Power & Politics: Sales tax hike in New Jersey? 1:1 with Senate GOP Leader Anthony Bucco

New insight on who Mayor-elect Mamdani will lean on during time at City Hall

Congestion pricing linked to lower air pollution across New York City

Senate rejects extension of health care subsidies as costs are set to rise for millions of Americans

Mayor-elect Mamdani addresses affordability at Brooklyn gala

Bronx Assembly Member Septimo to campaign for seat in NY Congress

newyork

News 12 Staff

RTCTPowerPolitics12132025BBlock230pm_2025-12-13-14-55-29

I'm Mark Sudall. Welcome back to Power and Politics. I'm joined now by the commissioner for the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Doctor Misha Jaani. Welcome. Thanks for having me, Mark. Well, the state has confirmed its first case of measles in over 4 years, an unvaccinated Trump child under the age of 10. What can you tell us about this case and what should our viewers know about measles? So what we know is that we got a report of a child under the age of 10 who was unvaccinated and did acquire measles likely on an international trip. And what I want people to know in Connecticut is that if you've been vaccinated, you have 97%. 1% chance of immunity to the measles. It is highly, highly contagious if you've been in the room with somebody where they were positive for measles. It can be infectious in the air for up to 2 hours, and this is why being unvaccinated is the biggest risk factor. Measles is a respiratory. infection like many of the others we have going around right now in our community. I will tell you that the thing we're seeing most right now is flu. So if you get sick, I think it's more likely to be either flu or COVID rather than measles. But again, if you are unvaccinated, getting vaccinated is the best thing you can do to protect yourself and your family. Uh, so what are the symptoms of measles? So many of the symptoms are very similar to what you would see with a lot of other respiratory infections, cough, sore throat, runny nose, red eyes. These are all things you may see with any number of infections. However, 3 to 5 days into the infection, you can start with a rash that usually starts at the hairline, goes across. Face and down to the rest of the body and then there are these very notable white spots inside of the mouth that the mouth that can appear and when that rash starts, you can also get really high spiking fevers, 104 in that ballpark. So those are the things to look out for that might be a little different than your run of the mill flu-like symptoms that people are used to seeing. Recently, as you know, the state also had its first deadly flu case. Is this year's strain, you think, going to be worse, and what should people know? What we're seeing is that we usually have influenza A and B. B usually comes later in the season, and out of A, there are a variety of subtypes. This season, H3N2 seems to be the dominant strain that people have been seeing this season. We're also seeing that here in Connecticut. The flu shot is protective even against this strain. I know some people have maybe heard that the flu shot isn't going to work this year. There is data that is coming out to show that it is still protective, particularly for children who can be up to 70% protected from the shot from getting into the hospital, and also for adults, 40% preventing hospitalization. That's a pretty good flu shot to make sure that you don't get into the hospital this season. I can tell you our children's hospitals in the state have already told me that they are seeing our children's hospital ICU and floors filling up with kids with flu, and really we have an intervention that works. It's easy to get. We've had over a million people in our state already get the flu shot. We're hearing of outbreaks in schools right now. This is the time before we head into the rest of the holidays to get those respiratory viral disease shots that you can this season. Now, as you mentioned, of course, there's also RSV and are you hearing about COVID cases kind of ramping up again? Yes, we are also hearing of COVID cases ramping up. We had a little bit of an increase in the fall, right when the school year started, so it was the end of August, beginning of September. It was a small rise. It came back down. I know a lot of people are confused what to do if they already had flu this season. What I would recommend is if you had flu, I'm sorry, let me repeat that, if you had COVID this season already, if you had COVID in August. August to September, what I would recommend is that now going into December, this is the time to get an updated COVID shot because it will protect you through the rest of the season and going into 2026. So I think it's still advisable to get a COVID shot for anybody 6 months and older. We've had much fewer uptake in terms of COVID shots this season. We're 28% down since this time. Last year, but what I would say is that most certainly flu is fully ramped up. COVID is starting to ramp up. RSV is still low, but we're starting to see activity there as well. So if you're an older adult, if you have a newborn, these are the groups for RSV that we are most worried about, and these are the things that are going to help you protect yourself and also help our hospital system that is really bracing for a difficult winter. Now you've said how important vaccinations are. Are you hearing anything more from RFK Junior's office about wanting to curb vaccinations? We've seen a lot of activity from the advisory Committee on immunisations practices which went to vote last week to have an individual decision-making process as it relates to hepatitis B vaccine when children are first born. The reality of that recommendation is that every single shot involves consent of a family, and that is always the case, that will continue to be the case. I still strongly recommend that people get that shot for their child when they are born because the reason we ended up with that recommendation is because other recommendations that were more. Risk Based did not work and this recommendation goes back to 1991. We have decades to show that this is a very, very effective and safe vaccine as it relates to other vaccines, we have heard the president say that they want this committee to relook the entire pediatric vaccination schedule. I do have concerns over where we're heading. We in Connecticut do feel that the vaccine schedule as it is right now, and this is supported by multiple medical societies, physicians who have trained years to figure out what to make of medicine and how to advise patients, all agreeing with this schedule, there will be more to come as we have to respond based on changes that may come. Doctor Jeanni, thank you so much. Always a pleasure to be with you. Thanks. Well, next, Governor Ned Lamont makes a stop in Norwalk to sign an affordable housing law, but will the projects actually cost less?

https://vod.prod.alticeustech.com/transcode/4d73200c-1a4a-41a7-80c0-6e61baf8d303/4d73200c-1a4a-41a7-80c0-6e61baf8d303.transcribe

RTCTPowerPolitics12132025CBlock230pm

Well, Governor Lamont was in Norwalk this week to sign a sweeping affordable housing law, but can it solve the state's housing crisis? News 12 Connecticut's John Craven takes a look. This new law makes it easier to build affordable homes like these here in Norwalk. Affordability is a tough thing to find here in Connecticut. Just asked Johnny Hudson. These days, oh my God, you have to have about probably 2 or 3 jobs just to make it. Hudson moved into Oak Grove Apartments 4 months ago. These brand new homes are reserved for low income families. Governor Lamont came here to sign a sweeping new housing law. That's what this bill is all about. Towns, show us how you want to do it, and we're going to be there as your partner going forward. The new law is a compromise. It scraps housing quotas for each town in favor of regional targets. Over the last 6 months, Republicans and Democrats alike, we collaborated very well together. But the new law is still controversial in places like Fairfield. It's absolutely gorgeous and it needs protection. Catherine Braun with the group CT 169 Strong says the new law threatens open space like Mill River. She thinks it's a free. Pass for developers. I'm not sure it will add as much affordable as it will add $3000 to $4000 rental units. Back at Oak Grove though, Johnny Hudson is just happy to afford a place to call home. I'm thankful just to live out here. It's just me, it's me and my mom. We're right here on the, there you go. Well, this housing debate is not likely to end. Expect to see even more housing legislation next year in Norwalk, John Craven, News 12, Connecticut. That's all our time. I'm Mark Sudoff. Thanks for watching.

https://vod.prod.alticeustech.com/transcode/5b31d59a-4dea-47e3-99d7-642cb88d1138/5b31d59a-4dea-47e3-99d7-642cb88d1138.transcribe

Josh Morgan, spokesperson for the Connecticut Department of Transportation, and Dr. Manisha Juthani, the commissioner for the Connecticut Department of Public Health, join the show.

More Stories

More from News 12

Power & Politics: Sales tax hike in New Jersey? 1:1 with Senate GOP Leader Anthony Bucco

Mayor-elect Mamdani addresses affordability at Brooklyn gala

Justice Department again fails to re-indict New York Attorney General Letitia James, AP source says

Power & Politics: Mamdani’s plans will need NY lawmakers’ cooperation; 1:1 with Brad Lander

Power & Politics: Affordability on Long Island – local leaders address issue at LI Smart Growth Summit

Power & Politics: 1-on-1 with NAACP Mid-Hudson Regional Director Wilbur Aldridge

Ad Choices

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

Privacy Manager