Louisiana Announces 2 Infants Have Died from Whooping Cough

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Two infants have died of whooping cough in Louisiana in the past six months, according to the surgeon general of the state’s health department. The deaths from this vaccine-preventable illness are the first to occur in Louisiana since 2018. There have been 110 cases of whooping cough in the state so far this year, compared with 154 cases in all of last year, CNN reported. Cases have been rising throughout the U.S. after they dropped dramatically during the COVID pandemic. There were 35,000 cases in the country last year—higher than any year since 2012. Read more

Animal Source of Mpox Emerges: Squirrels!

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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

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“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

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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.

DPH Provides Recommendations to Protect Yourself and Your Children From Measles

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CONTACT: Laura Matusheski, Media Relations CoordinatorEmail: DPHMedia@delaware.gov DOVER, Del. (March 20, 2025) – With the recent increase in measles cases throughout the United States, the Delaware Division of Public (DPH) has received requests for information on how Delawareans can protect themselves from the measles virus. As advised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the best way to protect against measles remains vaccination. The measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, often referred to as the MMR vaccine, is safe and highly effective, with one dose being 93% effective and two doses being 97% effective against measles. Children 12 months of Read More …

Hot Topic: Measles Cases on the Rise

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Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 6:00 pm The Medical Society of Delaware is presenting this online CME event. The recent surge in measles cases is a cause for concern. Join us for an educational session to learn about the outbreak and the importance of vaccination in preventing the spread of this highly contagious disease. Speaker Dr. Stephen C. Eppes, MD; Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist Register

Free Event: Measles in a Time of Uncertainty

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Measles in a Time of Uncertainty: What to Tell Your Patients Thursday, March 27, 2025 from 7:00 – 8:00 pm EDT Measles is surging—are you ready to diagnose, manage, and protect your patients? The US eliminated measles—or so we thought. But now, outbreaks are back, fueled by declining vaccination rates, misinformation, and increased travel. Do you know the latest epidemiology, clinical warning signs, and how to stop the spread? Key Takeaways: Can’t make it to the event? Register now to receive the recording afterward. SPEAKERS Paul A. Offit, MD, is the director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Read More …

Vaccine Composition: 2025-2026 Flu Season

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On March 13, the FDA made recommendations to vaccine manufacturers for the virus strains to be used in influenza (flu) vaccines for the 2025-2026 U.S. flu season following a thorough and comprehensive review of U.S. and global surveillance data. With the action, the FDA does not anticipate any impact on timing or availability of vaccines for the American public. The recommendations are similar to the previous year’s strain selection. To inform the selection of the flu virus strains, the FDA convened a meeting of scientific and public health experts from the FDA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Department Read More …

Measles and Vitamin A

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From Your Local Epidemiologist: The WHO recommends vitamin A for people who contract measles because: Studies have shown that: However, only 0.3% of the US population has a vitamin A deficiency. Similar studies from other high-income countries with low levels of vitamin A deficiency suggest that the vitamin doesn’t make that much difference on measles. There is some data to suggest that vitamin A levels may drop during a measles infection, and when administered in cotrolled doses under the supervision of a doctor, it is a low risk intervention. But it’s unclear how much it actually helps. TL;DR: You can Read More …

Webinar: Protecting Against Pneumococcal Disease in New Mexico

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Join the New Mexico Immunization Coalition on Wednesday, March 19 from 12-1pm MT (2-3pm ET) on Zoom as two of their local experts, Jessica Houston and Melissa Martinez discuss pneumococcal disease, the vaccine options and how to evaluate which vaccine is most appropriate for patients. Topics Include: Register here