High vaccination rates protecting Ottawa from measles outbreak affecting surrounding areas: doctor
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UPI
15 minutes ago
- UPI
AAP splits with CDC advice in new vaccine guidelines
The American Academy of Pediatrics issued vaccine recommendations that differ from U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidelines for the first time in 30 years. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo For the first time in 30 years, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued vaccine recommendations that differ from U.S. government guidelines. In new guidance released Tuesday, the AAP strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccines for children between 6 months and 2 years of age. For older children, shots are also advised but ultimately left to parents' discretion. That contradicts recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Under U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the CDC does not recommend COVID-19 shots for healthy children of any age but says families may choose to get the vaccine after consulting with a doctor, CBS News reported. In a statement, AAP President Dr. Susan Kressly said "the AAP will continue to provide recommendations for immunizations that are rooted in science and are in the best interest of the health of infants, children and adolescents." She added: "Pediatricians know how important routine childhood immunizations are in keeping children, families and their communities healthy and thriving." However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has some concerns. In a statement to CBS News, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the American people "deserve confidence that medical recommendations are based solely on science and public health." He made a direct appeal to the pediatricians' group. "We call on the AAP to strengthen conflict-of-interest safeguards and keep its publications free from financial influence, ensuring every recommendation reflects only the best interests of America's children," Nixon added. Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, urged parents to stay on top of routine vaccinations. "Parents should really stick the course and make sure that their children get all of the routine childhood vaccinations," Gounder said. She added that the AAP's new COVID-19 advice mostly reaffirms what it has said in the past. "The first encounter with COVID should be with the shot, not with the virus," Gounder said. "There is still a very high risk in younger children, particularly 6 months to 2 years, for hospitalization and severe complications if they get COVID." The AAP also updated its guidance for RSV and flu vaccines, CBS News reported. It recommends: RSV: Infants younger than 8 months should get an RSV immunization unless protected because their parent was vaccinated during pregnancy. Children ages 8 to 19 months at high risk for severe illness should also get vaccinated. Flu: Annual flu vaccines are recommended for all children 6 months and older, unless there's a medical reason not to get the shot. More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on COVID vaccines. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Axios
an hour ago
- Axios
Why COVID-19 risk might be "very high" in these 5 states
Western states appear most at risk for COVID-19 cases right now, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as the "stratus" variant and other versions of the virus circulate nationally. The big picture: Wastewater viral activity for COVID-19 has shifted from "moderate" to "low" this month, though some states in the West buck the trend. Driving the news: The CDC's map for COVID-19 wastewater monitoring showed these states had "very high" viral activity levels from Aug. 3 to Aug. 9, 2025: Utah Nevada Texas Alaska Hawaii Worth noting: California, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina and Connecticut all have "high" levels of viral activity, per data the CDC last updated on Aug. 14. What they're saying: "If you see increased wastewater viral activity levels, it might indicate that there is a higher risk of infection," the CDC says. Context: Nationally, viral activity dipped into the "low" range after the recent reemergence of the " stratus" COVID variant sent viral activity levels into the "moderate" phase. As of Aug. 12, the CDC said COVID infections "are growing or likely growing" in the majority of states. A dozen states are seeing high COVID test positivity rates compared to the rest of the country, according to recent CDC regional data. Still, case numbers are below peak pandemic levels. Current COVID-19 variants, like "stratus" What to know: These states are seeing a spike in viral activity and cases as the "nimbus" or NB.1.8.1 variant remains the top strand across the U.S., per CDC estimates from June. The LP.8.1 variant, a descendent of omicron, is the second most common, accounting for roughly one-third of cases. The XFG variant, also known as "stratus," is still third-highest with 14% of cases. However, according to CDC trends, the XFG variant made up 65% of the variants detected in wastewater nationwide as of Aug. 9. COVID symptoms for the current variants are similar to normal strains, such as fever, chills, cough, sore throat and congestion. However, there have been reports of "hoarseness" with the "stratus" variant and "razor-blade" sore throats for the "nimbus" variant. What's next with COVID? Rises in COVID-19 cases in the late summer and early fall aren't uncommon given children are headed back to school. What to watch: The CDC's next updates will likely point out how impactful the school year has been so far in terms of case positivity and viral activity.
an hour ago
750 HHS employees send signed letter to RFK Jr. asking him to stop spreading misinformation
More than 750 employees across the Department of Health and Human Services sent a signed letter to members of Congress and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday morning, calling on the secretary to stop spreading misinformation. The letter states the deadly shooting that occurred at the Atlanta headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Aug. 8 was "not random" and was driven by "politicized rhetoric." Authorities said the 30-year-old gunman -- who killed a police officer in the attack -- had been harboring yearslong grievances with the COVID-19 vaccine. He believed he suffered negative health effects after he got the vaccine, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation found written documents at his home indicating that he wanted to make his discontent known. The signatories are accusing Kennedy of endangering the lives of HHS employees by spreading misinformation. Kennedy, who oversees the CDC, has peddled vaccine skepticism throughout his career. Before becoming health secretary, Kennedy falsely called the COVID-19 vaccine the "deadliest vaccine ever made." HHS did not return ABC News' request for comment. "Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is complicit in dismantling America's public health infrastructure and endangering the nation's health by repeatedly spreading inaccurate health information," the letter states. The employees pointed to various examples, such as Kennedy referring to the CDC as a "cesspool of corruption" in a post on X and falsely claiming mRNA vaccines " failed to protect effectively" against COVID and flu. The letter said such "dangerous and deceitful statements and actions" contributed to the harassment and violence experienced by CDC employees. Dr. Shiv Prasad, a scientific review officer at the National Institutes of Health who signed the letter, said he felt compelled to do so for many reasons. "Like my colleagues at the CDC, I am concerned about several things," Prasad, speaking in his personal capacity and not on behalf of NIH or HHS, told ABC News. "One is the misinformation that's being spread, especially concerning vaccines and COVID-19 and it has a way of vilifying federal workers who are working every day to ensure the health of Americans." He went on, "I'm concerned about the safety of HHS workers ... I think we are all potential targets now." The letter called on Kennedy to take a number of actions by Sept. 2, including not spreading inaccurate health information, affirming the scientific integrity of the CDC and guaranteeing the safety of the HHS workforce. Prasad added that he would also like to see action from Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the director of NIH. Bhattacharya recently supported Kennedy's decision to cancel $500 million in federal funding for mRNA vaccine development, saying the decision was made because "the mRNA platform is no longer viable." Prasad said he and his colleagues would like Bhattacharya "to consider the effect of his words, potential effect on NIH staff, because he has made some comments in the past about the origins of COVID-19 and certainly recently with the NIH moving away from mRNA vaccine technology." "These things are not accepted by the field and, again it's misinformation, and it could lead to it could put us at risk," he continued.
