MMWR News Synopsis

Articles

Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy and Mortality at Delivery Hospitalization, United States, 2017–2019

CDC Media Relations
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Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) affect at least 1 in 7 hospital deliveries and worsen short- and long-term maternal health outcomes, indicating a need for better prevention, recognition, and treatment. HDP refers to conditions marked by high blood pressure before, during, or after pregnancy. They are common, can cause severe complications, such as heart attacks and strokes, in pregnant and postpartum people, and are a leading cause of pregnancy-related death in the United States. The prevalence of HDP among delivery hospitalizations increased from about 13% in 2017 to 16% in 2019, affecting at least 1 in 7 delivery hospitalizations. There are considerable disparities, with HDP affecting more than 1 in 5 delivery hospitalizations of Black women and about 1 in 6 delivery hospitalizations of American Indian and Alaska Native women. About one-third of those who died during their delivery hospitalization had an HDP documented. People with a history of pregnancy-associated hypertension are at increased risk for future cardiovascular disease compared with people who have pregnancies with normal blood pressure. Severe complications and death from HDP are preventable with equitable implementation of strategies to identify and monitor persons with HDP and quality improvement initiatives to improve prompt treatment and increase awareness of urgent maternal warning signs.

Public Health Actions to Control Measles Among Afghan Evacuees During Operation Allies Welcome — United States, September–November 2021

CDC Media Relations
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This report describes the successful whole-of-government effort to contain measles among Afghan evacuees during Operation Allies Welcome through rapid mass vaccination campaigns. A coordinated response that included a 21-day quarantine and a pause in incoming flights led to high vaccination coverage among evacuees. Measles transmission among evacuees was very limited, and there were no measles cases among the staff or volunteers at the military bases or hotel used for isolation and quarantine, and importantly, no spread into the surrounding communities. After the U.S. Government began the large-scale emergency evacuation of allies from Afghanistan during the fall of 2021, CDC began preparing for the possibility that contagious diseases, especially measles, might occur among evacuees because vaccinations before departure were not possible, and in Afghanistan, routine measles immunization coverage is low and there was an ongoing measles outbreak. CDC proactively worked with local public health officials, the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies to limit cases among evacuees and prevent the potential spread of measles and other diseases into U.S. communities. Among approximately 73,000 evacuees, 47 were confirmed to have measles, with patients developing rash between September 2 and October 15. The infected people were located at six domestic sites in four jurisdictions (22 cases in Virginia, 22 in Wisconsin, two in New Mexico, and one in New Jersey). After the detection of measles cases, DoD intensified efforts to vaccinate evacuees housed at domestic military bases with measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, and evacuation flights from overseas locations were temporarily paused on September 10 to allow for vaccination and quarantine of potentially exposed evacuees before travel. By September 24, an estimated 91% of eligible evacuees at the domestic sites were vaccinated, increasing to 96% by November 25. No measles cases were reported in military personnel, volunteers, staff members supporting the response, or in surrounding communities. No measles-related deaths occurred. Domestic sites also reported only 14 mumps cases and one rubella case. This success underscores the effectiveness of the MMR vaccine to prevent measles, mumps, and rubella and highlights the importance of vaccination, preparedness, and collaboration.

Previously Released: Provisional Mortality Data — United States, 2021

CDC Media Relations
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Previously Released: Provisional COVID-19 Age-Adjusted Death Rates, by Race and Ethnicity — United States, 2020–2021

CDC Media Relations
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Previously Released: Seroprevalence of Infection-Induced SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies — United States, September 2021–February 2022

CDC Media Relations
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• Response to Measles Among Persons Evacuated from Afghanistan — Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, August–October 2021This report describes how the spread of measles among Afghan evacuees was successfully prevented during Operation Allies Welcome at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL). Several guests were exposed to a measles case during their inbound flight and a rapid mass vaccination campaign, quarantine, and flight pauses prevented further spread of infectious diseases. JBMDL was one of several military bases in the United States that housed Afghan evacuees during Operation Allies Welcome, a large-scale resettlement of eligible people from Afghanistan during the fall of 2021. On September 6, after several measles cases were reported at other bases, mission leadership learned of 16 guests at JBMDL who were exposed to measles during their inbound flight on September 3. These guests received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, or immunoglobulin if they were not able to receive the vaccine, and were quarantined. Some delays occurred because of challenges in locating the exposed people and lack of space for quarantine. However, no cases of measles were confirmed among the exposed. A mass vaccination campaign was organized from September 8 through 12, during which 7,962 (88%) of 9,065 eligible evacuees were vaccinated. By October 31, among a total of 12,670 eligible evacuees, 98% (12,437) had received the MMR vaccine. On October 6, a case of measles was confirmed in a 4-months-old infant who had fever, rash, and diarrhea and was hospitalized in a local pediatric hospital. Since the infant arrived at JBMDL on September 9 and developed a rash on October 3, at least one undetected primary case of measles occurred on the base. No additional cases occurred on the base or in the surrounding community, underscoring the effectiveness of rapid mass vaccination campaigns to prevent the spread of measles.

• Percentage of Currently Employed Adults Aged ≥18 Years Who Had Paid Sick Leave Benefits at Last Week’s Job or Business, by Region — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2019 and 2020

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

CDC works 24/7 protecting America’s health, safety and security. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC responds to America’s most pressing health threats. CDC is headquartered in Atlanta and has experts located throughout the United States and the world.