Australian pediatrician spotlights the need to combat vaccine hesitancy
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Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
CLEAR Joins White House and CMS Effort to Power an Interoperable, Secure Digital Health Ecosystem
As the IAL2 identity layer for major healthcare partners, CLEAR supports CMS's nationwide initiative to modernize care through trusted, interoperable technologies NEW YORK, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CLEAR (NYSE: YOU), the secure identity platform, is participating in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Health Tech Ecosystem initiative, a nationwide effort to deliver a more connected, patient-centered healthcare system. CLEAR was proud to stand alongside government, healthcare, and technology leaders at the White House this week to support the launch of this national collaboration, and to reinforce its role as the trusted, full service Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2)/Authenticator Assurance Level 2 (AAL2) identity layer underpinning partner ecosystems across healthcare. 'CLEAR applauds the Administration's commitment to accelerating the digital transformation of healthcare and is proud to be a trusted partner in this nationwide effort,' said Caryn Seidman Becker, CEO of CLEAR. 'By serving as an IAL2 identity layer in healthcare ecosystems, CLEAR is helping to kill the clipboard, eliminate friction, and give patients control of their medical information in a secure, seamless way. We believe identity is the key to unlocking personalized, efficient, and patient-centered care.' At the heart of this CMS-led effort is a push to make health data more accessible, interoperable, and actionable, empowering patients, reducing provider burden, and improving outcomes. CLEAR's reusable identity platform for healthcare organizations and businesses, CLEAR1, is already enabling this transformation across leading platforms and health systems, including Epic, Surescripts, Wellstar, Community Health Network, University of Miami Health and These partners are leveraging CLEAR1 for use cases such as streamlining patient onboarding and check-in, enhancing workforce security, simplifying access to medical records, and strengthening data protection. Together, these efforts demonstrate how secure, interoperable identity can reduce friction, lower costs, and enable a more connected healthcare experience. CLEAR1 is a NIST IAL2/AAL2-compliant identity solution that gives patients and providers a reusable, privacy-centric credential to unlock services across the care journey, whether creating a MyChart account, verifying coverage, or accessing claims data. Over 60 companies have signed on to the CMS Health Tech Ecosystem pledge, committing to advance tools that: Help patients manage chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity Use AI assistants to navigate symptoms and schedule care 'Kill the clipboard' by digitizing check-in and intake Securely share data across trusted networks using modern identity credentials "We are excited that identity services - like CLEAR - are making it possible for patients and providers to use verified, secure identity as part of CMS's Health Tech Ecosystem," said Amy Gleason, Acting Administrator for the U.S. DOGE Service and Strategic Advisor to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. "Checking in at the doctor's office should be the same as boarding a flight. Patients should be able to scan a QR code to instantly and safely share their identity, insurance and medical history". 'Our work with CLEAR has meaningfully improved the speed and reliability of provider identity verification across our network,' said Frank Harvey, CEO of Surescripts. 'It's a powerful example of how focused collaboration can drive real progress. This pledge builds on that momentum—demonstrating how innovators across healthcare are advancing interoperability to reduce administrative burden and refocus clinicians' time where it matters most: patient care.' 'Identity is foundational to creating the connected, consumer-first healthcare experience that people expect, and it's what was built to deliver,' said Kristen Valdes, CEO and Founder of 'Our partnership with CLEAR brings a trusted, IAL2-compliant identity layer into that experience, giving patients and caregivers a seamless, unified way to access and share their health information across providers and platforms.' 'As part of our pledge to become a CMS Aligned Network, our relationship and planned integration with CLEAR will give us a unique opportunity to bring IAL2 identity verification to providers who are newer to the interoperability space,' said Therasa Bell, President and Founder of Kno2. 'That includes nurses, physical therapists, behavioral health providers, dentists, and paramedics, and it will enable them to securely communicate and share patient records across the broader healthcare ecosystem." 'Modern identity is the key to enabling safe, secure, and trusted data exchange across healthcare,' said Aneesh Chopra, former Chief Technology Officer of the United States. 'CLEAR's work to deliver IAL2-compliant digital identity helps unlock the promise of interoperability—giving patients and providers the confidence to share information seamlessly and securely.' CLEAR1 is already powering many of these functions across CLEAR's health, financial services, and workforce partners—and stands ready to support the rollout of CMS-Aligned Networks in 2026 and beyond. About CLEARCLEAR's mission is to strengthen security and create frictionless experiences. With over 31 million Members and a growing network of partners across the world, CLEAR's secure identity platform is transforming the way people live, work, and travel. Whether you are traveling, at the stadium, or on your phone, CLEAR connects you to the things that make you, you – making everyday experiences easier, more secure, and friction-free. CLEAR is committed to privacy done right. Members are always in control of their own information, and we never sell Member data. For more information, visit Forward-Looking StatementsThis release may contain statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This includes, without limitation, statements relating to CLEAR's participation in the CMS Health Tech Ecosystem initiative. Investors are cautioned that any and such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results, developments and events may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including risks associated with the initiative and CLEAR's participation therein, and those described in the Company's filings within the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the sections titled "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10- K. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein. CLEARmedia@ This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Childhood vaccine exemption rates hit a record high, CDC data shows
The percentage of kids who didn't get their recommended childhood vaccines rose again last school year, continuing the post-pandemic trend of Americans opting out of vaccinations. During the 2024-25 school year, 4.1% of kindergartners — about 138,000 kids — had a vaccine exemption, surpassing the previous record high of 3.7% during the prior school year. Nearly all exemptions are listed as nonmedical, meaning the kids aren't getting vaccines for religious or other personal reasons. The data, reported Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, comes as 2025 has logged the highest number of measles cases in 33 years: 1,333 cases in 39 states. Dr. Richard Besser, president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the CDC, said he expects the rate of vaccination exemptions to continue to rise as long as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — a long-time anti-vaccine activist — is health and human services secretary. 'While these numbers are bad, they don't even begin to reflect the impact that Secretary Kennedy will have on future exemptions,' Besser said. 'No one has done more to instill fear and distrust of vaccines.' HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said in an email, 'That couldn't be further from the truth.' 'Vaccination remains the most effective way to protect children from serious diseases like measles and whooping cough, which can lead to hospitalization and long-term health complications,' Nixon said, adding that a family's decision to vaccinate is 'a personal one.' Approximately 286,000 kindergartners last school year had no documentation that they'd ever had the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, the CDC said. Those children were toddlers when the pandemic hit in 2020. The MMR vaccine is given in two doses beginning at age 1. Just 92.5% of kids had their MMR and polio shots last year, and 92.1% had been vaccinated against tetanus and whooping cough. Both percentages are decreases from the year before. 'A drop in coverage like that can make a huge difference for keeping a disease like measles at bay,' said Josh Michaud, an associate director within the Global Health Policy program at KFF, a nonpartisan health policy organization. 'Lower measles vaccination rates are a key driver for outbreaks like the ones we're seeing across many states this year.' Measles is one of the most contagious viruses on Earth. Generally, 95% of the community must be vaccinated against it to prevent outbreaks. While states have different vaccination requirements for attending public and most private schools, they generally include MMR, poliovirus and chickenpox vaccines, as well as DTaP, which covers diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (also called whooping cough). This article was originally published on Solve the daily Crossword
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Fewer kindergarteners are being vaccinated, CDC data show
Vaccinations among kindergarteners declined during the 2024-25 school year compared to the year before, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rates dipped to 92.1 percent for the diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP) and to 92.5 percent for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) and polio vaccine, the data show. The drop in vaccination coverage comes as the U.S. grapples with rising cases of the measles—one of the most contagious diseases in the world. There have been 29 outbreaks of the virus this year, resulting in more than 1,330 confirmed measles cases across 40 states, according to the latest CDC numbers. Herd immunity against measles requires roughly 95 percent of the population to be vaccinated against the disease, according to the World Health Organization. Vaccine coverage decreased in more than half of states during the last school year compared to the year before, with about 286,000 kindergartners attending school without documentation showing they completed the MMR vaccine series. Vaccine exemptions for one or more vaccines have also gone up, with a total of 138,000 kindergarteners exempt from a vaccine in the last school year. The number of exemptions rose to 3.6 percent during the 2024-25 school year from 3.3 percent the year before. Exemptions increased in 36 states and Washington D.C. with 17 states now reporting an exemption rate of more than 5 percent, the data show. The Trump administration has shaken up the country's federal vaccine policy, sparking concerns among the medical community about the future of vaccine access. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, who has a long history of vaccine skepticism, has changed the process for vaccine recommendations as well as who is eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. 'The decision to vaccinate is a personal one,' a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services told The Hill. 'Parents should consult their health care providers on options for their families.' The spokesperson added that vaccination remains the most effective way to protect children from serious diseases like measles and whooping cough which can lead to hospitalization and death.
