Midwest in the middle of ‘unprecedented’ tuberculosis outbreak
Greg Kearney

Editor’s note: The country is currently facing one of the largest tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks in United States history since the 1950s. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment tracked the outbreak in northeast Kansas for over a year, reporting 67 cases in two counties since 2024. This outbreak follows numerous battles in the state regarding anti-vax legislation and the treatment of infectious diseases. The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) Vaccine is seen by healthcare professionals as a very effective shot to prevent TB in children.

This outbreak is occurring as the confirmation hearings for Donald Trump’s pick for US Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., continue. Kennedy has a history of anti-vaccine stances and has run a group called the Children’s Health Defense, which repeatedly cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of childhood vaccinations.

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CONTRIBUTOR

Greg Kearney
Greg Kearney

Greg Kearney has worked as an editorial cartoonist for over 40 years. He calls himself  “a traditional labor Democrat,” and his cartoons have appeared in publications as diverse as the Journal of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union to People's World. “You may not always agree with my views but that is the whole point of editorial cartooning.” Kearney is a member of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists.

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