LATEST NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
CDC Public Health Grand Rounds to Explore Vaccine Effectiveness Methodologies
CDC’s upcoming Public Health Grand Rounds will examine practical approaches to measuring vaccine effectiveness and the implications for public health practice.
Scheduled for June 10, 2026, from 1:00–2:30 p.m. ET, the virtual Zoom session will explore how different study designs and analytical methods are applied across settings, highlighting their strengths and limitations.
Experts in epidemiology, biostatistics, and infectious disease research will discuss how vaccine effectiveness evidence is generated, evaluated, and interpreted, including challenges in comparing findings across studies.
The session aims to provide public health professionals with a deeper understanding of how vaccine effectiveness data can inform decision-making, policy development, and communication strategies. Find more information from the CDC here.
NPHIC and CDC Monthly Communication Calls Set to Continue, with Updated Upcoming Dates
NPHIC and CDC have recently reinstated a recurring monthly communication call series designed to strengthen coordination between CDC communication staff, regional press officers, and public health communicators nationwide.
Typically held on the fourth Wednesday of each month, the calls provide timely updates and opportunities for direct engagement on emerging public health issues. However, the next two sessions will deviate from the standard schedule, occurring Wednesday, July 1, 2026, and Wednesday, July 29, 2026, both from 2:00–3:00 pm ET, due to scheduling adjustments.
Participants wanting to join may contact Laura Espino at lespino@nphic.org for the Teams invitation, with updated calendar invitations to follow.
As The Largest World Cup Ever Kicks Off, Health Officials Are Focused on More Than Ebola
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup prepares to host millions of visitors across 16 cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, public health agencies are expanding surveillance and response efforts to monitor potential disease threats.
While the ongoing Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa has drawn attention, experts cited in the article assess the risk of widespread Ebola transmission during the tournament as low. Greater concern centers on highly contagious diseases such as measles, COVID-19, and influenza, which can spread rapidly through large, mobile crowds.
Host cities are strengthening wastewater monitoring, hospital coordination, and disease detection systems ahead of the event. Read more from CNBC here.
FEATURED TOPICS
The Condition PCOS is Now Called PMOS
Researchers and clinicians have renamed polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) to better reflect the condition’s broader hormonal and metabolic impacts and improve patient care.
Affecting an estimated 1 in 8 women worldwide, the condition is associated with irregular menstrual cycles, elevated androgen levels, infertility, and increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Experts say the previous name contributed to confusion, missed diagnoses, and limited understanding of the disorder beyond ovarian symptoms.
The updated terminology follows 14 years of collaboration among researchers, clinicians, and patients and is intended to support more comprehensive diagnosis and treatment approaches. Learn more from AP here.
Fruit-Flavored E-cigarettes for Adults OK'd By FDA
The FDA authorized its first fruit-flavored e-cigarettes for adult smokers, marking a significant shift in federal vaping policy amid declining youth vaping rates, which are now at a 10-year low. The newly authorized products include mango and blueberry flavors and incorporate smartphone-based age verification and Bluetooth access controls intended to reduce youth access.
FDA officials emphasized that authorization is not an endorsement and stated the agency will monitor youth uptake and marketing practices closely.
The decision follows years of FDA denials for flavored products and ongoing concerns that fruit and candy flavors remain widely used in unauthorized products popular among U.S. teens. Read more from CBS News here.
Americans Aren't Sleeping Enough
A May 2026 CDC data brief reports that 30.5% of U.S. adults surveyed in 2024 are sleeping fewer than the recommended seven hours per night, a figure largely unchanged since 2020. Sleep insufficiency is clinically associated with cardiometabolic conditions including diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.
Approximately 15% of adults report difficulty falling asleep and 18% struggle to stay asleep. A concurrent publication indicates that roughly 13% of U.S. adults use sleep aids nightly — including prescription medications, OTC supplements, and cannabis-derived products — prompting clinical guidance that habitual self-medication warrants physician evaluation to identify potential underlying sleep disorders. Read more from NPR here.
CDC Data Show Weekly ER Visits for Tick Bites Higher than Usual
CDC's Tick Bite Data Tracker shows weekly emergency department visits for tick bites are currently above historical norms in most U.S. regions, with rates in all areas except the South Central U.S. at their highest for this time of year since 2017.
CDC is urging preventive measures ahead of Lyme Disease Awareness Month in May, citing risks of Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and alpha-gal syndrome. Recommended actions include EPA-registered repellents, permethrin-treated clothing, and routine tick checks. Prompt tick removal — within 24 hours — is identified as a key intervention for reducing Lyme disease transmission. Read more from the CDC here.
