Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Covid Vaccine Requirements Will Cost Schools Federal Funds, Per Trump Rule
The New York Times: Trump Will Withhold Money From Schools That Require Covid Vaccines
President Trump ordered on Friday that federal funding be withheld from schools and universities that require students to be vaccinated against Covid, White House officials said, another step in the administration’s campaign against coronavirus vaccine requirements. It was not clear how widely impactful the order would be. No states require K-12 students to be vaccinated against Covid. Only 15 colleges still required Covid vaccines for students as of late last year, according to No College Mandates, an advocacy group. (Mueller, 2/14)
On influenza and RSV —
Axios: U.S. Facing Worst Flu Season Since 2009, Experts Say
The worst flu season in 15 years has left hundreds of thousands of Americans hospitalized while straining physicians' offices and emergency departments. This flu season is classified as a "high-severity" season, with estimates of at least 29 million cases, the most since the 2009-2010 flu season, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. (Reed, 2/18)
Fox News: Flu Cases Are Highest In These US States: See The Map
The U.S. is in peak flu season, as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says "seasonal influenza activity remains elevated and continues to increase across the country." Case counts vary by state, however. Each week, the CDC releases a map of influenza activity across the country. The color-coded map indicates each state’s activity level, ranging from minimal to very high. The most current map reflects data from the week ending Feb 8, 2025. (Rudy, 2/17)
CIDRAP: RSV Vaccine Prompts Robust Immune Response In Older Recipients Over 2 Seasons
The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine triggered strong immune responses among people aged 60 years and older during its first two seasons for use, according to the final findings of a phase 3 randomized controlled trial published last week in Clinical Infectious Diseases. (Van Beusekom, 2/17)
On E. coli and contaminated food —
CIDRAP: Phase 3 Trial For E Coli Vaccine Halted
Drugmakers Sanofi and Johnson & Johnson announced yesterday that they're pulling the plug on a phase 3 trial of their joint vaccine candidate for extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli. The companies said in a news release that in a scheduled review of the E.mbrace 3 trial, an independent data monitoring committee (IDMC) determined that the vaccine—ExPEC9V—was not sufficiently effective at preventing invasive E coli disease (IED) compared with placebo and recommended discontinuing the study. Initiated in 2021, the trial was testing the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of the vaccine in preventing IED, which includes sepsis and bloodstream infections, in adults 60 and older. (Dall, 2/14)
CIDRAP: Report: Illnesses From Contaminated Food Increased In 2024, Severe Cases Doubled
The number of Americans with confirmed illness caused by contaminated food rose by 25% last year, according to a new report from the US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund. The Food for Thought 2025 report shows a total of 1,392 Americans in 2024 became ill after consuming a contaminated food item, up from 1,118 in 2023. What's more, the number of hospitalizations more than doubled, rising from 230 to 487, and deaths climbed from 8 to 19. (Dall, 2/17)
