Vaccine Smarts writers Dr. Megan Berman and Dr. Richard Rupp answer questions about measles vaccines in their latest column. Should you get a booster if you can’t remember if you had the measles vaccine? Can a 3-year-old get their second MMR vaccine ahead of schedule? Should I get a booster if traveling to West Texas? Berman and Rupp answer these and other questions.

Dr. Victor Sierpina continues his series on cultivating joy in life. Sierpina draws from wisdom shared by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, Viktor E. Frankl and others.

The Associated Press shared a video on YouTube featuring Dr. Scott Weaver explaining what the measles is, how it affects the human body, how it is transmitted and what people can do to avoid getting it.

The University of Texas Medical Branch has been recognized on the first-ever Newsweek and Statista list of America’s Best Weight Loss Clinics & Centers 2025. This prestigious honor places UTMB among the nation’s top 200 weight loss programs, underscoring its commitment to excellence in metabolic and bariatric care.

Of all our senses, smell is probably the least understood, write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in their latest Medical Discovery News column. Norbert and Niesel dive into what science does and does not know about how we smell.

The Daily News reported on a UTMB study that found that patients carrying the herpes simplex virus and chickenpox are at a significantly higher risk of developing dementia.

The University of Texas Medical Branch and Aetna®, a CVS Health business, have reached a multi-year agreement that brings UTMB facilities and providers in network for most Aetna health plan participants, effective immediately.

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.

A new study from researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch has found that individuals with a history of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections face a significantly higher risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. The findings, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, highlight a critical link between HSV-1, which primarily causes oral herpes, and HSV-2 infections, which cause genital herpes, and neurodegenerative disease progression.

Did you know that women are statistically more likely to die from a heart-related issue than men? Cardiologist Dr. Esosa Odigie-Okon elaborates on why that is and shares other tips, tricks and insight into women's heart health.

“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.

Drs. Alexander Bukreyev and Jere McBride, UTMB professors in the Department of Pathology, were recently elected to the 2025 class of fellows with the American Academy of Microbiology.

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

“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.

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.