In 2025, federal vaccine policymaking abandoned accurate, credible data – an erosion that threatens public health.

The nearly 80-year-old law that could hamper RFK Jr.’s drive to remake vaccine schedule Legal experts say Kennedy needs to follow established legal procedures to prevent any policy changes from being dismissed by a judge. www.cidrap.umn.edu/c... Photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr cc

South Carolina now has 156 measles cases, as states see highest activity in 30 years Utah also reported six new cases. www.cidrap.umn.edu/s...

#Raccoon roundworm now in 9 European countries, putting people at higher risk for infection Of the 146 raccoons examined in necropsy, 66.4% were infected with the Baylisascaris procyonis roundworm. www.cidrap.umn.edu/m...#Raccoon Photo: Adrien Sifre / Flickr cc

#CWD spreads to new counties or areas in 2 US states, 1 Canadian province The infections were reported by Arkansas, Wisconsin, and Manitoba, Canada. www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...#CWDstates-1-canadian-province Photo: Mark Moschell / Flickr cc

Quick takes: Lassa fever deaths spike in Nigeria; 3 new cases of H9N2 avian flu In 2025, there have been 29 H9N2 cases reported from mainland China.

Political appointees in Washington want to align U.S. childhood vaccine policy with its peers. Good news! It already is. By age 5, most industrialized countries vaccinate against at least a dozen serious diseases. The U.S. leads the pack. Denmark brings up the rear, protecting against far fewer.

European report calls on countries to update strategies on sexually transmitted infections The report is in response to a continent-wide surge in STIs since 2014. www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...

USDA says H5 detection in Wisconsin dairy herd is new spillover event Whole genome sequencing confirmed the virus detected in a Wisconsin dairy herd on December 14 is H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b genotype D.1.1. www.cidrap.umn.edu/a...

As Marrazzo prepares for helm at #IDSA, scientific community praises choice Anthony Fauci, MD, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, calls Marrazzo a “superb choice.” www.cidrap.umn.edu/a...#IDSA, Photo: University of Alabama at Birmingham

Poll shows small yet significant drop in Americans’ willingness to recommend MMR vaccines Only 13% of those polled said they were concerned or worried that they or someone in their family would contract measles. www.cidrap.umn.edu/m...

Mpox infection early in pregnancy linked to poor fetal outcomes, study suggests Adverse outcomes occurred in 94% of pregnancies during the first trimester. www.cidrap.umn.edu/m... Photo: White Ribbon Alliance / Flickr cc

Latest from the Vaccine Integrity Project Viewpoint: The myth of an over-vaccinated America: The US DOES follow global consensus An abundance of evidence demonstrates lives saved and hospitalizations avoided because of childhood immunizations www.cidrap.umn.edu/v...

Early trial of Nipah virus vaccine shows promise The study findings represent a "milestone" in efforts to prevent a deadly infection, experts say. www.cidrap.umn.edu/n... Photo: Cloudtail the snow leopard/Flickr cc

Study finds that despite broad COVID vaccine availability, COVID still deadlier than #flu in hospitalized patients A #COVID diagnosis was associated with 76% higher odds of death within 30 days. www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...

HPV vaccines prevent precancerous lesions in vulva and vagina, study finds @LizSzabo For those vaccinated against HPV before age 17, their rate of vaginal or vulvar precancers was 57% lower than for unvaccinated women www.cidrap.umn.edu/h...

Reports show how mpox clade 1b spreads through non-sexual contact in DR Congo, Ireland Large family sizes and crowded living conditions may play a role in transmission. www.cidrap.umn.edu/m... Photo: World Bank / Vincent Tremeau

US flu activity takes big jump as 2 deaths in kids confirmed The CDC also provided data on the rise of subclade K among H3N2 #influenza viruses ahead of holiday gatherings www.cidrap.umn.edu/i...

Experimental multistage malaria vaccine shows promising protection in small trial The vaccine targets multiple stages in the life cycle of Plasmodium falciparum. www.cidrap.umn.edu/m... Photo: UN Development Programme / Flickr cc

Weeks after a first-time #CWD detection in bordering county, Wayne County, Tennessee, reports first case Wayne County was already included in the state’s CWD management zone. www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...#CWD Photo: Tidewater Teddy / Flickr cc

US sales of #antibiotics for livestock climbed 16% last year, FDA report shows Expert attributes the "troubling" increase to "a failure to put in place common-sense steps. www.cidrap.umn.edu/a...#antibiotics Photo: Camelia Montoy / US Navy

Despite high whooping cough activity, Americans unsure about vaccine recommendations The poll revealed that up to 30% of Americans do not know whooping cough is also called pertussis. www.cidrap.umn.edu/p...

Quick takes: Challenge to ACIP on kids’ vaccines, flu rising in Europe, pandemic flu vaccine funds 90% of all confirmed influenza cases in the European Region are influenza A(H3N2) subclade K.

New Osterholm Update podcast episode! @mtosterholm & @cvdall discuss why we shouldn’t compare other countries’ vaccine schedules to the US schedule. And Dr O continues to cover the infant botulism outbreak & answers an ID Query about New World Screwworm www.cidrap.umn.edu/a...

CIDRAP News is again hiring! Investigative news reporter hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/... General assignment writer/editor hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/... Slight preference for local (Mpls, MN) candidates, but we're open to remote work arrangements. Join our growing, dynamic team!

CDC awards $1.6 million for hepatitis B vaccine study, likely to controversial Danish researchers @LizSzabo The agency is paying the University of Southern Denmark to conduct a single-blind clinical trial of hepatitis B in Guinea-Bissau www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...

Mpox transmission, US flu surveillance highlighted in first Public Health Alerts reports The new initiative is designed to deliver information and early warnings about emerging health threats, enabling swift, informed responses across the US & globally www.cidrap.umn.edu/p...

US hot spots see more measles cases as national total nears 2,000 Among US cases, 26% are in children under the age of 5 years. www.cidrap.umn.edu/m...

US #hospital #mortality trends rebound after #COVID shock, but experts warn against complacency Patients present with more severe illness than before COVID, even as hospital mortality rates return to prepandemic levels. www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...

CDC accepts ACIP’s hepatitis B vaccine recommendations for babies The CDC also said if a baby is not receiving a birth dose of vaccine, the initial dose should be administered no earlier than two months of age. www.cidrap.umn.edu/h...

#RSV vaccine protects older adults, and drug protects babies, but less so over time, studies suggest Older adults and infants are especially vulnerable to severe RSV, with possible complications of bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and sepsis. www.cidrap.umn.edu/r...

New! Public Health Alerts, a joint CIDRAP/NEJM Evidence effort to strengthen early detection and response to emerging health threats. First 2 reports: • Community transmission of clade Ib mpox in LA area • Flu virus characteristics and vax effectiveness data supporting WHO 2025–26 strain selections

#Presenteeism among health workers with #COVID rose steadily last year, study suggests Working while sick increased over time, from less than 2% in 2020 to 15% in 2024. www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...

Quick takes: Possible vaccine bottlenecks, ByHeart formula warnings, more avian flu in Indiana The FDA found recalled infant formula products at Albertsons, Kroger, Target, and Walmart stores.

Latest Global Burden of Diseases data spotlight significant health disparities in #pneumonia, #bronchiolitis The highest death rates were in sub-Saharan Africa and in the youngest and oldest people. www.cidrap.umn.edu/p...#pneumonia,#bronchiolitisPhoto: UN, Albert Gonzalez Farran / Flickr cc

2 salad-linked Listeria outbreaks show need for routine surveillance Infections linked to packaged salads from two different firms caused 30 illnesses. www.cidrap.umn.edu/l...

#Paxlovid linked to fewer lost workdays, disability claims in employees at high-risk for severe COVID Employees who took the antiviral drug had 5% fewer workday absences. www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...

FDA approves 2 new oral gonorrhea antibiotics Zoliflodacin and gepotidacin are the first new antibiotics approved for treating gonorrhea in decades. www.cidrap.umn.edu/a...

#COVID lockdowns may have slowed toddler development, while reopenings tied to better mental health in older kids The increase in developmental delays was up to 6.6% higher for children who experienced physical distancing measures for a longer period. www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...

#CDC social media silence during 2025 #measles outbreak left void filled by news media, study suggests The CDC posted just 10 times on social media during the biggest outbreak in three decades. www.cidrap.umn.edu/m...

Wisconsin detects avian flu in cattle for first time APHIS also noted several major poultry outbreaks in recent days, including large turkey producers in Minnesota and North Dakota. www.cidrap.umn.edu/a...

South Carolina measles cases continue to climb There are currently 303 people in quarantine in the state. www.cidrap.umn.edu/m...

Pregnant women vaccinated against #COVID19 less likely to be hospitalized or deliver prematurely, new data show The study confirms the safety and benefits for pregnant women at a time when federal officials raise doubts about the safety of immunizations www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...

Racially charged language on mothers, babies taints vaccine advisory meeting by @LizSzabo Throughout the 2-day meeting, speakers and ACIP members singled out immigrants and people from Asia as potential sources of hepatitis B infection www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...

Another great piece from @jakescottMD ! CIDRAP Op-Ed: Here's what removal of the hepatitis B birth dose will look like At-risk infants, like those with spotty prenatal care or inadequate insurance, are most likely to fall through screening gaps www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...

#Flu, #RSV activity rising in US and Europe, with major UK surge in flu cases The influenza A H3N2 subclade K virus fueled a record number of flu cases in Australia and extended the season, which may have implications for the Northern Hemisphere. www.cidrap.umn.edu/i...

#COVID hospitalization tied to 69% higher risk of death for up to 2 years Adults aged 40 to 64 had more than double the risk of their matched peers. www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...

Updated 2024-25 COVID #vaccine cut emergency visits among kids, study suggests The findings draw on data from more than 98,000 pediatric cases. www.cidrap.umn.edu/c...

Quick takes: Suspected #avian flu in US and Canada; #polio in 3 countries; national defense act Canadian officials said that avian flu is likely behind the unprecedented die-off of roughly 500 birds in southern Manitoba.

With strong phase 3 findings, a new antibiotic for gonorrhea is on the horizon Study findings show that a single oral dose of zoliflodacin is noninferior to the standard treatment regimen for uncomplicated gonorrhea www.cidrap.umn.edu/a...