Zach Jenkins

The continued spread of measles is drawing attention to both disease prevention and how health officials explain risks to the public. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 4,852 confirmed U.S. cases through October 29, more than twice the 2,289 cases recorded during all of 2025. With 96% of this year’s cases associated with outbreaks, the figures underscore the importance of helping communities understand how the disease spreads and who faces the greatest risks. Measles spreads through the air and can cause complications including pneumonia and brain inflammation. Young children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are among those at higher risk of severe complications. The CDC identifies vaccination as the best protection, with two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine approximately 97% effective at preventing measles. Communicating those facts clearly gives families a foundation for discussing their circumstances with health professionals. The communication challenge extends beyond publishing case totals. Families need understandable explanations of what an exposure means, how local conditions affect their risk and where to turn with questions. Effective outreach must also distinguish established evidence from uncertainty, acknowledge concerns respectfully and explain the reasoning behind recommendations. Those tasks become particularly consequential when people encounter conflicting claims about the same disease. How can health professionals communicate urgency while building trust? Dr. Zach Jenkins, professor of pharmacy practice at Cedarville University, has training and clinical experience in infectious diseases and has helped community stakeholders, policymakers and media outlets understand public health issues. His background provides a relevant perspective on explaining outbreak risks and translating medical evidence into information families can use. 

Fear rises in the hearts of Americans as news of the measles outbreak has surfaced across media platforms. The entrance of the measles vaccine in 1963, enabled the US to eradicate measles by 2000. Due to international contact with those who have not eliminated measles caused it to resurface in 2018. The following year saw 764 cases making it the highest number of cases in 25 years.  This year the measles outbreak has reached the news again with reports of 14 outbreaks and 977 of the 1,088 cases caused by the outbreaks. The year prior to 2025 saw 16 outbreak reports, but fewer cases.   So far 2025 has experienced three deaths (two children and one adult) due to measles. Children and teens under 20 make up 67% of the cases and 96% of infections are found in those who have not been vaccinated, or their vaccination status is unknown.   Dr. Zach Jenkins, professor of pharmacy practice and director of advanced pharmacy practice experiences of at Cedarville University. To schedule an interview, email Mark D. Weinstein, executive director of public relations at Cedarville University at mweinstein@cedarville.edu or click on his icon. 

There has been a lot of talk about treatment, vaccinations and drugs that are being used during the CVOID-19 pandemic. The latest is Remdesivir – and it is getting a lot of attention. The US's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorised emergency use of the Ebola drug remdesivir for treating the coronavirus. The authorisation means the anti-viral drug can now be used on people who are hospitalised with severe Covid-19. A recent clinical trial showed the drug helped shorten the recovery time for people who were seriously ill. However, it did not significantly improve survival rates. Experts have warned the drug which was originally developed to treat Ebola, and is produced by Gilead pharmaceutical company in California should not be seen as a "magic bullet" for coronavirus. What do we know about remdesivir? The drug did not cure Ebola, and Gilead says on its website: "Remdesivir is an experimental medicine that does not have established safety or efficacy for the treatment of any condition." Gilead also warns of possible serious side-effects. However, President Trump has been a vocal supporter of remdesivir as a potential treatment for the coronavirus. In its clinical trial, whose full results are yet to be released, the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) found that remdesivir cut the duration of symptoms from 15 days down to 11. The trials involved 1,063 people at hospitals around the world including the US, France, Italy, the UK, China and South Korea. Some patients were given the drug and others were given a placebo (dummy) treatment. Dr Anthony Fauci who runs NIAID, said that remdesivir had "a clear-cut, significant, positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery". However, although remdesivir may aid recovery and possibly stop people having to be treated in intensive care the trials did not give any clear indication whether it can prevent deaths from coronavirus.  May 02 BBC There are still a lot of questions to be asked: When could it be ready for mass distribution? How is it administered? Who can get it? And how much will it cost? If you are a journalist covering this emerging issue – then let our experts help. Dr. Zach Jenkins is an infectious disease expert at Cedarville University. He is available to speak with media about this topic – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.