U.S. Measles Elimination Status Under Review as Cases Surpass 7,000
U.S. measles elimination status is under review as more than 7,000 infections have been reported nationwide since January 2025.
Eight public health officials advising the Pan American Health Organization will determine whether a single transmission chain has persisted for at least a year, the threshold for withdrawing the status the country achieved in 2000.
Kindergarten vaccination coverag…
PHCC: Respiratory Virus Season Communications Hub
The Public Health Communications Collaborative (PHCC) has launched a new Respiratory Virus Season Communications Hub to help public health communicators access timely, ready-to-use vaccine messaging and educational resources.
The online hub includes updated talking points on flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19 vaccines, customizable one-pagers, social media graphics, new Spani…
Almost 1 in 4 Americans Believe Misinformation About Cause of Autism
A new national survey published in JAMA Health Forum finds that nearly one in four U.S. adults believe misinformation linking childhood vaccines or acetaminophen use during pregnancy to autism.
The study of 30,288 adults found that 27% incorrectly identified childhood vaccines and 23% identified prenatal acetaminophen use as autism risk factors, despite evidence that genetics account for abou…
New US Hepatitis B Vaccine Guidelines Likely Leave Many Infants Vulnerable
A new study of 158,000 children in Northern California suggests revised U.S. hepatitis B vaccination guidelines could leave many infants vulnerable to infection.
Researchers identified more than 2,000 children living with someone who had active hepatitis B; in approximately 58% of those households, the infected person was not the child's mother. The findings, presented at the October 2026 IDW…
Drug-Resistant Germs are 'Growing Threat' to US, Causing More Than 50,000 Deaths Annually: CDC
A new CDC report finds that drug-resistant bacteria and fungi cause an estimated 9.7 million infections and 50,800 deaths annually in the United States.
Four pathogens are classified as urgent threats, including Candida auris, whose reported cases increased more than 50% from 2022 to 2023, and bacteria resistant to some of the strongest available antibiotics. Healthcare-associated infections…
ASTHO Launches Three-Part Public Health Communications Webinar Series
The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) is offering a three-part webinar series to help public health professionals strengthen their storytelling and communications strategies.
The first session, Finding and Framing Your Public Health Success Stories, will take place Nov. 9, 2026, and explore how to connect data to community impact and tailor messages for different a…
U.S. Organ Donation Guidelines Change, Raising Patient Safety and Ethical Concerns
A change to U.S. organ donation guidelines, taking effect Nov. 18, will allow organ procurement teams to discuss donation with families during end-of-life conversations, rather than waiting until life support withdrawal decisions are made.
Approved Aug. 20 by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, the revision aims to improve coordination and prevent errors in donation following c…