Vaccine News You Can Use – Supplemental Resources for Family Physicians

Walt Larimore, MD

To supplement his column in this month’s Colorado FP, Dr. Walt Larimore has compiled even more information and resources to support family physicians like you to educate your patients and communities about the importance of vaccines. See his article and CME quiz in the latest issue of the magazine.

MAJOR VACCINE HEADLINES:

GENERAL VACCINE INFORMATION

• Here’s how we know vaccines are safe and effective
• Drop-in vaccination rate could cause dramatic disease resurgence
• New vaccine chief named by FDA: Critic of drug industry and COVID measures
• Translating what Kennedy’s anti-vax allies hear in his response to measles outbreak
• Experts’ vaccine recommendations will go to ex-prosecutor now at CDC
• Numbers of vaccine hesitant parents rising
• CDC plans large study on autism and vaccines (tinyurl.com/2s4d9c7s) and why this is raising eyebrows

COVID

• Prior COVID vaccination produces strong immune response against new strains
• FDA approves Moderna’s next-generation COVID vaccine for adults 65 or older and at-risk patients 12-64
• Pfizer, Moderna told to update COVID vaccine warning labels
• FDA expands warning for rare heart side effect risk in young males age 16-25

HPV

• ACIP considers single-dose HPV vaccination
• The HPV vaccine is preventing cervical cancer in young women
• Study suggests HPV vaccine may reduce actinic keratoses in seniors

MEASLES

• Measles: A crisis of complacency that was an avoidable public health failure
• US nears tipping point for return of endemic measles
• Measles outbreaks a great risk for pregnant women and newborns
• Kids who don’t get MMR may not get other vaccinations

PERTUSSIS

• Maternal pertussis shots boost immune response in infants

PNEUMOCOCCUS

• Invasive pneumococcal diseases decreased dramatically after PCV13’s introduction

RSV

• RSV vaccine credited with 2024 drop in US infant mortality
• FPs’ role in preventing RSV disease in older adults
• Most babies protected against RSV during first season immunization was available

SHINGLES

• Studies: Shingles vaccine may aid heart, brain health

—

OTHER VACCINE NEWS:

• GENERAL VACCINE INFORMATION
  • Vaccination in the crosshairs: Paul Offit sounds the alarm (tinyurl.com/2852phnh)
  • Utah to let patients supply their own blood products over vaccine concerns (tinyurl.com/mr3e6c55)
  • mRNA vaccines, once a Trump boast, now face attacks from some in GOP (tinyurl.com/58u2zypc)
  • NIH cancelling grants on vaccine research (tinyurl.com/5n6whd54)
  • Louisiana to stop mass vaccine promotion (tinyurl.com/yzcs6626)
  • Minnesota bill against vaccines promotes disinformation (tinyurl.com/ycytu6nx)
• CHIKUNGUNYA
  • Agencies advise: Suspend use of Chikungunya vaccine in adults aged 60+ (tinyurl.com/br953y38)
  • ACIP backs Chikungunya vaccine for travelers, lab workers (tinyurl.com/mw2cfrn9)
• COVID
  • HHS to stop recommending routine COVID shots for children, pregnant people, RFK Jr. ally says (tinyurl.com/4bmknypn)
  • RFK may pull COVID shot from CDC’s vaccine schedule for kids (tinyurl.com/2e5vv3ru)
  • US CDC advisers discuss narrowing use of COVID booster shots this fall (tinyurl.com/357h96az)
  • FDA approves Novavax COVID shot but with unusual restrictions (tinyurl.com/3867trcn)
  • Studies find no association between COVID vaccine and miscarriage risk (tinyurl.com/3kvb5989), major birth defect risk (tinyurl.com/yryzapdc), or amu birth defects (tinyurl.com/yavtt7r5)
  • Children vaccinated against COVID more than 50% less likely to develop long COVID (tinyurl.com/3jcv8fuf); however, children under 5 have a low risk of COVID infection with or without vaccination (tinyurl.com/2p8wrjk5)
  • Researchers describe an extremely rare post-vaccination syndrome after COVID vaccination (tinyurl.com/46jcdzh2)
• COVID AND INFLUENZA
  • Moderna’s combo COVID and flu mRNA shot outperforms current vaccines (tinyurl.com/3cz43ts9)
• H5N1 (Bird Flu)
  • US hasn’t seen a human bird flu case in 3 months. Why? (tinyurl.com/4zn2c5wm)
  • Bird flu cases have slowed in animals and people (tinyurl.com/58v32br4)
  • Will we have a bird flu vaccine next year? (tinyurl.com/5fnfvdh7)
  • CDC study shows possible undetected H5N1 spread (tinyurl.com/2pct3sn3)
• INFLUENZA
  • Flu season claims 216 children, highest death toll since 2009 (ftinyurl.com/3j22mstp)
  • The flu vaccination rate for US children plummeted from about 64% five years ago to 49% this season (ftinyurl.com/3j22mstp)
  • Data from 38 countries support efficacy of flu vaccine (tinyurl.com/ycxjmxde)
  • Flu shots may temporarily lengthen menstrual cycles (tinyurl.com/2t7j64wn)
  • Flu vaccine this season was poorly matched for the worst flu season in a decade (tinyurl.com/2txzf3we)
• MEASLES
  • From UCHealth: Vitamin A and cod liver oil don’t prevent measles. So, what treatments work? (tinyurl.com/44sbe6xa). 
  • From UCHealth: While Vitamin A may be helpful for measles, is not a replacement for vaccination (tinyurl.com/5ctunzvv)
  • US measles cases are most likely underreported (tinyurl.com/bddenpnk)
  • Almost 7 in 10 concerned about measles outbreak (tinyurl.com/4dp32phv), and most parents are eager for their kids to be up to date with the MMR vaccine amid measles fears (tinyurl.com/3uvnh6dy)
  • Communities at center of measles outbreak choose medical freedom over vax mandates (tinyurl.com/4hsnaw85)
  • Measles outbreak sparks APIC’s urgent call for stronger vaccine policies (tinyurl.com/3fhwwenc)
• MUMPS
  • Here’s why Kennedy says the mumps vaccine doesn’t work (tinyurl.com/5ey7vxcb)
• NOROVIRUS
  • FDA halts norovirus vaccine trial after GBS adverse event (tinyurl.com/5czdnewk)
• POLIO
  • European polio cases are cause for concern (tinyurl.com/3nxs3pv6)
• RSV
  • RSV 2024 vaccination rates low in infants, pregnant women, older adults (tinyurl.com/mr49tjr6)
  • Study identifies risk factors for severe RSV in children (tinyurl.com/bdh33nem)
• SHINGLES
  • Shingles vaccine may reduce risk of heart disease and stroke (tinyurl.com/mjuza8ck)
  • Shingles vaccine may help reduce cardiovascular risk (tinyurl.com/mwwr7pj2)
  • Shingles vaccine tied to decreased dementia risk (tinyurl.com/5hcjhbu7)