind of emotional patina was a privilege she didn’t take lightly. “The greatest challenge was ensuring that the new extension had synergy with the original house while bringing together the couple’s different tastes and honoring the home’s history,” Casey says of the 2,400-square-foot space.
That delicate balance shows up everywhere, from tailored silhouettes and clean lines for him to pattern and color for her. Nowhere is that nuance more evident than in the property’s oldest room, a long, beam-lined living space that once sat largely unused. Casey swathed it in an atmospheric mural, transforming it into a multi-zone haven centered on the fireplace, with moments of repose throughout where the family can gather to play a game or enjoy a book.
Around the home, Casey’s eye for nuance is unmistakable. She wields color, pattern, and shape with equal aplomb, expertly marrying form with function in a way that’s both timeless and fresh. A hidden television disappears behind drapery-lined cabinetry, the inner skeleton of an armchair is displayed like a work of art, a vintage dining table reveals a plaque from the husband’s hometown (a serendipitous discovery that made the piece instantly meaningful). In the end, reviving the dwelling wasn’t about reinvention for Casey—it was about the possibility that a new chapter can bring. The result is a space that, according to Casey, feels “quietly refined and effortlessly lived-in”—an elegant meeting point between memory and modern family life.
FAST FACTS:
Designer: Becca Casey, Becca Interiors
Location: Darien, Connecticut
The Space: A 1930s colonial with six bedrooms, across 2,400 square feet.
LIVING ROOM
Bare windows and a transportive wallpaper nod to the pastoral landscape.
The living room is the oldest space in the house, so Casey wanted to honor its bones while streamlining the layout for modern functionality. Custom Dmitriy & Co. sofas—linen on the top, patterned French mattress tufting at the base—typify the union between “his” and “her” tastes.
Sconce: Woven Shop. Lamp: Visual Comfort & Co. Chair: custom.
Table: custom, Becca Interiors. Chairs: Pottery Barn.
A traditional English roll armchair was tucked into a corner at the request of the husband, whose wish list included a spot to read. Aiming for a “layered floor plan,” with distinct areas for the family’s many needs, Casey added a game table as a visual anchor with a direct sight line to the main entryway of the home.
DEN
An original stone fireplace anchors the family-ready space.
Pendant: Woka. Coffee table: LF Collection. Sconce: Hector Finch.
Coffee table: LF Collection. Rug: Woodard Weave. Chik blinds: Joss Graham.
Drenched in French Gray paint by Farrow & Ball and grounded by the original stone fireplace, the den is carefully choreographed to support togetherness, with a custom sectional and hidden TV.
DINING ROOM
The sun-drenched space looks out to the backyard pond.
Paint: School House White, Farrow & Ball. Chairs: Maison Louis Drucker. Table: antique. Tablecloths: Zara Home, Cabana Home. Pedants: Lightology.
Part of the new addition, the serene dining room is flooded with light, thanks to expansive floor to (almost) ceiling windows. Layered textiles keep the antique table—a happy find, originally made in the husband’s hometown—geared toward casual meals.
PRIMARY BEDROOM
Salvaged beams mimic the look of the originals in the living room.
Paint: Shaded White, Farrow & Ball. Rug: Lulu and Georgia. Bedding: The Company Store. Dresser: English Farmhouse Furniture.
Inspired by Belgian interiors, the elevated placement of the fireplace isn’t just a design flex—it’s an experiential choice that puts the flames right at eye level when lounging in bed. Beside it, two vintage English armchairs stun with their exposed interior, a Becca Interiors signature touch.
PRIMARY BATH
Natural materials were chosen for their ability to patina over time.
Mirror: Rejuvenation. Floor tile: Arto. Wall paint: Slipper Statin, Farrow & Ball. Sconces: O’lampia.
In the primary bathroom, wellness comes through atmosphere rather than gadgets. A Drummonds soaking tub is positioned for prime pond views, with a gray-green base (Drop Cloth, Farrow & Ball) that reinforces the room’s soothing palette.
WORKSTATION
Smart features make family management a cinch.
Roman shade: Hunter Douglas. Desk paint: Studio Green, Farrow & Ball. Chair: Soho Home. Rug: Merribrook Collection. Flushmount: RW Guild.
To make the most of a hall nook, Casey crafted a compact desk where the wife, a teacher, can grade papers. Labeled drawers store art supplies, while a floor-to-ceiling cabinet (at side) acts as a hub for deliveries.
About the Designer
Becca Casey is the Principal Director and founder of Becca Interiors. Raised in the countryside of Southwest England, her earliest influences were rooted in history, nature, and the quiet beauty of rural life. These foundations continue to shape her design philosophy today, one that blends heritage with modern sensibility while honoring craftsmanship and the beauty of daily life at home.
The Hartford community is grappling with two police shootings that happened within eight days of each other. Both started off as mental health calls about someone in distress.
People came together to remember one of the men killed at a vigil on Wednesday evening.
With hands joined, a prayer for peace and comfort was spoken for the family of Everard Walker. He was having a mental health crisis when a family member called 211 on Feb.19.
Two mental health professionals from the state-operated Capitol Regional Mental Health Center requested Hartford police come with them to Walker’s apartment on Capitol Avenue.
A scuffle ensued, and police said it looked like Walker was going to stab an officer. The brief fight ended with an officer shooting and killing Walker.
The family is planning to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the city.
“All I will have now is a tombstone and the voicemails he left on my phone that I listen over and over again at night just so I can fall asleep,” Menan Walker, one of Walker’s daughters, said.
City councilman Josh Michtom (WF) is asking whether police could have acted differently.
“To me, the really concerning thing is why the police were there at all, why they went into that apartment in the way that they did, in the numbers that they did,” he said.
The president of Hartford’s police union, James Rutkauski, asked the community to hold their judgment and wait for a full investigation by the Inspector General’s office to be completed.
A different tone was taken in a statement released about another police shooting on Blue Hills Avenue on Feb. 27.
Rutkauski said the union fully supports the officer who fired at 55-year-old Steven Jones, who was holding a knife during a mental health crisis.
In part, the union’s statement says that Jones “deliberately advanced on the officer in a manner that created an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury. This was a 100% justified use of deadly force.”
The Inspector General’s office will determine if the officer was justified following an investigation.
The officer who shot Jones was the fourth to arrive on the scene. Three others tried to get him to drop the knife, even using a taser, before the shooting.
“It just feels like beyond the conduct of any one officer, we have this problem, which is that we send cops for every problem,” Michtom said. “I don’t know how you can de-escalate at the point of a gun.”
Jones died from his injuries on Tuesday.
The union’s statement went on to say that officers should not be society’s default for mental health professionals. The statement said in part, “We ask for renewed commitment from our legislators to remove police from being the vanguard of what should be a mental health professional response.”
The officers involved in both shootings are on administrative leave.
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