This has been a hard month for extreme weather, food safety, and public health. Here is what is happening, what the risk is for you and your family, and what to do about it.
Extreme Weather, Power Outages, and Wildfire
This has been a hard month for extreme weather. Communities across the country have dealt with tornado warnings, severe storms, and record heat straining power grids and emergency services. Wildfire activity is also elevated this year, with more than 29,000 fires burning over 2.3 million acres nationally as of this summer, well above the ten-year average.¹ Public health researchers have connected the rising frequency and severity of extreme weather events to a warming climate, with direct effects on heat illness, air quality, injury, and disruption to medical care.²
Events like these are becoming more common, not less, which makes having a plan before disaster strikes worth the time. The American Red Cross offers free tools for building a family emergency plan and can be reached at 1-800-RED-CROSS or redcross.org.³
Wildfire smoke has drifted into cities that rarely see it. Researchers point to a warming climate as a driving factor.
Measles: The Highest Case Count in Three Decades
2026 has brought the highest number of measles cases in the United States in more than three decades, with confirmed cases surpassing 2,700 across nearly all states.⁴ This month the outbreak turned tragic: the Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed two measles-associated deaths, both in unvaccinated individuals, the state's first measles deaths in 35 years.⁵
Most cases nationally involve people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. The American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics have both reaffirmed that two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97 percent effective at preventing measles, backed by decades of consistent, evidence-based research.⁶ As kids head back to school and college students head to campus, this is a good moment to confirm that MMR vaccinations are current, both for children and for adults who may not remember their own status.
An Active Summer for Foodborne Illness
It has been an unusually active summer for foodborne illness. A large multistate Cyclospora outbreak linked to recalled iceberg lettuce has sickened over 9,000 people across 17 states, part of a broader surge that has pushed national Cyclospora case counts past 13,000 for the summer.⁷ Separate Salmonella and E. coli investigations are also underway, tied to eggs, blueberries, and other products.⁸
Cyclospora causes prolonged, severe diarrhea and can take up to two weeks to show symptoms after exposure. If you have had unexplained stomach illness this summer, it is worth mentioning to your provider. You can check current recalls anytime at FoodSafety.gov, which combines alerts from both the FDA and USDA in one place.⁹
Cyclospora is not removed by washing. Heat is the only reliable way to destroy it. Check FoodSafety.gov for current recalls.
Flu and COVID: Updated Guidance for Fall
Updated flu vaccines for the 2026 to 2027 season have new formulations to better match circulating strains, including a new H3N2 subclade identified this year.¹⁰ COVID vaccine guidance has also shifted, moving toward a shared decision-making conversation between patients and providers rather than a universal recommendation.¹¹
This is a good year to talk with your doctor directly about what makes sense for you and your family based on age, health history, and risk. For current vaccine information, visit cdc.gov.
Sources
1. National Interagency Fire Center. North American Seasonal Fire Assessment and Outlook, July 2026. nifc.gov
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Climate and Health. cdc.gov/climate-health
3. American Red Cross. How to Prepare for Emergencies. redcross.org
4. CDC. Measles Cases and Outbreaks. cdc.gov/measles
5. Pennsylvania Department of Health. Pennsylvania confirms two measles-associated deaths. August 2026. pa.gov
6. American Medical Association. ama-assn.org; American Academy of Pediatrics. healthychildren.org
7. FDA and CDC. Investigation Update: Cyclospora Outbreak, July 2026. cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis
8. FDA. Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks. fda.gov
9. FoodSafety.gov. Recalls and Outbreaks. foodsafety.gov
10. CDC. 2026-2027 Flu Season. cdc.gov/flu
11. Congressional Research Service. Changes to CDC Vaccine Recommendations in 2025 and 2026. congress.gov