When four states between 2015 and 2021 stopped allowing parents to opt their children out of receiving routine vaccines without a medical reason, vaccination rates among kindergartners increased substantially. That’s…
Tag: Vaccination
Flu season has arrived – and so have updated flu vaccines
As the autumn’s cool weather settles in, so does flu season – bringing with it the familiar experiences of sniffles, fever and cough. Every year, influenza – the flu –…
Hepatitis B shot for newborns has nearly eliminated childhood infections with this virus in the US
The Conversation, CC BY-ND Before the United States began vaccinating all infants at birth with the hepatitis B vaccine in 1991, around 18,000 children every year contracted the virus before…
FDA approves updated COVID-19 vaccines with new restrictions, potentially limiting access for healthy children
Guidance around COVID-19 vaccines has once again shifted after the Food and Drug Administration on Aug. 27, 2025, approved updated shots for the fall season, but for a more limited…
Pediatricians’ association recommends COVID-19 vaccines for toddlers and some older children, breaking with CDC guidance
For 30 years, vaccine recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have aligned closely with those from the American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP. But on Aug. 19,…
COVID-19 vaccines for kids are mired in uncertainty amid conflicting federal guidance
It’s August, and parents and caregivers are frantically preparing their kids for a new school year by buying supplies, filling out forms and meeting teachers. This year, many parents also…
Shingles vaccination rates rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, but major gaps remain for underserved groups
Vaccination against shingles increased among adults age 50 and older in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic, but not equally across all population groups. That’s the key finding from a…
WHO is finalizing a new treaty that prepares for the next pandemic − but the US isn’t signing
On March 20, 2025, members of the World Health Organization adopted the world’s first pandemic agreement, following three years of “intensive negotiations launched by governments in response to the devastating…
Whooping cough is making a comeback, but the vaccine provides powerful protection
Whooping cough, a bacterial infection that can be especially dangerous for babies and young children, is on the rise. Already in 2025 the U.S. has recorded 8,485 cases. That’s compared…
How bird flu differs from seasonal flu − an infectious disease researcher explains
The flu sickens millions of people in the U.S. every year, and the past year has been particularly tough. Although infections are trending downward, the Centers for Disease Control and…
