Tennessee flu activity among highest in the nation, causing school closures. What to know
Flu season is in full swing and the Volunteer State is feeling its full effects.
Multiple school districts in East Tennessee are closed from Thursday, Feb. 6 due to the high prevalence of illness. Claiborne County Schools, Blount County Schools, Union County Schools and more have canceled classes.
The trend of closures continues across the state. Five school districts are closed in Middle Tennessee due to illness and two more school districts are closed or have a remote learning day in Chattanooga.
Currently, Tennessee has one of the highest rates of flu activity in the nation, according to the most recent CDC data.
The CDC considers flu activity in the Volunteer State to be "very high," the highest classification level. Other states with very high flu activity are Louisiana, South Carolina, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire as of Jan. 25.
The Walgreens' Flu Index lists Knoxville and Memphis among the markets with the most flu activity nationally. The most recent data, from the last week of January, placed Knoxville at No. 6 and Memphis at No. 8.
It's at the discretion of individual school districts to close due to illness. Schools do not need the approval of the Tennessee Department of Education commissioner to cancel in this circumstance.
These are the most common flu symptoms according to the CDC. If children or adults feel intense muscle pain, have trouble breathing, or have chest pain, they should seek immediate medical care.
fever or feeling feverish/chills. However, not everyone with the flu will experience a fever.
cough
sore throat
runny or stuffy nose
muscle or body aches
headaches
fatigue
some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.
Influenza A has been the prominent illness this season, according to the CDC. Of the 2,693 viruses reported by public health laboratories during the week of Jan. 25, 2,642 were influenza A and only 51 were influenza B.
The Tennessee Department of Health also reported Influenza A being more common in the Volunteer State.
Influenza A tends to be more common than Influenza B each flu season, according to Healthline. Additionally, Influenza A can affect more than just people; birds, pigs and other animals are also at risk of falling ill.
Both illnesses have similar symptoms and treatment methods.
No. It's not too late to get a flu shot, according to the National Foundation of Infectious Diseases.
The CDC recommends that everyone aged 6 months and older get vaccinated annually.
Flu viruses typically spread the most in fall and winter, with activity peaking between December and February.
While there is no exact date that signals the end of flu season, historical CDC data shows that flu activity dramatically drops in April and May.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee flu activity among highest in U.S., causing school closings
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CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisers include ER doctor who posted Islamophobic commentary online, expert witnesses against vaccines
Among the eight people who Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced would make up his new group of outside vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are an emergency physician who posted Islamophobic commentary on social media and two doctors who were paid to provide expert testimony in trials against a vaccine maker. Kennedy, who was himself an influential anti-vaccine advocate before taking the helm at the US Department of Health and Human Services this year, dismissed the previous 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, saying the group was 'plagued with conflicts of interest.' He pledged that their replacements wouldn't be 'ideological anti-vaxxers.' Some, though, have been accused of spreading false or misleading information about the safety of vaccines. Among the new members is Dr. Vicky Pebsworth, who holds a Ph.D. in nursing and public health, and who serves as volunteer director of research and patient safety for the National Vaccine Information Center, which advocates for vaccine exemptions and has argued that mRNA Covid-19 vaccines should not be recommended for anyone. Dr. Retsef Levi, a professor of operations research at MIT, has a 2023 post pinned to the top of his account on X that says, 'The evidence is mounting and indisputable that MRNA vaccines cause serious harm including death, especially among young people. We have to stop giving them immediately!' despite studies showing that they are safe and effective and research showing that they have saved millions of lives. Dr. Robert Malone, an early researcher of mRNA technology, has suggested that Covid-19 vaccines may cause cancer, something regulatory agencies say is not the case. Malone also served as a paid expert witness in an antitrust lawsuit over Merck's measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, testifying that plaintiffs compensated him at a rate of $350 per hour. Malone noted at the time that his compensation did 'not depend on the outcome of this litigation or my conclusions.' Fellow new ACIP member Dr. Martin Kulldorff, who has called vaccines 'vital,' served as a paid witness in a vaccine trial against Merck over the safety of its HPV vaccine, Gardasil. The committee's conflict-of-interest policy says members of its work groups 'should agree that they will not serve as a paid litigation consultant or expert witness in litigation involving a vaccine or manufacturer under the purview of the [work group].' Dorit Reiss, a professor of law at UC Law San Francisco, noted that 'past expert witness work may not be a bar, but that's true of the [conflicts of interest] Kennedy used to justify dismissing' the previous members. Kulldorff did not respond to requests for comment about his testimony and whether he would recuse himself from discussions related to Gardasil. Malone also didn't respond to CNN's request for comment. An HHS spokesperson told CNN that the agency 'takes conflicts of interest very seriously' and will 'make sure anyone participating in the meetings do not have any conflicts of interest in the agenda they'll be meeting on.' Several of the new appointees have been in Kennedy's orbit for years. He dedicated his 2021 book, 'The Real Anthony Fauci,' to the 'battle-hardened cadre of heroic scientists and physicians' who fought Fauci's pandemic strategies, including Kulldorff and Malone. He also listed Pebsworth on a 'heroic healers honor roll.' Others are less well-known. Emergency physician Dr. James Pagano doesn't appear to have shared his vaccine views publicly. An X account bearing his name most recently includes supportive replies to posts about President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Kennedy. About 10 years ago, Pagano posted on the account, 'What's wrong with being an islamophobe? There's so much there not to like.' Pagano didn't respond to CNN's request for comment. A spokesperson for HHS told CNN, 'This was a tongue-in-cheek post made ten years ago that was a reference to the news cycle at the time. It has nothing to do with his qualifications' to serve on ACIP. Pagano is a 'highly qualified medical doctor that will take these issues very seriously.' Caleb Kieffer, a senior research analyst for the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, called the post 'concerning and problematic, whether it's kind of a one-off or not. … Islamophobia is a recognized form of bigotry. It was a recognized form of bigotry when this was posted in 2015, and it remains a recognized form of bigotry and problem today.' The committee is scheduled to meet June 25 to discuss vaccines for Covid-19, cytomegalovirus, HPV, flu and other diseases. According to the Federal Register, recommendation votes are scheduled for multiple vaccines, including for the Vaccines for Children program, which provides vaccines at no cost to those whose parents or guardians may not be able to afford them. An HHS spokesperson said the new members' ethics agreements will be made public before they start. 'Every ACIP member will be vetted in accordance with their ethics agreement before they are permitted to participate in each meeting agenda item,' HHS Director of Communications Andrew Nixon said in a statement. 'Secretary Kennedy has replaced vaccine groupthink with a diversity of viewpoints on ACIP.' Here's a look at all the new committee members. Hibbeln is a former NIH researcher focused on nutrition and psychiatry, with a particular interest in seafood: He is an unpaid adviser to Positively Groundfish, a nonprofit trade association supporting the fishing industry. Though his vaccine views haven't been made clear, a paper he co-authored in 2018 notes that a connection between a form of mercury in vaccines, thimerosal, and autism 'has been largely repudiated.' Kennedy noted in his X post that, while at the NIH, Hibbeln 'led research on immune regulation, neurodevelopment, and mental health' and that his work has 'informed US public health guidelines, particularly in maternal and child health.' Hibbeln declined to comment when reached by email. Kulldorff was a prominent early critic of the US government's coronavirus response, namely broad shutdowns and school closures, and later the Covid-19 vaccines and what he has argued was federal collusion with social media companies to censor his and others' views. The Swedish epidemiologist and biostatistician teamed up with Oxford professor Dr. Sunetra Gupta and Stanford professor Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, now director of the National Institutes of Health, to write the October 2020 'Great Barrington Declaration,' which argued for fewer social distancing requirements for young, healthy people rather than broad lockdowns. That alliance carried on as Bhattacharya assumed his federal role. Kulldorff's name swirled in the early days of the second Trump administration as HHS officials discussed potential hires around the agencies and appointments to advisory panels, according to a personal familiar with the discussions who asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorized to speak with CNN. Kennedy also seemed to suggest in April that Kulldorff was part of the agency's effort to research the causes of autism. 'This is all being run by Jay Bhattacharya and by, I think, Martin Kulldorff, maybe also working on this, on designing the grant proposals,' Kennedy said April 16. Asked by reporters a few days later about Kulldorff's level of involvement in the autism initiative, Bhattacharya declined to discuss 'any personnel decisions specifically' but added that 'this is public knowledge. I'm very close friends with Martin, and we talk all the time.' Kulldorff wrote in a commentary in the urban policy magazine City Journal that 'vaccines are a vital medical invention' but that clinical trials for Covid-19 shots were not properly designed. He also said he has 'spent decades studying drug and vaccine adverse reactions without taking any money from pharmaceutical companies.' Levi is a professor of operations management at MIT and trained as a mathematician. His bio on the MIT website says he studies food supply chains. He also spent nearly 12 years as an intelligence officer in the Israeli Defense Forces. In an email to CNN, Levi said that he has nearly '19 years of extensive work with healthcare systems and health data,' including 'work on quality and safety of manufacturing of biologic drugs, post marketing safety signal detection, epidemiological models and more generally data driven and statistical/AI enabled frameworks and decision support tools to manage and optimize risk-benefit tradeoffs.' 'I also have been conducting research specifically on the COVID-19 vaccines,' he wrote. In 2022, Levi co-authored a study that looked at the relationship between Covid-19 vaccination rates in Israel and emergency calls for heart problems in teens and young adults. Levi and his co-authors reported a 25% increase in these heart-related emergencies in the early months of 2021 compared with 2019 through 2020. They concluded that this increase was not due to a wave of Covid-19 illnesses — which can cause heart problems — but instead was associated with the timing of the first and second doses of mRNA vaccines in this age group. Observational studies like this one can be misleading because while they may show that two things happen at the same time, they can't prove that one caused the other. In order to prove that vaccines caused an increase in heart-related emergencies in Israel, the researchers would have needed to know the vaccination status of patients in the study and to show that heart-related emergencies increased in vaccinated compared with unvaccinated individuals. The study authors didn't have that information, according to an independent fact check of the study's claims. More recently, Levi has co-authored a study with Florida's surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, who in 2024 called for a halt in the use of the Covid-19 vaccine in the state, even for adults over age 65. This new study, which was posted as a preprint — meaning it hadn't been scrutinized by outside experts or published in medical journal — compared death risks in 1.4 million Florida adults who received either the Pfizer or Moderna Covid vaccines in the year after vaccination. The study authors say that they found a higher risk of dying from any cause, and from heart-related causes, in Floridians who received Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccines than in those who received shots from Moderna and that this indicates the vaccines have different 'non-specific' effects. In an email, Levi said that nonspecific effects relate to 'health outcomes broader than and beyond the target virus,' such as deaths from any cause or heart-related deaths. But the study didn't compare death rates in the vaccinated groups with those in people who were unvaccinated. Other studies have found that Covid-19 contributed to excess deaths during the years of the pandemic and to heart-related deaths specifically. The study also didn't account for different dosages in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, noted Dr. Peter Hotez, a pediatrician and infectious disease expert who is co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital. Moderna's shots had a higher dose of mRNA than Pfizer's: 100 micrograms vs. about 30 micrograms. If the excess deaths were caused by Covid, greater protection from the Moderna vaccines might explain the higher death risk in the Pfizer-vaccinated group, Hotez said. When asked whether the different dosing of mRNA in the vaccines might account for the findings, Levi wrote, 'I think that the hypothesis that Moderna has protective effects against non-COVID deaths and even against cardiovascular deaths, while cannot be fully dismissed, is highly implausible, and not supported by evidence.' In fact, Hotez said, it is supported by evidence. Hotez said in an email that this kind of messaging 'cherry picks a weakly supported factoid, and blows it up until it defies reality but supports their false narrative, while simultaneously ignoring a mountain of counter evidence.' The study authors used the findings to try to sow doubt about the vaccines. In a social media post, Ladapo wrote, 'Did your doctor tell you that you might be more likely to die if you took Pfizer instead of Moderna? That's what we found in Florida, and other studies have shown similar results. The system is rotten and we need more honest scientists.' Although Malone made some key early innovations in mRNA and its potential use in drug therapies, the biochemist has argued in recent years that mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines are risky and that drug regulators too rapidly authorized their use. In 2023, Malone told House representatives during an event on Covid-19 vaccine injury led by Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene that he believes mRNA shots can cause cancer, a claim that is not backed by peer-reviewed scientific literature and the FDAand the National Cancer Institute say there is no evidence of a link. Malone's criticisms extend beyond mRNA immunizations. In April, he suggested that a number of measles cases in the current outbreak were caused by the vaccines themselves – although the CDC says they are rare breakthrough cases due to community spread, not cases from shots. In December, he wrote that early polio shots caused cancer because of contamination with the simian 40 virus. The CDC has said that although that virus has caused cancer in some animals, there is no evidence that it caused human cancers. More recently, Malone served as a senior medical adviser to Independent Medical Alliance, formerly known as the Frontline COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance, a nonprofit that pushed back on vaccine requirements and touted unproven coronavirus treatments such as ivermectin. The group celebrated Malone's appointment to the panel Wednesday. Asked whether it had any input with HHS on the new ACIP members, IMA President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Varon said in an email that the group 'regularly communicates with HHS on public health issues, including vaccine policy. While specifics aren't disclosed, it's part of their mission to guide such processes.' Of all the new appointees, Dr. Cody Meissner has the most vaccine expertise. He is a pediatric infectious disease expert at Dartmouth University who also has a long history of government service. He previously served on ACIP from 2008 to 2012 and served on the group of independent experts who advised the FDA on its vaccine decisions during the pandemic. He's also been a member of vaccine advisory boards, including for the American Academy of Pediatrics, and was the chair of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. He has co-authored dozens of studies and position statements on vaccines. During the pandemic, he co-authored an editorial in The Wall Street Journal with Dr. Marty Makary, who is now commissioner of the FDA, arguing against the use of masks for kids. He recently told Reuters that he supports Kennedy's decision not to recommend Covid-19 vaccines for pregnant women and healthy children. In a social media post, infectious disease expert Dr. Michael Mina called Meissner a 'rigorous scientist and has defended vaccines' and a 'terrific choice.' Meissner did not respond to CNN's request for comment for this story. Kennedy's post about Pagano notes that he's a board-certified emergency medicine physician with more than 40 years of experience, including service on hospital committees, and is a strong advocate for evidence-based medicine. He appears to be licensed in both California and Florida. In posts on a blog linked to the X account with his name, Pagano wrote in 2017 that it was a 'disappointment' that Republicans failed to repeal and replace Obamacare, and he advocated for 'transparent, cost-based pricing' in health care. Pebsworth is a registered nurse and has a doctorate in health services organization and policy. She has worked in health care for more than 45 years, according to a brief bio that Kennedy posted to X. She's a regional director for the National Association of Catholic Nurses. She has served as a consumer representative to the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, or VRBPAC, and on subcommittees for HHS's National Vaccine Advisory Committee, along with other federal and congressional appointments. She has been a board member of the National Vaccine Information Center, a group that says it 'is dedicated to preventing vaccine injuries and deaths through public education and advocating for informed consent protections in medical policies and public health laws.' Articles and videos on its website say that vaccine injuries are common while the benefits of immunizations are questionable, call for more study of vaccines on the childhood schedule and promote the false idea that vaccines cause autism. As part of that group, Pebsworth made 'Ask Nurse Vicky' videos talking about vaccine injuries and informed consent. In one of the videos, she shared that she believes her son was injured by vaccines he received during a routine doctor's visit when he was 15 months old. In 2009, disgraced British physician Andrew Wakefield introduced Pebsworth's son before he sang and played keyboards at an autism dinner. Wakefield helped cause a worldwide panic in 1998 after he published a study suggesting that vaccines cause autism, but many subsequent studies have disproven the link. He was stripped of his medical license in 2010. Wakefield called Pebsworth 'my great friend.' Pebsworth did not respond to CNN's request for comment. Kennedy listed Dr. Michael Ross as a clinical professor at George Washington University and Virginia Commonwealth University, although Ross is not currently employed at either institution. A VCU spokesperson told CNN that Ross was an affiliate faculty member with the School of Medicine's Inova Campus from 2006 to 2021, when the VCU and Inova partnership ended. A spokesperson for GWU said Ross began working at the university in 1979, but he has not had a faculty appointment there since 2017. His LinkedIn lists his work there ending in May 2025. The Virginia-based obstetrics and gynecology physician announced a month ago that he had joined Manta Pharma, a Maryland biotech firm focused on AI-based delivery of therapies for autoimmune diseases, diabetes, drug addiction and HIV/AIDS. Ross' other current employer, private equity group Havencrest Capital Management, describes him as a 'serial CEO' who has served on the boards of multiple private health care companies. On his LinkedIn page, Ross says that while CEO of a generic pharmaceutical company, he engineered the acquisition of a stem cell company 'and an investment in a vaccine company.' Ross previously served as president of CPL Inc., the North American division of Indian generic drugmaker Cadila Pharmaceutical, and was a board member of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association. Ross did not respond to a request for comment on the vaccine company investment and potential recusals while serving on ACIP. CNN's Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck contributed to this report.
The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
Cassidy's Kennedy quagmire
The Big Story The Trump administration assured Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) his support of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation would mean no attacks on vaccine confidence, yet recent actions suggest those promises meant more to one side than the other. © AP Cassidy, the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, publicly wavered over Kennedy's confirmation, with the then-nominee's refusal to acknowledge the safety and efficacy of vaccines being a particular sticking point. By the end of Kennedy's second confirmation hearing, Cassidy acknowledged he was still 'struggling' with the nomination. He was won over by Trump administration officials, who promised the senator would have input on hiring decisions; that federal advisory boards would remain unscathed; existing vaccine safety systems would continue; and Kennedy would testify before the HELP panel quarterly. But Kennedy's tenure as Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary has already seen massive layoffs, controversial changes to the vaccine approval process and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices being cleared out and replaced with Kennedy's allies. Louisiana State University department chair and political science professor Robert Hogan suggested Kennedy's moves won't necessarily hurt Cassidy in a GOP primary. Cassidy is up for reelection next year. 'You would think that that would hurt him electorally, but … I think ultimately, what could have hurt him is if he had stuck with his professional standards and the standards of the medical community' and spoken out against Kennedy, Hogan said. The Louisiana senator hasn't spoken on Kennedy's actions that seemingly fly in the face of their agreement, only saying that he is continuing to talk with the Trump Cabinet secretary. Cassidy faces a tough road to reelection. He was among the GOP senators who voted to convict Trump of an impeachment article accusing him of inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Former House member John Fleming (R) has launched a primary campaign against him. Hogan said Fleming is a formidable opponent. 'If it comes down to, they're equal on every other dimension except [Fleming] did not vote to impeach Trump? That's the message, I think that will come through very clear to Republican voters,' he said. Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel, Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: CDC: Average age of US moms giving birth rises to nearly 30 The average age of first-time mothers in the U.S. has risen to almost 30, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). New data published in a National Vitals and Statistics Report on Friday shows the mean age of mothers at first birth increased by 0.9 years between 2016 and 2023, rising from 26.6 years to 27.5. Asian women reported the largest increase in mean age at first birth … Axelrod on RFK Jr.'s vaccine moves: 'Genuine catastrophe in the making' Democratic political strategist David Axelrod on Friday condemned changes Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made to a key vaccine advisory committee. Kennedy earlier this week fired all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and replaced them with eight of his own picks, a significant downsizing for the independent, expert … FDA approves expanded use of Moderna's RSV shot, but uncertainty remains The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded the approval of Moderna's RSV vaccine late Thursday to include people 18 to 59 years old who are at increased risk for severe illness from respiratory syncytial virus, the company said. The vaccine was previously only licensed for adults 60 years and older. 'RSV poses a serious health risk to adults with certain chronic conditions, and today's approval marks an important … In Other News Branch out with a different read: Prediabetes interventions at forefront of treatment: What to know The conversation around prediabetes has entered a new day for Americans. Earlier this week, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine published the first clinical practice guideline to prioritize lifestyle interventions in treating Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. The guideline offers a comprehensive roadmap for clinicians to effectively incorporate therapeutic lifestyle behavior interventions as a mainstay of treatment, while … Around the Nation Local and state headlines on health care: What We're Reading Health news we've flagged from other outlets: What Others are Reading Most read stories on The Hill right now: Republicans lay groundwork for 'total tax cliff' at end of Trump's term Congressional Republicans are laying the groundwork for a tax cliff at the end of President Trump's term in office. While the conference is pushing … Read more Newsom becomes a fighter, and Democrats beyond California are cheering California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is meeting the moment, Democrats say. Amid the growing storm over the Trump administration's response to protests … Read more What People Think Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: You're all caught up. See you next week! Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Kennedy's New Vaccine Advisers Helped Lawyers Raise Doubts About Their Safety
Three of the new advisers appointed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to guide the government on immunization policy took part in lawsuits casting doubt on the safety or efficacy of vaccines, public records show. In dismissing all 17 members of an influential Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel on Monday, Mr. Kennedy cited what he said was a history of conflicts of interest that he claimed made those experts a 'rubber stamp' on approving vaccines. But adding members who assisted in legal cases that were either against vaccine makers or that suggested widespread vaccine-caused harm raises questions about a different form of potential bias. While the legal involvement of the three new panelists does not appear to violate the rules, critics of Mr. Kennedy said it created the appearance of a conflict. 'He's invoking the language of ethics and integrity to get rid of these experts and now is installing people who may have their own biases — that he apparently does not want to recognize,' said Kathleen Clark, a law professor and ethics expert at Washington University in St. Louis. One of Mr. Kennedy's appointees, Vicky Pebsworth, is a nurse who serves on the board of a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about vaccine injuries. She certified to a court that, in her professional opinion, a survey of families of unvaccinated children supported the hypothesis that a rise in the number of recommended childhood vaccines explained an epidemic of chronic disease. Mr. Kennedy has espoused the same theory. Another, Dr. Robert Malone, a physician and biochemist whose criticism of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines catapulted him into the spotlight during the pandemic, was a paid expert witness on behalf of company whistle-blowers who claimed that Merck, one of the nation's largest vaccine manufacturers, had covered up evidence casting doubt on the effectiveness of the mumps vaccine. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
