Author: Kate Smith

Webinars & Events

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Here’s a list of some upcoming webinars and events: Vaccines, Voices, and Validity: Confronting Misinformation and Supporting the Autism Community with Compassion and Clarity Tuesday, August 12 from 12-1pm ET Join the New Jersey Immunization Network for an important webinar focused on addressing misinformation surrounding vaccines and autism and supporting the Autism community in clinical settings. Featuring Dr. Peter Hotez and Danielle Hall (Autism Society of America), this session will explain the genetic basis of autism and its interaction with environmental factors during early pregnancy, explore the rise of antivaccine activism, clarify misconceptions around autism and vaccines, and offer practical Read More …

Danish Study Finds Aluminum in Vaccines Safe

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A new Danish study of vaccination and medical records of 1.2 million children over a 24-year period finds that aluminum salts – added to vaccines to create a stronger immune response – do not lead to statistically significant increased risks of developing autism, asthma, or 48 other conditions. Read the study, in the Annals of Internal Medicine, here: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-00997

Measles Cases Reach Highest Since Elimination

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Over the weekend, the US reached 1,281 measles cases in 2025 – the highest number since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000, and the most we’ve seen since 1992 (2,126 cases). Thanks to high vaccination rates, we’ve managed to keep the disease at bay, but those rates are slipping. Since measles is the most contagious virus on Earth (that we know of), it’s often the first to resurge when vaccination coverage declines. A high case count doesn’t automatically mean the US loses its measles elimination status. That is defined by the WHO, and means that measles is not endemic Read More …

AAP Files Lawsuit to Protect Immunizations

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On July 7, 2025, the American Academy of Pediatrics, joined by the American College of Physicians, the American Public Health Association, and others, filed suit in American Academy of Pediatrics v. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to restore science to U.S. vaccine policy development and ensure pediatricians are able to do their jobs taking care of patients. This is not the first time the AAP has sued the federal government in the name of protecting children’s health. In 1983, the AAP successfully sued along with other medical organizations to oppose federal regulations that intruded into the physician-patient relationship. We have also sued Read More …

From Inoculation to Innovation: The Historical and Ethical Journey of Vaccination

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Join the New Jersey Immunization Network for a thought-provoking webinar that will delve into the life-saving global impact of vaccines, explore the roots of vaccine hesitancy and organized opposition, and unpack the ethical questions surrounding mandates, informed consent, and global access. Through real-world case studies and predictive models, we’ll also examine the far-reaching public health implications of both vaccine acceptance and refusal. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with history, ethics, and science in one compelling conversation, led by guest speakers David Cennimo, MD, and Luis Alzate-Duque, MD. CME is available When: June 30, 2025 from 3:00-6:00 pm Click here Read More …

Preserving Scientific Integrety in Vaccine Policy: The Role of, and Risk to, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices

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On June 24, 2025, the Annals of Internal Medicine posted an opinion post authored by Jason M. Goldman, MD and Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, MD: In 1964, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services established the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) as a trusted, transparent, and evidence-based public body charged with making vaccine recommendations. Operating under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ACIP has played a vital role in ensuring the safety, effectiveness, and appropriate use of vaccines. Its recommendations influence public health policy, clinical practice, insurance coverage, and ultimately the lives of millions of Americans (1). Read More …

ICD’s Response to ACIP Disbanding

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Kate Smith, MD, MPH; Program Manager I wish I could say I was surprised. In an unprecedented and deeply alarming move, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr – a man with an established track record of ignoring scientific consensus – made the unilateral, ideologicial decision to remove every single member of the nation’s vaccine policy committee, and announced plans to handpick their replacements. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is one of the most trusted and effective pillars of the US’s vaccine infrastructure. For the past 64 years, ACIP has been the backbone of vaccine policy in the US, and Read More …

The MAHA Report: Our Thoughts

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Kate Smith, MD, MPHExecutive Director, Delaware Academy of Medicine Friday, May 23, 2025 — Yesterday, the White House released it’s long-awaited “MAHA Report,” outlining the government’s target areas for addressing childhood chronic disease. Executive Director Kate Smith, MD, MPH, of the Delaware Academy of Medicine responded here. Some quotes relating specifically to the vaccine section of the report: The report fails to mention that, although the number of recommended vaccines on the CDC childhood vaccine schedule has increased, vaccines today are more efficient and contain fewer stimulants to the immune system; that while original vaccines are trialed with a placebo Read More …

COVID’s Evolutionary Journey

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Pekar, J.E., Lytras, S., Ghafari, M., Magee, A.F., Parker, E., Wang, Y., …, Lemey, P. (2025). The recency and geographical origins of the bat viruses ancestral to SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. Cell, online. Summary: The emergence of SARS-CoV in 2002 and SARS-CoV-2 in 2019 led to increased sampling of sarbecoviruses circulating in horseshoe bats. Employing phylogenetic inference while accounting for recombination of bat sarbecoviruses, we find that the closest-inferred bat virus ancestors of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 existed less than a decade prior to their emergence in humans. Read more