RFK Jr. Adds, Removes Vaccine Advisers
The Health and Human Services secretary has appointed to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices two doctors with histories of publicly questioning the safety of vaccines. HHS also told a member of the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccinations that her term is ending early.
CIDRAP:
RFK Jr. Appoints 2 Vocal Opponents Of Vaccine Use In Pregnancy To Federal Advisory Board
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. today appointed two obstetricians-gynecologists to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Both appointees have a history of questioning vaccine safety in pregnancy, and one has erroneously claimed COVID-19 vaccines caused miscarriages. (Soucheray, 1/13)
Stat:
Veronica McNally Dismissed From Federal Vaccine Injury Panel
At least one member of a committee that advises the federal government on its vaccine injury compensation program has had her term prematurely ended, potentially foreshadowing further changes to the federal apparatus that reviews vaccine injuries and compensates patients. (Cirruzzo, 1/13)
The New York Times:
Medical Groups Will Try To Block Childhood Vaccine Recommendations
Six leading medical organizations plan to ask the courts to throw out revisions to the childhood vaccination schedule announced last week by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other federal officials. ... The medical groups say those changes are not based on scientific evidence and will be harmful to the public. (Mandavilli, 1/13)
Also —
CPR News:
Polio Survivor Joins Colorado’s New Pro-Vaccine Group, Created As Federal Guidelines Upended
To really understand how immunization can change your life, Carol Boigon is a good person to talk to. “Every summer everybody got sick,” said Boigon, a Denver resident. “One summer it was my turn, not just to get sick but to get disabled from it.” It is polio, a highly contagious viral disease that attacks the nervous system, often causing partial or full paralysis. Boigon, a former Denver city council member, grew up in the 50s in Detroit, where polio was spreading in her neighborhood. “The whole block was sick and some of us got crippled. And that was just the way it was,” she said. (Daley, 1/14)
Health Policy Watch:
Most Vaccine Hesitancy Can Be Successfully Overcome, New Lancet Study Finds
Fears over side effects of COVID-19 jabs leading to initial vaccine hesitancy mostly gave way to acceptance in the course of the pandemic, with only a small minority remaining unvaccinated due to deep-seated mistrust, a new major study published in The Lancet finds. (Sassmannshausen, 1/14)
KFF Health News:
Vaccines Are Helping Older People More Than We Knew
Let’s be clear: The primary reason to be vaccinated against shingles is that two shots provide at least 90% protection against a painful, blistering disease that a third of Americans will suffer in their lifetimes, one that can cause lingering nerve pain and other nasty long-term consequences. The most important reason for older adults to be vaccinated against the respiratory infection RSV is that their risk of being hospitalized with it declines by almost 70% in the year they get the shot, and by nearly 60% over two years. (Span, 1/14)
On flu, measles, and norovirus outbreaks —
San Francisco Chronicle:
Flu Hospitalizations Rising In California, Officials Warn
Flu hospitalizations are increasing across California, with projections showing further rises in the coming weeks, state officials warned Tuesday — though forecasts indicate this flu season may not be as bad as last year’s, which was one of the worst in at least a decade. “We are seeing increasing flu cases and (hospital) admissions in California,” State Public Health Officer Dr. Erica Pan said Tuesday during a briefing with medical professionals. “It is not too late to recommend and administer flu vaccines for this season for anyone 6 months and older.” (Ho, 1/13)
ABC News:
South Carolina Reports 124 New Measles Cases As Outbreak Grows
At least 124 new measles cases have been reported in South Carolina since last Friday, health officials said. This brings the total number of cases in the outbreak to 434. There are currently over 400 people in quarantine. South Carolina has been facing a measles outbreak since early October, with the majority of cases in Spartanburg County, which borders North Carolina. (Kekatos, 1/13)
The Hill:
Norovirus Outbreak Hits Cruise Ship In Florida, CDC Reports
A cruise ship that departed Florida has been hit by a norovirus outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC reported that 94 people fell ill on the Holland America Line cruise ship Rotterdam during its voyage between Dec. 28, 2025, and Jan. 9. Those affected by the norovirus outbreak showed the typical symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. (Rodriguez, 1/13)
