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Framingham public health nurse reports measles surge, 216 child flu deaths and rising STIs
Summary
At a May 13 Framingham Board of Health meeting, the city’s public health nurse outlined a rise in measles cases nationwide, 216 child deaths from this season’s flu, local TB cases and growing sexually transmitted infection rates, and warned staffing limits at the city clinic.
Linda, Framingham’s public health nurse, told the Board of Health on May 13 that infectious disease activity has shifted this year and is stressing local resources.
“The saddest thing in the world, we had 216 children die from the flu this year,” Linda said, adding that respiratory illnesses overall were down but that the flu “really hit the kids hard.” She reported a sharp rise in measles nationally, saying that cases rose from about 200 the week she wrote her report to “over a thousand” by the meeting and pointing to recent outbreaks in several U.S. states and in Ontario, Canada.
The nurse said Framingham’s childhood measles vaccine noncompliance is about 3 percent and described the figure as a point of local strength. She also reported three active tuberculosis cases the department is following, increased wound infections in shelters, and rising rates of chlamydia and antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea. Linda said cervical cancer rates tied to HPV are up, which is why staff are “really pushing that vaccine.”
Linda described the municipal clinic’s operational plans for newly arriving families: a welcome center opening on May 14 with a nurse expected to start in June to help vaccinate children so they can enter school. She said the city currently depends on per-diem nurses to cover gaps after the medical assistant position was cut; the loss of in‑house support for home visits and shared services has stretched capacity.
Board members thanked Linda and did not record public comment on the report. The health director and staff said they were exploring partnerships with free clinics and regional resources to use clinic space and supply services outside standard business hours.
The board did not take formal action on the report at the meeting; members said they would continue to monitor case counts and staffing needs and bring any formal proposals back to a future agenda.
