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Flu Vaccines Didn’t Work That Well in the US, Officials Find
As the U.S. flu season winds down, health officials say the flu vaccine didn’t work very well, with one of its worst effectiveness rates in more than a decade. A new strain that dominated the early winter was not well matched to the vaccine, leading to an intense early onslaught of flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday posted data that showed a continued decline in doctor’s office and hospital visits for flu symptoms through last week.
The number of states reporting high flu activity dropped to 16, many of them in a belt stretching from Colorado to Virginia. “The winter respiratory virus season is slowly coming to a close, and we’re all very grateful for that,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert.
Idaho Committee Rejects Bill to Repeal Childhood Vaccine Requirements
An Idaho House committee on Friday rejected a bill meant to repeal vaccine requirements, but which critics said could have restricted access to medical care.
House Bill 808 proposed expanding on Idaho law passed last year that banned businesses, schools and governments from requiring people get medical treatment, diagnosis or vaccines. Last year’s law drew praise from U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The new bill proposed repealing laws that require childhood vaccines; changing Idaho’s immunization records system to opt in; and blocking local governments from violating the state’s so-called medical freedom law passed last year. Idaho parents can already exempt their kids from vaccines rules. Major groups opposed the bill, including the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, a powerful business lobbying group, the Idaho Hospital Association and the Idaho Association of Counties and Association of Idaho Cities.
Idaho Hospital Association Vice President Toni Lawson told lawmakers that some of the bill’s language would prevent staff in county and district hospitals from serving their communities. “Given that the definition of medical intervention includes any medical action taken to diagnose, prevent or cure disease, this makes it basically impossible for health care providers and hospitals to fulfill their role in the community,” Lawson told lawmakers.
DeSantis’ Resolve to Pass His Vaccine Policies Strengthens as Measles Cases Continue to Rise
News From The States reported:
His attempt to alter the state’s vaccine policies for school children failed during the now-concluded legislative session, but Gov. Ron DeSantis said late Friday that he remains committed to seeing his policies pass before having to leave his post in January 2027. The 2026 regular session was DeSantis’ last as governor, but the Republican could have as many as three more opportunities in the form of special sessions to strong-arm his policies through a reluctant Legislature.
DeSantis already has called a five-day special session for congressional redistricting. The Legislature also must at some point reconvene to agree upon and pass a state budget after it was unable to do so during the regular session, although no official dates have been announced. A potential third opportunity could be the special session on property taxes that DeSantis has indicated he wants.
“There’s more than one way to skin the cat on some of this stuff,” DeSantis said when asked about having the Legislature address some of his priorities this year. “I’m committed to seeing the policies ultimately prevail. And we’ll look to see what options that we have.” As he has done for most of the last two years, DeSantis criticized the Florida House specifically for the demise of his vaccine proposal, which he calls “medical freedom.”
Sudden Sight Loss Risk Almost 5x Higher With Wegovy Than Ozempic, Study Finds
While GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic are now being broadly championed and widely used, several studies are revealing some potentially worrying side effects – including new research that looks in detail at related vision loss. These medications are so named because of how they mimic the effects of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) hormone to suppress appetite, aid digestion, and regulate blood sugar. They’ve been extensively prescribed to help with weight loss and manage diabetes.
However, reports of eyesight problems related to GLP-1 drugs and their active ingredient, semaglutide, are on the rise, prompting medicines regulators in the UK and Europe to review the risks based on available data. In this new study, a team from universities across Canada analyzed records of adverse events collected by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over 7 years, 2017-2024, and looked for cases of ischemic optic neuropathy (ION).
First Known Case of Severe Mpox Virus Strain Detected in NYC
The first known case of a severe strain of the mpox virus has been detected in New York City — and health officials are recommending those at risk get vaccinated.
The case of “mpox clade I” is travel-related, with the person who tested positive having recently traveled internationally, the city Department of Health announced Friday.
“There is no known local transmission of mpox clade I in New York City and the risk remains low for New Yorkers,” Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin said in a statement.
“The NYC Health Department recommends that New Yorkers who are at risk for mpox receive and complete the two-dose vaccine series that works to prevent mpox.”
There are two types of the mpox virus, clade I and clade II — the latter responsible for a global outbreak that caused nearly 4,000 cases in the city in 2022.
Opinion: Informed Consent Strengthens Vaccine Trust and Public Health in El Paso
Vaccines save lives. That’s something most of us in El Paso understand. We’ve seen how preventive care can protect families, schools and entire neighborhoods. But public health doesn’t succeed just because a policy exists or a vaccine is available. It succeeds when people trust the systems and are asked to participate. And that trust begins with informed consent.
Too often, consent is treated like paperwork, something to sign and move past. But for many families, medical decisions are personal, emotional and sometimes frightening. When people feel rushed, pressured or afraid of the consequences of saying no, consent stops being a choice and starts feeling like an obligation. This is especially true in Hispanic and marginalized communities. Here in El Paso, many residents face language barriers, limited access to clear health information and longstanding mistrust of institutions.
For some, refusing a medical intervention can mean risking a job, a child’s education or access to essential services. When the stakes are that high, it’s fair to ask whether consent is truly voluntary.
