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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

U.S. Food and Drug Administration is moving to strengthen oversight of food additives by requiring manufacturers to notify the agency when they determine an ingredient is “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS).   Since 1958, companies have been able to self-affirm GRAS status without full government review, and notification has been encouraged but not required. The proposed rule would make…

Public health communicators facing unfavorable media coverage should consider that public complaints can substantially amplify the original story and its negative framing. A company executive’s social media response to a July 9 Wired article generated 437,000 views on the first day and 2.3 million within several days, compared with fewer than 15,000 views for Wired’s promotional post. The res…

A widely used medication for diabetes and weight management may also help some adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD) reduce harmful drinking. In a 50-person phase 2 randomized trial, 81.0% of participants receiving oral semaglutide reduced their World Health Organization risk-drinking level by at least one category, compared with 53.8% receiving placebo. Semaglutide was also associated with…