UTMB News

UTMB’s Dr. Philip Keiser helped PolitiFact debunk the idea that the West Texas measles outbreak was started by vaccinated individuals shedding measles virus. Keiser told PolitiFact there’s no scientific literature supporting the notion that a vaccine virus shed from someone who is vaccinated would be transmissible. This news was also shared by Poynter and the Austin American-Statesman.

“On average, one infected person may infect about 15 other people,” UTMB’s Dr. Scott Weaver tells the AP about measles, a disease that was rare in the U.S. but is making a comeback. An unvaccinated child died in the West Texas outbreak this week. “Any of these outbreaks we’re seeing can easily be prevented by increasing the rate of vaccination in the community,” Weaver said. This news was shared nationally and internationally in outlets such as The Independent, Brietbart, Toronto Sun, MSN and many others.

“Prevention is key, and vaccination is the best protection against measles,” UTMB’s Dr. Rachel Britt tells Pharmacy Times. The measles outbreak in West Texas has so far infected more than 120 individuals and claimed the life of one child.

"Many patients had lung complications after surgery in our study. Since these complications put patients at risk of more health problems, longer hospital stays, and higher health care costs, it's important to keep researching better ways to prevent them," said Dr. Marcos F. Vidal Melo. He was part of a team that found that interventions to keep lungs expanded before, during, and after abdominal surgery do not result in less severe breathing problems as compared to the usual care.

Dr. Samuel Mathis shares tips on how to stay healthy during the yearly Mardi Gras celebrations.

New research has revealed a promising experimental vaccine made with the patient’s own cancer cells, write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in their latest Medical Discovery News column.

“People who may have been vaccinated as a child but may have a waning immune system — whether they have chronic disease, whether they are immune suppressed for other reasons because of medications or because of some sort of illness — they are more likely to get measles,” UTMB’s Dr. Philip Keiser tells the GCDN. “Despite that, the real issue here is actually the unvaccinated kids.” Local health authorities are watching the West Texas outbreak closely especially as spring break, which brings thousands of people to the region, is just weeks away.

Dr. Alexander Bukreyev and Dr. Jere McBride have been elected to the 2025 class of fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology.

UTMB’s Dr. Elizabeth Vaughan spoke to National Geographic about ways to prevent and reverse diabetes.

“UTMB is pleased to welcome back patients who were unable to receive care from our physicians and facilities due to out-of-network status. We value Aetna as a health insurance partner dedicated to serving our communities,” UTMB’s Kent Pickering says in this story about UTMB once again accepting Aetna insurance.

"It sure seems to me that we're going to have to start using vaccines if we want to start putting this fire out," UTMB’s Dr. Gregory Gray tells Reuters for a story on how the spread of the avian flu is affecting egg prices. Egg farmers are urging the USDA to approve the use of a vaccine to protect laying hens from the virus. This news was shared by outlets across the nation and internationally.

Bird flu continues to spread and farmers in Texas are worried, the Chronicle reports. So far, human cases have only involved workers in the poultry industry but that could change. "The concern is the virus might become highly transmissible among humans, with high morbidity and mortality rates," Dr. Gregory Gray tells the Chronicle. Similar stories ran in outlets across the country and internationally.

“As history has shown, when vaccination rates drop, diseases return,” write Drs. Megan Berman and Richard Rupp. Texas is seeing the consequences of declining vaccination rates as measles is spreading to children and adults in Gaines County.

Dr. Hasan Yasin looks into the health benefits of a whole food, plant-based diet. “While transitioning to a WFPB diet may require some adjustment, the evidence is clear, embracing a diet rich in whole plant foods can lead to significant health benefits,” Yasin writes.