10 year old: "you can't understand my social dynamics because you are from the 20th century” 🤦👀

NEW: We analyzed recent state actions on vaccine policy, given narrowing federal guidelines. Overall, 26 states have taken some action; of these, 23 have Democratic governors, signaling a growing red/blue divide in vaccine access. @kff.org Key findings in next post ⬇️ www.kff.org/covid-19/tra...

The pressure is increasingly falling on states to navigate recommendations and new federal rules. Before, "in general, it didn’t matter where you lived,” said @jenkatesdc.bsky.social. “Now it does.” www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Currently, private insurers, Medicare, and Medicaid require no-cost coverage of vaccines, which is connected to recommendations made by ACIP and CDC. If these recommendations are removed, people could face out-of-pocket costs. We explain:

With federal changes to vaccine policy & recommendations underway, here's our overview of insurance coverage requirements for vaccines by payer, as linked to ACIP/CDC. As we show, federal changes mean consumers could lose access to free vaccines. www.kff.org/other/issue-...

Based on our analysis of the current status of PEPFAR programming, it's hard to see how the 85% could be reached. www.kff.org/global-healt...

From 6/10 @StateDept press briefing on the PEPFAR 85%: it's an estimated 85% of beneficiaries who 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 be receiving lifesaving treatment & PMTC services based on 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 of 𝘢𝘭𝘭 operational active awards. www.state.gov/briefings/de...

Re the ACIP "purge" to "restore public trust". As many have noted, ACIP members are independent, vetted, & follow strict COI rules. Those dismissed? Almost all are MDs & specialists in pediatrics, infectious diseases, epi, and others head primary care centers.

The Trump administration released its FY 2026 budget request on May 30. Here's our read-out on how global health programs fare. From what is known thus far, there's a more than $6 billion proposed cut (plus more in the rescission package) www.kff.org/global-healt...

With changes in vaccine policy underway, @joshmich.bsky.social and I just published a brief on the key independent vaccine advisory bodies that, in the past, were typically consulted before most federal vaccine decisions: VRBPAC, ACIP, NVAC, and ACCV. www.kff.org/other/issue-...

The CDC vaccine schedule is now updated; COVID-19 vaccine is no longer recommended for healthy pregnant woman. This means there will no longer be mandated insurance coverage, even if a decision were to be made by a pregnant woman and her doctor that getting vaccinated was important.

If you're interested in the status of U.S. global health programs, given the foreign aid review and funding cuts, here are our resources. www.kff.org/tag/global-h...

Have to admit, shuttering MCC wasn't (yet) on my bingo card. MCC has been the one U.S. development agency many pointed to as having the approach and accountability mechanisms the rest of the U.S. development enterprise should emulate. www.politico.com/news/2025/04...

“Treatment is being interrupted in Africa because of this, and…it could also create the spread of a drug-resistant virus.” @jenkatesdc.bsky.social on our latest episode of One Thing Trump Did, about halting some AIDS relief funding around the world. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Interested in knowing how the Trump administration's #foreignaid review is affecting PEPFAR and other U.S. global health programs? We have a series of new program impact fact sheets (more to come). www.kff.org/global-healt...

⚡ KFF’s @jenkatesdc.bsky.social writes about how the fate of the nation’s HIV prevention response is unclear given the Trump administration’s proposed budget changes and planned restructuring. #QuickTake on.kff.org/4jDAddk

ICYMI: Due to the Trump administration's cuts to PEPFAR, leading to ARV shortages and stock-outs, the @who.int had to issue guidance on how to handle HIV treatment interruptions. www.who.int/news-room/qu...

Global health funding would be cut by 55%. This cut is twice as steep as the first budget request from Trump in 2017. Back then, Congress rejected his proposed cuts....

"Children Seeking Cholera Care Die After U.S. Cuts Aid, Charity Says" www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/w...

Today we released a new piece that consolidates information on recent HIV related HHS staff reductions, office closures, & other restructuring initiatives. These actions come on top of NIH grant cuts & threats to CDC's prevention funding. w/ @jenkatesdc.bsky.social www.kff.org/policy-watch...

NEW: "The USAID List of Terminated Global Health Awards – What Does it Tell Us?" www.kff.org/policy-watch...

"Rollout of ‘miracle’ HIV prevention drug is threatened by Trump cuts to global AIDS relief program" www.statnews.com/pharmalot/20...

… unless you want more of KFF’s health policy research, polling and journalism. Then SUBSCRIBE: www.kff.org/email/

One of my mantras for 2025 is UNSUBSCRIBE....

U.S. measles cases in all of 2024: 285 U.S. measles cases in Q1 of 2025: 483

PEPFAR's short-term, one-year reauthorization expires today. Here's why this isn't the biggest threat it's facing (and why the program continues).

PEPFAR's congressional authorization is all but certain to expire tomorrow without renewal. Yet, that is nowhere near the biggest challenge facing a program that has saved 26 million lives: www.devex.com/news/why-pep... w/ insights from @jenkatesdc.bsky.social and @egpaf.bsky.social

A @CDCgov ACIP meeting has just been noticed in the federal register, for April 15-16. public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-04914.pdf

With all the attacks on #publichealth, it's important to look at the history of public health in this country and how dire the future can be if we don't take action now. U.S. Public Health www.kff.org/health-polic... by @joshmich.bsky.social @jenkatesdc.bsky.social @annarouw.bsky.social @kff.org

"Kenya to run out of HIV supplies from May" www.the-star.co.ke/health/2025-...

OMG. Just learned that my sister uses a different starter word for @nytimes.com #wordle everyday which is somehow worse than those couples who switch sides of the bed each night.

Here is (was) the scope of USAID's role in global health. www.kff.org/policy-watch...

NEWS: Federal judge finds that actions take by DOGE to dismantle USAID are likely unconstitutional “in multiple ways.” storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

The latest in the saga to dissolve USAID. A federal judge has just issued a preliminary injunction against Musk and Doge, barring them from their attempts to shut the agency down. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Here are the global health funding levels, signed into law in the FY 2025 CR (matching FY 24). While these are in the law, the administration could still try to make changes. www.kff.org/global-healt...

Last week, a top USAID official drafted a bombshell series of memos, estimating that a million kids would starve each year, malaria and TB cases/deaths would rise by about one-third, and 200,000 people would be paralyzed by polio. www.npr.org/sections/goa...

NEW: The Trump administration officially canceled 83% of U.S. foreign aid contracts on Monday. My latest: www.npr.org/sections/goa...

The halt in U.S. foreign aid will have immense consequences around the world. "These are people's lives," @jenkatesdc.bsky.social says. "If you stop those programs, you're going to have more malaria, more children dying." www.npr.org/sections/goa...

On the latest #PxPulse (@hivpxresearch.bsky.social) episode, KFF’s @jenkatesdc.bsky.social discusses American people’s knowledge about and experiences with foreign aid and the impact of President Trump’s foreign aid freeze on global health. Listen to the full podcast: on.kff.org/41ruHmr

This is a victory for the plaintiffs and for foreign aid overall, albeit a temporary one. The government will likely appeal the lower court's decision (assuming the court moves forward with a preliminary injunction) and it will ultimately land back at SCOTUS.

BREAKING: The Supreme Court has *upheld* a lower court's order forcing USAID/State to immediately pay ~$2 billion owed to contractors for work they've alreayd performed. Alito/Thomas/Gorsuch/Kavanaugh dissent. t.co/k86ttz6Wdt

NEW: @kff.org poll on the Trump administration's dismantling of USAID and cutting foreign aid. Majority say it will lead to more humanitarian and health crises (less than half say it will alleviate domestic fiscal issues).

Thanks to colleagues @kffhealthnews.org for including "A Dose Of Upbeat And Inspiring News", amidst all their other (excellent but depressing) news stories... kffhealthnews.org/morning-brea...

SCOOP: The world is likely to see millions more malaria infections and 200,000 cases of paralytic polio each year, according to a whistle-blower from USAID. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/02/h...

Me: to answer your question about current politics, here is what is happening…. 10 yr old: thank you for this Ted talk

BIG NEW STORY: The Trump Administration Said These Aid Programs Saved Lives. It Canceled Them Anyway. by @annamaria.bsky.social and Brett Murphy

TFW outlook goes down and you can’t reach the IT team because outlook is down.

My take on the current moment for the U.S. global health response. Bottom line, whatever can be maintained or perhaps reinforced, it is unlikely that the full extent of the damage already done to vulnerable people around the world is easily repairable.

Wait...what? The Trump administration canceled most awards at USAID and is now asking organizations to tell them what they cut? @elissamio.bsky.social www.devex.com/news/scoop-u...