LATEST NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
The Latest COVID Vaccines Come with New FDA Limits
The FDA has approved the latest COVID-19 vaccines but introduced new restrictions, limiting eligibility to individuals 65 and older or those with underlying health conditions. This marks a significant shift from earlier guidance that made vaccines widely available to nearly all age groups.
Public health experts caution that the change could create confusion and reduce access, particularly for younger and healthier populations, ahead of an expected winter surge. As the CDC prepares to issue recommendations, public health communicators may face renewed challenges in addressing public concerns, clarifying evolving guidance, and maintaining trust in vaccination efforts. Read more from NPR here.
Expect Health Insurance Prices to Rise Next Year, Brokers and Experts Say
Health insurance costs are expected to rise significantly in 2026, with coverage potentially shrinking for patients, particularly in individual marketplaces. Insurers cite rising utilization of care, increased emergency visits, more mental health claims, and expensive prescription drugs—including GLP-1 obesity and diabetes treatments and rare-gene therapies costing millions—as key drivers.
Fewer healthy individuals are maintaining coverage, concentrating higher-risk patients in the market. Changes to federal subsidies under the Affordable Care Act could further increase costs for consumers. Employers may shift more expenses to employees through higher deductibles or altered prescription benefits, highlighting ongoing challenges in access and affordability for public health. Read more from AP here.
Why The Hit to Disparate Impact Analysis Is a Blow to Public Health
The recent executive order eliminating federal agencies’ ability to use disparate impact analysis represents a major setback for public health equity. For decades, disparate impact has served as a critical legal tool to address structural inequities in health care, education, housing, and beyond—such as requiring hospitals to provide interpreters for patients with limited English proficiency and reducing racial disparities in school discipline.
Without this mechanism, efforts to address algorithmic bias and other systemic barriers to equitable care and outcomes face steep challenges. Public health advocates now face the task of finding new strategies to ensure science continues informing policy. Read more from Health Affairs here.
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Messaging Matters: Communication Strategies to Combat Mis- and Disinformation for Reproductive Well-Being
A recent session from the Contraceptive Access Initiative underscored the growing threat mis- and disinformation poses to one of the most widely supported public health issues: access to contraception and fertility care. Despite broad, nonpartisan agreement, misleading narratives about contraception, IVF, and pregnancy have fueled public confusion and policy polarization.
To support accurate, science-based communication, experts highlighted challenges journalists and public health communicators face—including limited access to credible sources and pressure from politicized narratives. The session introduced a new resource guide grounded in ACOG and U.S. Surgeon General recommendations, offering tools, definitions, and messaging strategies to combat disinformation and protect reproductive well-being. Find the resource from Contraceptive Access Institute here.
New CDC Campaign “Free Mind” Tackles Youth Mental Health and Substance Use
The CDC’s Free Mind campaign takes a creative, youth-focused approach to address the critical link between mental health and substance use. Launched July 21, the campaign offers a range of engaging tools—fact sheets, social media graphics, video PSAs, an interactive graphic novel, and a forthcoming card game—to help youth and their caregivers understand how mental health challenges can increase the risk of substance misuse and overdose.
Designed to spark honest conversations and provide healthier coping strategies, Free Mind promotes a blueprint for better mental well-being. Public health communicators can learn more during the campaign’s live webinar on July 24.
Nicotine Poisonings Soar in Babies and Toddlers
A new study in Pediatrics highlights a sharp 763% rise in nicotine poisonings among children under 6, driven primarily by the growing popularity of nicotine pouches like Zyn. From 2010 to 2023, U.S. poison centers recorded over 134,000 cases—most involving toddlers and nearly all occurring at home.
While most cases were minor, two toddlers died after ingesting liquid nicotine used in vapes. These findings underscore the urgent need for improved public health messaging around the risks of “tobacco-free” nicotine products, safe storage, and youth access. Public health communicators play a vital role in preventing these entirely avoidable poisonings through education and awareness. Read the full story from NBC here.
Warning to Antidepressant Users as Heat Wave Temperatures Hit 100 Degrees
As extreme heat waves hit the East Coast, public health experts warn that individuals taking common antidepressants—particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac and Zoloft, and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) such as Elavil—may face increased risks of heat intolerance and dehydration.
These medications can disrupt the body’s temperature regulation and sweating response, heightening the danger of heat exhaustion and potentially life-threatening heat stroke. Symptoms include dizziness, nausea, rapid heartbeat, and muscle cramps. Health professionals advise users to stay hydrated, avoid direct sun exposure, wear loose clothing, and seek immediate help if symptoms arise. Awareness is critical to prevent severe heat-related illness among this vulnerable group. Read more from the New York Post here.
