Even while the COVID-19 vaccines have been hailed as one of the greatest achievements in modern science, they have been swirled in misinformation perpetuated by anti-vaccine figures and organizations who question their efficacy and robust safety record. The shots have even been wrongly blamed for high-profile health events, like when LeBron “Bronny” James Jr. suffered a cardiac arrest during practice. While research has shown that a COVID-19 infection is linked to an increased risk in myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle, how — and if — that translates to causation from vaccines has been widely taken out of context.

Read more at Salon.

National MMR coverage has dropped 2% from the 2019-2021 school year to the 2022-2023 school year, which means approximately 250,000 kindergartners are at risk for measles infection around the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The 93.1% rate during the 2022–23 school is 2% lower than the 95% rate in the 2019-2020 school year and leaves measles coverage below the national target of 95% for the third consecutive year.

Doctors said this nationwide trend is a concerning backdrop to measles outbreaks in Florida and Philadelphia so far this year.

Read more at ABC.

Nearly 20 years after the first vaccine against human papillomavirus became available, many eligible Americans still are not getting the shot — even though it provides powerful protection against the leading cause of cervical cancer and a strong risk factor for anal cancer.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, and while most infections are asymptomatic and clear up on their own within two years, a small number persist and can cause cancer. HPV causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer, and can also lead to penile, anal, oral, vulvar and vaginal cancers.

Read more at The New York Times.

Erica Finkelstein-Parker planned her daughter’s 8th birthday party with love.

Because Emmalee adored airplanes, Finkelstein-Parker chose the theme “Flying High with Emmalee.” Finkelstein-Parker filled nearly two dozen brightly colored goody bags for Emmalee’s friends — one for every child in her class, so no one would feel left out.

Months later, the treat bags remained unopened in Finkelstein-Parker’s bedroom, reminders of a birthday party that was never held.

Read more at NBC.

When medical treatments or vaccines are hard to get, it’s usually because of too much demand and not enough supply. But in the case of COVID-19 vaccines for kids, it’s the other way around: low demand for the shot is tanking supply.

While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that anyone ages six months and older get vaccinated against COVID-19, parents are finding it hard to track down kid-sized doses. Usually, they would rely on their pediatricians for all childhood vaccines, but many are not stocking the latest COVID-19 shot.

Read more at Time.

One of the most contagious diseases that was previously eradicated more than 20 years ago in the U.S. is threatening a comeback — measles.

As measles cases continue to rise globally, more states are also reporting the disease. On Feb. 12, that number hit 10. The Minnesota Department of Health confirmed two cases of measles in unvaccinated siblings who recently returned from international travel. Arizona’s Maricopa County Department of Public Health also confirmed an international visitor with measles who frequented two public restaurants while contagious.

Read more at Today.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering whether to recommend yet another Covid booster shot this spring, especially for people most at risk for severe complications of the illness.

A spring booster would be the same vaccine that was approved last fall, which was formulated to target the XBB.1.5 subvariant. The vaccine is also very effective against the JN.1 subvariant, which is causing almost all Covid infections in the U.S. right now.

Read more at NBC.

Not long ago, measles was on the verge of eradication in the United States. But now, it is threatening to make a troubling comeback, with several cities and states, including Philadelphia, California, Washington, D.C. and Missouri, clocking cases in recent weeks. This has put public health officials and family physicians like me on high alert. We can’t let our guard down when it comes to educating patients, families and communities about the importance and effectiveness of immunizations for a wide range of diseases.

Read more at U.S. News.

Almost all new parents go through it: the distress of hearing their child scream at the doctor’s office and the emotional torture of having to hold them down as the clinician sticks them with one vaccine after another.

“The first shots he got, I probably cried more than he did,” says Remy Anthes, while pushing her 6-month-old son, Dorian, back and forth in his stroller in Oakland, California.

Read more at NPR.

In 2000, thanks to an effective vaccine with high uptake, the U.S. achieved a rare public health victory: zero cases of endemic measles transmission. But measles has persisted, with repeated outbreaks over the years, and it is having a big comeback. In the U.S., 23 cases of measles were reported over less than eight weeks in December and January, including seven cases brought in by international travelers and two outbreaks each involving more than five people. There was a thirtyfold increase in measles cases in Europe in 2023, with tens of thousands of hospitalizations and five deaths.

Read more at MSNBC.