Category: News

Global Vaccinations in Jeapordy

Posted on by Kate Smith

What happens when you add health fuding cuts, misinformation, and humanitarian crises? A perfect storm in which vaccine-preventable diseases can thrive. Reuters: the UN reports global aid funding cuts are upending vaccination efforts almost as much as the pandemic did. These cuts are “severely limiting” UNICEF’s work to vaccinate 15 million children against measels. Guardian: the Global Vaccine Data Network – which has done the largest safety studies of COVID-19 vaccines – was terminated about 13 months short of its end date. WHO, UNICEF, GAVI:

Summary: ACIP Meeting

Posted on by Kate Smith

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met on April 15-16, 2025. This meeting was postponed from the regularly schedule February meeting. During this 2-day meeting, ACIP voted to recommend: ACIP received an update on the current measles outbreak in the United States and reviewed preliminary estimates of influenza and COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness during the current season. The committee received information updates on the planned use of self-administered LAIV vaccine in the 2025–26 season, an updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, and a new monoclonal antibody product for infant RSV prevention. The group also reviewed preliminary information on potential recommendation changes Read More …

Animal Source of Mpox Emerges: Squirrels!

Posted on by Kate Smith

One of the great mysteries of the monkeypox virus has been pinpointing its ‘reservoir’ hosts — the animals that carry and spread the virus without becoming sick from it. Now, an international team of scientists suggests that it has an answer: the fire-footed rope squirrel (Funisciurus pyrropus), a forest-dwelling rodent found in West and Central Africa1. Read more in Nature.

Shingles Vaccine and Dementia

Posted on by Kate Smith

“Neurotropic herpes viruses may be implicated in the development of dementia. Moreover, vaccines may have important off-target immunological effects.” Eyting, M., Xie, M., Michalik, F., et al. (2025). A natural epxeriment on the effect of herpes zoster vaccination on dementia. Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08800-x

2025 Immunization Champion Award

Posted on by Kate Smith

Recognize an individual who goes above and beyond to support immunization in Delaware! The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) is excited to launch the 2025 Immunization Champion Award!  This national award program recognizes an Immunization Champion from each of the 64 federally funded immunization programs. Nominees are chosen for their commitment to going above and beyond to promote or foster adult and childhood immunizations in their communities. Learn about eligibility requirements and more at www.immunizationmanagers.org.

Measles Update 2025

Posted on by Kate Smith

Check out this video from CHOP, created in 2022: Measles: Symptoms, Spread, & SSPE CDC.gov Measles Update Updated: March 5, 2025 Texas The Texas Department of State Health Services is reporting an outbreak of measles in the South Plains region of Texas. At this time, 159 cases have been identified since late January. Twenty of the patients have been hospitalized. There has been one fatality in a school-aged child who lived in the outbreak area. The child was not vaccinated. Counties affected: Dallam (4), Dawson (9), Ector (2), Gaines (107), Lubbock (3), Lynn (2), Martin (3), Terry (22), Yoakum (7). Vaccine Read More …

AMA Update Videos

Posted on by Kate Smith

The American Medical Association is giving communicable disease update videos in lieu of national updates. View them here: https://www.youtube.com/user/AmerMedicalAssn Tuberculosis in Kansas, Ebola Virus Update, and H5N9 Bird Flu: https://youtu.be/HlPBmT_R0po

Data is Slowly Returning

Posted on by Kate Smith

February 10, 2025 Data and communications from the Department of Health and Human Services are slowly coming back on line after a 3-week pause. And we’ve seen some alarming things: Also, let’s not forget that it’s respiratory virus season, and there is an avian influenza outbreak.

HHS Debuts “Let’s Get Real” Campaign About Childhood Vaccines

Posted on by Kate Smith

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) launched the Let’s Get Real campaign to cut through the noise of misinformation and give parents the balanced information they need about childhood vaccines. The campaign provides verifiable facts so parents can get the information they want to make informed vaccine decisions, and it shares stories from doctors and peers on why most of us rely on vaccines to protect our children. Let’s Get Real also offers tools for health care professionals with pediatric patients.