PHCC Resource: Understanding the Childhood Immunization Schedule
Questions about why children receive multiple vaccines during the first years of life are creating a need for clear, accessible information for parents and caregivers.
A new resource from the Public Health Communications Collaborative, Understanding the Childhood Immunization Schedule, provides answers to common questions about how the childhood immunization schedule is developed and w…
States, Not Federal Order, Set School Vaccine Rules
Childhood vaccination coverage is declining as school vaccine exemptions reach record levels, while states retain authority over requirements despite new federal recommendations.
About 3.6% of U.S. kindergartners had an exemption for at least one required vaccine during the 2024–25 school year, leaving approximately 138,000 children without full coverage; exemptions increased by more than a p…
More Than One Third of U.S. Counties Are Maternity Care Deserts
Maternity care access remains limited across much of the U.S., with 34.6% of counties classified as maternity care deserts and more than half lacking a hospital with labor and delivery services.
The March of Dimes found little change since 2016, while 57.9% of rural counties lack a practicing obstetric clinician. Financial pressures, low rural birth volumes, inadequate Medicaid reimbursement…
Is There a Summer COVID-19 Surge This Year?
A growing summer COVID-19 surge is underway across the U.S., with infections increasing in every region, particularly the South and West. Although overall levels remain low and the current wave appears milder than previous years, COVID-19 continues to pose serious risks for older adults, infants and immunocompromised people.
Experts note that COVID differs from other seasonal respiratory viru…
Most Air Pollution Exposure in U.S. Pregnancies is from Wildfires, Study Says
Wildfire smoke has become the leading source of unhealthy air pollution exposure during U.S. pregnancies, increasing its contribution to prenatal PM2.5 exposure as overall pollution declined.
Researchers analyzed roughly 64.5 million pregnancies across 48 states from 2003 to 2019 and found wildfire smoke’s contribution to PM2.5 exposure more than doubled, from 3.7% to 8.2%. By 2019, wildfires…
CDC Warns of Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Jalapeños
A multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to recalled jalapeño peppers has sickened 345 people across 27 states, with 36 hospitalizations reported and no deaths.
Epidemiologic and traceback data identify jalapeños grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors as the outbreak source; recalls include whole peppers and foods containing them. Recalled products were distribu…
Dr. Erica Schwartz Confirmed as CDC’s First Official Director in a Year
The CDC now has a Senate-confirmed director for the first time in a year, restoring permanent leadership to the nation’s leading public health agency. The Senate voted 51-44 to confirm Dr. Erica Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general and retired U.S. Coast Guard officer who is the first Black woman to lead the CDC.
Schwartz brings extensive experience overseeing vaccination programs and cr…