The measles virus. (BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — At least 13 new measles cases have been confirmed in Pennsylvania since Friday, bringing the total so far this year to 903, according to Monday’s update from the state health department.
Cases have been recorded in 39 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. At least 176 people have been hospitalized, and four measles-associated deaths have been reported, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) said.
Two of the deaths were among unvaccinated adults: an 18-year-old and a 40-year-old. The other two deaths were among infants who were too young to have received the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine.
Fewer than 1% of the state’s cases — four in total — are among those who are fully vaccinated with the MMR vaccine, according to DOH.
The majority of cases are among those between ages 25 and 49, followed by those between ages 18 and 24, according to state health department data.
Lancaster County in southeastern Pennsylvania has recorded the highest number of cases at 363 followed by Mifflin County, in the central part of the state, with 105.
At least 11 counties show evidence of community transmission, which is when infectious illness spreads through a local population without any known travel history and the specific source of infection cannot be determined.
DOH data shows staff have administered more than 8,300 doses of the MMR vaccine so far this year. Uptake was highest in August with about 3,500 vaccine doses administered, followed by September with about 2,500 doses administered.
Meanwhile, measles cases in the U.S. have surpassed 3,600 so far in 2026, with cases confirmed in 45 states and Washington, D.C., according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC has reported one death from measles so far this year but did not say where the death occurred. A note on the agency’s website said the number “is subject to change.”
The CDC currently recommends that people receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. Infants who are between 6 and 11 months old and traveling outside of the country may require an additional vaccination. One dose is 93% effective in preventing measles infection and two doses are 97% effective, the CDC says.
However, CDC data shows vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years. During the 2025 to 2026 school year, 92.4% of kindergartners received the MMR vaccine, according to data. This is lower than the 95.2% seen in the 2019 to 2020 school year, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If you’ve been exposed, it is important to talk to a healthcare professional, but don’t go into an urgent care or an ER because you may be inevitably spreading it to other vulnerable people,” ABC News medical contributor Dr. Alok Patel told “ABC News Live” on Friday.
“People who have been exposed may be instructed to quarantine or keep really close eye on their symptoms for up to 21 days because that’s how long it can really take for measles to show itself and you could potentially spread and infect others without even knowing it,” Patel added.
(NEW YORK) — Insomnia may be linked to an increased risk of stroke, dementia and several mental health conditions, a new study finds.
Researchers from Austria, Germany, Italy and Switzerland analyzed approximately 20 comprehensive review studies, involving millions of participants across multiple countries, to evaluate the impact of insomnia on health.
The study, published Sunday in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews, found that insomnia was linked to a 26% increased risk of stroke.
The results, which looked at multiple other studies also showed individuals with insomnia were more likely to have depression and attempted suicide compared to those without insomnia.
Insomnia, the most common sleep disorder in the United States, makes it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep or get good quality sleep, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Researchers also found that people with insomnia had nearly 30% higher odds of being hospitalized for any number of reasons.
“Insomnia deserves attention as a warning sign of the status of brain and mental health,” Luca Vignatelli, lead study author and senior researcher at the IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences in Bologna, Italy, told ABC News.
Issues with sleep are often overlooked when addressing mental health concerns, experts told ABC News.
“When you have anxiety or depression, it makes it difficult to fall or stay asleep, or it gives you poor sleep. But then when you don’t sleep well, it increases that risk of anxiety and depression,” Dr. Thanuja Hamilton, a board-certified sleep medicine physician at Advocare, told ABC News. “When you don’t sleep well, you’re more irritable, you’re more anxious, you’re less resilient to stress, and so you’re vulnerable to depression and anxiety, and that can make it harder to sleep.”
Researchers also found a connection between insomnia and dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease.
Sleep has been shown to play an important role in clearing waste products linked to impaired brain function and Alzheimer’s disease from the brain, according to the NIH.
“When you sleep, that’s when your brain takes out the trash,” Hamilton said, referring to waste products that can accumulate throughout the day. “If you’re not getting good quality sleep or enough of it, then you’re going to have an excess buildup, increasing that risk of dementia down the line.”
Researchers cautioned that the new findings only show associations and do not prove that insomnia directly causes the health problems examined.
“I would like to emphasize that people should not be frightened by these results. An increased risk at the population level does not mean that an individual with insomnia will develop dementia, depression or have a stroke,” Dr. Stefan Seidel, one of the study authors and professor of neurology at the Medical University of Vienna, told ABC News. “Instead, the findings give us another reason to take persistent sleep problems seriously, identify possible underlying causes and provide evidence-based treatment when appropriate.”
What can people do to improve their sleep?
Habits like making your bed daily, keeping the room cooler and turning off the lights before bed can help improve your sleep, according to experts.
One of the most important healthy sleep habits, they say, is maintaining a consistent sleep schedule.
“Our circadian rhythm, our internal clock, it likes consistency,” Hamilton said. “If you are inconsistent with your sleep, then you confuse your brain. It doesn’t know when to start sleep or when to stop sleep.”
To support healthier sleep, turn off distractions such as the TV or your phone approximately 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime and avoid consuming coffee or alcohol late.
“You go down that rabbit hole when you get on the phone,” Hamilton noted. “It might distract you, but it’s not relaxing you.”
People with insomnia can also become anxious about whether they will be able to fall asleep, potentially making the problem worse.
“The harder you try to sleep when you have insomnia, the harder it is to sleep,” Hamilton added.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is often the first treatmentoption for long-term insomnia. CBT focuses on changing thoughts and behaviors that can interfere with sleep and can include techniques such as adjusting sleep schedules and limiting the amount of time spent awake in bed, according to the NIH.
“The gold standard of treatment for insomnia is CBT, but it’s difficult and it’s time-consuming and it’s a lot of effort, especially for someone with chronic insomnia,” Hamilton said. “But it is worth it.”
Experts say sleep should become a more routine part of conversations about overall health.
“Sleep should be a topic to discuss with your doctor when talking about health, at any age,” Vignatelli said. “We need to raise public awareness about insomnia and its treatment and ensure that sleep is included in health promotion programs in our communities, schools, and workplaces.”
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide — free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text the national lifeline at 988.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital nurses strike, July 13, 2026, outside the hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. (Pat Greenhouse/Boston Globe via Getty Images)
(BOSTON) — About 4,000 registered nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in Boston voted “overwhelmingly” on Thursday to authorize an open-ended strike.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), which represents the nurses, said this could be the largest open-ended registered nurse (RN) strike in state history.
No strike date has been set yet. Before it occurs, the nurses will be legally required to give 10 days’ notice. If the strike is held, it would continue until the nurses reach a contract agreement with the hospital.
Nurses say they are seeking a fair contract that will protect patient care, strengthen the workforce and provide affordable health insurance.
“[Mass General Brigham] cannot tell nurses to choose between the care our patients deserve, affordable health insurance, or fair cost-of-living wage increase,” Jim McCarthy, RN, a nurse in the post-anesthesia care unit and vice chair of the BWH MNA Bargaining Committee, said in a statement.
The statement went on, “We have offered to negotiate and work toward an agreement, but CEO Anne Klibanski, who makes $9.2 million a year, and the billionaires on MGB’s Board of Directors, have refused to bargain. Our vote gives nurses the power to push back hard if the MGB billionaires keep putting corporate greed over safe patient care.”
Among the nurses’ proposals are limiting the hospital’s use of temporary nurses, fair compensation including a cost-of-living increase and affordable health insurance with plan choice.
MNA said that the hospital told nurses in August it was not willing to negotiate unless significant changes were made to the latest proposal.
“Brigham nurses have made clear that we are prepared to stay on strike for as long as it takes to win a contract that protects our patients and respects the nurses who care for them,” Kelly Morgan, RN, a labor and delivery nurse and chair of the BWH MNA Bargaining Committee, said in a statement.
“An open-ended strike is a serious step that will undoubtedly create a healthcare crisis in Massachusetts. MGB can prevent the strike by returning to the table and negotiating the contract our nurses need to keep providing world-class care,” the statement continued.
BWH did not immediately return ABC News’ request for comment.
Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy Dr. Heidi Overton speaks in the Oval Office on Aug. 10, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Dr. Heidi Overton is appearing before a Senate committee on Thursday for her confirmation hearing as the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
Overton was nominated in August by President Donald Trump, who described her in a post on social media as a “ROCKSTAR in my Administration.”
She is sitting before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee, where she is likely to face questions about childhood vaccines and the abortion drug mifepristone.
If confirmed, Overton will be the second person to lead the FDA after the previous commissioner, Marty Makary, resigned following public clashes with lawmakers, major pharmaceutical companies and Trump over fruit-flavored vapes.
Kyle Diamantas has served as acting FDA commissioner since May 2026.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., chair of the HELP committee, began the hearing by asking Overton if the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine Is lethal. Overton replied it is not.
When asked if the vaccine is safe and effective, Overton reiterated that the vaccine is safe and effective against measles.
“Are there any vaccines on the U.S. market right now which are unsafe?” Cassidy asked.
“Senator, every vaccine on the U.S. market right now is safe and effective, according to the FDA,” Overton said.
Cassidy attempted to press Overton on whether she disagreed with the president on the safety and efficacy of the MMR vaccine, but Overton deflected from answering directly.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wa., asked Overton if she believes mifepristone is safe and effective. Kennedy launched an FDA safety review of the drug last year.
“I know that it has met the safety and efficacy standard according to the FDA review,” Overton replied.
Murray expressed concern over an article she said Overton published three years ago, which she said described medication abortion as dangerous to women.
She also asked if Overton believed an IUD is an abortifacient, which is a substance used to induce an abortion or terminate a pregnancy. Overton did not answer directly.
“If I’m confirmed as FDA commissioner, I’ll be fully briefed on all their prior decisions and make determinations according to the standards of safety and efficacy,” Overton said.
She has espoused anti-abortion views and supported reductions to the childhood immunization schedule. At the executive order signing, she touted the use of what she called “gold-standard science” and restoring vaccination authority to parents.
Overton was nominated for the job, in part, because she is a loyalist of the president, two sources familiar with the nomination tell ABC News.
She’s been described as a loyal staffer, particularly in the presidents’ efforts to overhaul the childhood vaccine schedule, according to a former senior administration official.
“Why would you not want your own loyalist in there?” the source said about Trump’s choice, adding “She [Overton] kind of goes along with things.” The former official supports Overton but has previously acknowledged that, “She’s been in the world of politics for a long time and understands everything’s about loyalty.”
Overton is a physician with a doctor of medicine degree from the University of New Mexico and also holds a doctorate from Johns Hopkins University.
Prior to her role as deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy, she was vice chair of the America First Policy Institute’s (AFPI) Center for a Healthy America, where Overton was also the chief policy officer, a nonprofit that aims to advance policies that it says put the American people first. AFPI was run by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins before Rollins was tapped to join the president’s Cabinet.
Several Trump administration officials held positions there before he was reelected, including Education Secretary Linda McMahon.
Prior to the hearing, Cassidy expressed “strong concerns” about Overton’s nomination because of her participation in the White House executive order overhauling the childhood vaccine schedule.
“That alone is almost disqualifying,” Cassidy wrote in a post on X.
Cassidy, a physician and liver doctor, has long championed the efficacy of vaccines and has grilled Trump’s health officials on their willingness to stand up to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including recently installed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Erica Schwartz.
In a statement to ABC News, Democratic Women’s Caucus Chairwoman Teresa Leger Fernández slammed the nomination.
“I call on my colleagues in the Senate to reject her nomination,” Fernández wrote, adding “Overton has publicly denied scientific fact and repeatedly launched conspiratorial attacks against our right to abortion access, the safety of mifepristone, and Planned Parenthood.”
Fernández added: “She is not qualified to serve as FDA Commissioner, and her extremist beliefs and loyalty to the Trump administration will put the lives of millions of women at risk.”
In a statement, Dr. Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, also criticized her nomination.
“The fact that Dr. Overton played a central role in an executive order that shrinks the childhood vaccine schedule and calls for splitting MMR into shots that don’t exist, all without new evidence, calls into question her scientific judgement,” Adalja said. “The fact that she has garnered the praise of the nation’s chief anti-vaccine propagandist, Secretary Kennedy, is also concerning.”
A general view of Busch Stadium, June 25, 2026, in St Louis, Missouri. (Joe Puetz/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Missouri health officials are warning of a possible measles exposure at Busch Stadium and nearby local businesses in St. Louis and the larger county.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHSS) said the possible exposures occurred between Sept. 12 and Sept. 14 and included local bars, a cafe, a restaurant, a sandwich shop, a grocery store and a convenience store.
The health department said exposed individuals should monitor for measles symptoms for 21 days starting from the date of exposure.
If symptoms appear, individuals are recommended to contact their local public health agency. Additionally, those who think they have measles should isolate themselves and call their healthcare provider before arriving to be tested.
The MDHSS did not immediately respond to an ABC News request for comment on the possible exposures.
Earlier this month, MDHSS announced a possible measles exposure at a train station in Sedalia, Missouri, after a vaccinated individual boarded a Chicago-bound train on Aug. 27.
About a week later, the St. Louis County Department of Public Health said a second individual who boarded the train on Aug. 27 was confirmed to have measles. The second individual was fully vaccinated and is the first case of measles in a county resident in 20 years, according to DPH.
The potential measles exposures at Busch Stadium and the St. Louis region is the third case linked to “train exposure in Missouri,” the health department said.
“Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to protect ourselves, our families and our community from measles,” Dr. Kanika Cunningham, director of the Saint Louis County Department of Public Health, said in a statement. “We encourage residents to review their vaccination status, monitor for symptoms and contact their healthcare provider before seeking care if they believe they may have been exposed.”
Measles cases in the U.S. have surpassed 3,400 so far in 2026 with cases confirmed in 45 states and Washington, D.C., according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC currently recommends that people receive two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective against preventing measles infection and two doses are 97% effective, the CDC says.
However, CDC data shows vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years. During the 2025 to 2026 school year, 92.4% of kindergartners received the MMR vaccine, according to data. This is lower than the 95.2% seen in the 2019 to 2020 school year, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(NEW YORK) — Eating more ultra-processed foods is linked to higher health risks, including death, according to a new study published in Family Medicine and Community Health.
Researchers found that consuming higher amounts of ultra-processed foods increased the risk of heart disease, strokes, obesity, diabetes, depression and anxiety, digestive issues, and cancer.
Ultra-processed foods contain “significant amounts of added sugars, salts, fats” and can be hyper-palatable, meaning they are engineered to taste especially appealing, Maya Feller, a registered dietitian, told ABC News.
Examples include packaged snacks, processed meat products, cookies, cakes, sugary drinks, and many ready-to-eat meals.
“Ultra-processed food is one of the major problems in public health,” Dr. Xiao Liu, lead author of the study, a physician at Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital and research fellow at Duke-NUS Medical School, told ABC News.
In the study, researchers examined the intake of ultra-processed foods globally, by reviewing over 50 studies that evaluated the diets of nearly 9 million adults worldwide over a timeframe ranging from 2 to 32 years.
The risk of cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States, was found to increase by 24% after consuming higher amounts of ultra-processed foods.
The more people ate ultra-processed foods, the higher their risk of poor health outcomes. Each additional 100 grams a day was linked to a 14% higher heart risk and an 11% higher blood pressure risk.
Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was also linked to a higher risk of metabolic diseases, with the risk of diabetes increasing 24% and the risk of obesity increasing 23%.
More than 100 million Americans in the United States are living with obesity and more than 22 million have severe obesity, according to numbers from the CDC. The agency also found that the average American gets over half their daily calories from ultra-processed foods.
Not all processed foods are the same, Feller said, using an apple to explain the difference.
“You have a tree with apples, and the apples on the tree are in their whole form. You take the apple off the tree, and that is a step of processing. You slice the apple. That’s another step of processing. You puree the apple. You haven’t added anything to it. That’s also processing,” she said.
As more ingredients are added, the food becomes more processed, she explained.
Canned vegetables, cheese, and freshly made bread are considered processed because salt, sugar, or oil may have been added to preserve them. Unprocessed or minimally processed foods can include fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, eggs, milk, beans, grains, meat, and fish that do not have salt, sugar, oils or additives.
When shopping, Feller said consumers can look at ingredient lists to get a better sense of how processed a food is.
“Flip the package over, and if the front says blueberries, then the ingredient list should say blueberries,” she said.
For people trying to limit ultra-processed foods without significantly increasing their grocery bills, frozen and canned foods can still be useful options.
“Go to the freezer section. Look for frozen vegetables, frozen fruits, frozen grains that have nothing added to them,” Feller added.
She also recommended lower-sodium canned foods and affordable staples such as pasta, rice and beans.
For parents trying to help children make healthier choices, Feller noted that strict control may be less realistic than education and modeling healthy habits at home.
“We can’t control what they do when they have at lunch,” she said. “Once they’ve left the house, it’s about education, positive modeling and open conversation.”
She added that family meals give parents more control over the foods children are exposed to at home, while conversations about nutrition can help guide the choices they make on their own.
Feller says that people do not need to eliminate all ultra-processed foods from their diets. Instead, the research points to the potential benefits of reducing overall intake as a more reachable goal.
“Don’t expect that you’re going to swap your pantry over or your refrigerator overnight,” Feller said. “Choose two or three things that you eat on a regular basis that are ultra-processed and think about swapping those out for things in their whole or minimally processed form.”
The researchers noted that people can lower their risk of these health conditions by improving their diets, which include limiting ultra-processed foods and eating more vegetables and fruits.
“In our modern society, our diet and food is maybe not safe… we should eat more vegetables and reduce the ultra-processed food to make us healthier,” said Liu.
Dr. Ashley Thomas is board-certified in internal medicine, board-eligible in occupational and environmental medicine, and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.
(NEW YORK) — Los Angeles County is seeing the highest number of West Nile virus cases in nearly a decade, health officials said Monday.
The county has reported 100 cases so far this year. This is the highest figure since 2017 when 268 cases were recorded for the entire season.
The number of current cases is also greater than the five-year average during the same period, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LA County DPH).
So far, 94 people have been hospitalized and five people have died, the health department said.
Of the 100 cases, 96 were symptomatic with the most recent onset of illness occurring on Sept. 4, according to LA County DPH.
The health department said that one-third of infected patients live in the East Los Angeles area, about a quarter live in the San Fernando Valley area and about a fifth live in the South Bay region.
It comes as the California Department of Public Health is reporting the highest levels of West Nile virus activity in five years, local health officials said.
So far, the U.S. has seen 671 cases this year across 42 states, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The true number of infections is likely higher because cases typically peak in August and September and reporting is delayed.
Public health officials have been warning that rising temperatures have allowed mosquitoes to thrive, increasing the risk of the diseases they spread, including West Nile.
West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental U.S., according to the CDC.
Mosquitoes typically become infected with the virus after feeding on infected birds and then spread it to humans and other animals, the federal health agency said.
Risk increases with older age; certain medical conditions such as cancer, high blood pressure and kidney disease; and a weakened immune system.
Most people infected are believed to have lifelong immunity but those with certain conditions may have their immunity wane over time.
Symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or rash. Most symptoms disappear, but weakness and fatigue may last for weeks or months.
About one in 150 patients will develop severe disease leading to encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis, inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. Both can lead to death, the CDC says.
Each year, about 2,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with West Nile virus, but the CDC says this is likely an undercount because most people either don’t develop symptoms or believe their mild symptoms were caused by another illness.
More than 1,300 people develop severe illness affecting the central nervous system, the CDC says.
There are no licensed vaccines or medications that protect against the virus. The CDC recomemnds using insect repellant, wearing long-sleeve shirts and pants, treating clothing and gear and taking steps to control mosquitoes. The last step includes putting screens on windows and doors, using air conditioning and emptying out containers with still water.
GLP-1 injection pen and medication vial for subcutaneous use. (Getty Images stock photo)
Dozens of Americans have filed personal injury lawsuits against the makers of popular GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, claiming they were not properly warned of the risk of a rare type of sudden vision loss, called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, when taking the medications.
Researchers have been studying a possible link between GLP-1 drugs and this eye condition in recent years after a possible safety signal was reported from a single health center in Boston in 2024, but so far, no study has proven these drugs are the cause.
Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, said they take “all reports of adverse events very seriously,” and pushed back against these claims, stating, “Novo believes the personal injury lawsuits filed in the U.S. are without merit and are vigorously defending them,” a spokesperson told ABC News.
Adding, “Novo is committed to patient safety and continuously monitors the safety profile of our GLP-1 RA products. Should emerging safety data warrant further action, appropriate measures will be implemented in accordance with regulatory requirements.”
A spokesperson for Lilly, who manufactures Zepbound and Mounjaro, told ABC News, “Patientsafety is Lilly’s top priority. We actively monitor, evaluate, and report safety information for all our medicines to the FDA. As part of our routine safety review process, we have ongoing discussions with regulators regarding potential safety topics, and we will continue to review data, including any data regarding ophthalmic issues.”
Here’s what GLP-1 users should know about this condition and what the science says.
What is NAION?
Although a rare condition overall, Dr. John Chen, a professor of ophthalmology and neurology at Mayo Clinic, said, “NAION is the most common acute optic neuropathy in patients over the age of 50. It’s essentially a lack of blood flow to the optic nerve, where patients typically have pretty acute onset of painless vision loss.”
That vision loss is usually permanent, and there is no specific treatment for the condition at this time, Chen told ABC News.
Dr. Raj Maturi, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and ophthalmologist at Midwest Eye Institute, told ABC News that people with diabetes, regardless of GLP-1 use, can be at increased risk of developing this condition, and other risks include overnight low blood pressure or a very small optic nerve cup.
Vision problems are listed as possible side effects of these medications, but the Food and Drug Administration does not currently require the drug makers to list NAION as a specific risk.
The agency’s Sentinel Initiativedoes say a review is ongoing that aims to scientifically evaluate the possible safety signal related to GLP-1 drugs and NAION that is still in progress.
In a statement provided to ABC News, a spokesperson for the FDA said, “The FDA routinely monitors the safety of drug products postmarketing. The FDA identifies safety signals from a variety of sources, evaluates the available data and takes regulatory actions when appropriate.”
Other countries have required the drug makers to include a warning that there may be a possible increased risk of developing NAION if taking some of these medications based on their review of available evidence, including the European Medicines Agency and Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration, both citing it as a rare possible side effect.
In general, safety signals don’t alwayspan out as true risks for all medications and not every possible side effect is caused directly by the medication itself.
Drugs that are FDA-approved undergo rigorous clinical trials, are heavily scrutinized before reaching the market, and post-marketing safety is continuously monitored.
What does the science say?
“Several studies suggest that there is a potential link between NAION, or eye stroke, and GLP-1 use,” Maturi said. “However it is important to note that causation has not been proven. And the risk does seem to be rare,” Maturi said.
In 2024, researchers at a single health system in Boston published datathat suggested people with type 2 diabetes who were prescribed semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist and the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, may be at increased risk of developing this type of vision loss.
Since then, more research has been done with larger studies that have shown mixed results as to whether a link does exist, and no study to date has proven that these medications cause this eye condition.
“There are significant benefits from the GLP-1’s for severe obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease. That’s proven time and time again with these randomized clinical trials,” Chen said. “We didn’t have to pull the plug on those trials because people were going blind. So again, if there is an association, it’s a very low risk.”
The European Medicines Agencyestimates this eye condition could possibly impact 1 out of every 10,000 GLP-1 users who have diabetes, based on their analysis of available information.
In a joint statement, the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society and the American Academy of Ophthalmology said, “While many report a small possible increased risk of NAION in patients taking GLP-1 RAs such as semaglutide, some studies report no correlation, and the overall magnitude of the risk of NAION remains low.”
Maturi and Chen both said that the data isn’t conclusive so far and more research is needed to understand if GLP-1 drugs have a true role in developing NAION.
What should GLP-1 users do?
Doctors recommend that people always discuss any potential side effects of a medication with their own doctor and warn that there are proven health risks, including eye problems, if diabetes and obesity go untreated.
“For any patients already taking semaglutide who have not experienced any symptoms, they should continue to do so as instructed and discuss any questions or concerns with their primary care physician,” Maturi said.
Chen said he doesn’t believe this potential risk should prevent most people from using GLP-1 medications if they are recommended by a doctor to help treat an underlying health condition but cautions that people who have experienced NAION in one eye already may need to weigh the possible risks more closely with their doctor.
“We’re not sure if the GLP-1 is connected or not. We know this helps with diabetes, heart disease, and severe obesity,” Chen said. “We essentially don’t want you to stop your meds without talking to your doctor, and if you do have sudden painless vision loss, you should be seen by an eye doctor.”
Jade A. Cobern, MD, MPH, is a practicing physician, board-certified in pediatrics and general preventive medicine, and is a fellow of the ABC News Medical Unit. ABC News’ Elizabeth Schulze also contributed to this reporting.
Close-up of a mosquito biting human skin. (Joao Paulo Burini/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — The Florida Department of Health confirmed the state’s first death from dengue fever this year as cases of the mosquito-borne illness continue to rise.
The department did not provide any details about the patient including name, age, sex or residence.
The Tampa Bay Times, which first reported the death, described the patient as an 80-year-old Tampa woman who died on Sept. 4.
The FDOH did not immediately return ABC News’ request for comment.
For the week ending Sept. 12, Florida has confirmed 152 locally acquired cases of dengue, according to data from the state health department.
This is the highest number recorded since 2023, when the state saw 189 locally acquired cases over the course of the year, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.
Hillsborough County — which includes Tampa — has reported the most cases so far this year with 134, according to the FDOH. Other counties with confirmed cases include Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, Pasco and Pinellas.
Dengue viruses are spread through bites from infected Aedes species mosquitoes, mostly found in tropical and subtropical regions, according to the CDC. These mosquitoes are also responsible for spreading Zika and chikungunya viruses.
Dengue can be caused by dengue virus strains 1, 2, 3 or 4. A person also can be infected with dengue multiple times over the course of their life.
About one in four people who contract dengue develop symptoms which typically last two to seven days and are usually mild. This may include fever, rash, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, joint pain and bone pain.
About one in 20 infected people will develop severe dengue, which can lead to shock, internal bleeding and, in some cases, death, the CDC said.
There are no disease-specific treatments for dengue. The CDC recommends rest, fluids and over-the-counter medications to relieve symptoms. Patients with severe illness often need to be hospitalized and receive additional supportive treatments, such as intravenous fluids.
The CDC warns patients not to take aspirin or ibuprofen; it can trigger inflammation or bleeding of the stomach lining.
Currently, there is no dengue vaccine available in the U.S. In 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a vaccine for children between ages 9 and 16 who have a laboratory-confirmed previous dengue virus infection and live in areas where dengue is endemic, but it has since been discontinued.
Methods to help prevent dengue infection include using effective mosquito repellents, wearing long-sleeve shirts and long pants when outside and staying in places with air conditioning when possible. The CDC also recommends emptying containers of still or stagnant water to eliminate places where mosquitos can breed.
ABC News’ Youri Benadjaoud contributed to this report.
Travelers wait in a line that stretches to the parking garage at the Philadelphia International Airport on March 28, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Philadelphia is facing a second possible measles exposure, the city’s Department of Public Health warned over the weekend.
Health officials said an individual with measles passed through Philadelphia International Airport and that the case is not connected to the recent exposure that occurred at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).
The Philadelphia Department of Public Health said the exposure occurred in Terminals B and F, as well as areas used to connect to other terminals in C, D and E from 7:25 p.m. ET on Sept. 13 to 12:05 a.m. ET on Sept. 14.
The individual was passing through the airport and did not leave the premises, according to the health department.
“This week’s measles exposures are a reminder of how important it is for all of us to be up to date on our vaccinations,” Dr. Palak Raval-Nelson, health commissioner for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, said in a statement. “Every Philadelphian who is fully vaccinated has little to fear from the situation at CHOP and the airport. Even more importantly, every one of those people is doing their part to help protect our most vulnerable from measles.”
The exposures come as the number of measles cases continues to rise across Pennsylvania. As of Friday, 767 cases have been recorded so far this year, according to the state Department of Health.
There have been 150 hospitalizations so far and four measles-associated deaths, state health department data shows.
The last time the U.S. reported four measles deaths was in 1992. Last year, Texas reported two deaths and New Mexico reported one.
In the U.S., measles cases have surpassed 3,000 so far in 2026 with cases confirmed in 45 states and Washington, D.C., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC currently recommends that people receive two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective against measles, the CDC says.
However, CDC data shows vaccination rates have been lagging in recent years. During the 2025 to 2026 school year, 92.4% of kindergartners received the MMR vaccine, according to data. This is lower than the 95.2% seen in the 2019 to 2020 school year, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
