Two things are now at the top of my mind:<\/p>\n
Download the pre\u2013RFK Jr. routine childhood vaccination schedule. My sister asked me for this, so I figured you and your family may want it too. Stick to this as best you can; more changes are likely coming. Here is the schedule before RFK started messing with it: <\/p>\n
Remember: the U.S. is not Denmark. Our health system, population, and infrastructure differ in ways that matter when people suggest simply \u201ccopying\u201d another country\u2019s routine vaccination schedule. Roughly 80% of health outcomes are shaped by socioeconomic, environmental, and behavioral factors\u2014not just medical interventions. And many of these factors are subpar in the U.S. I wrote about this in the context of Covid-19 vaccines a few years ago, and the same logic applies to routine childhood vaccinations.<\/p>\n
The percentage of people with coughs, fevers, and sore throats\u2014what epidemiologists call influenza-like illness\u2014is rising sharply. Rates just crossed the epidemic threshold for the season, though a bit later than usual.<\/p>\n
This is when I start masking in crowded indoor spaces like airports. Yes, well-fitted masks work<\/a>. This is a physics question with a clear answer. And I\u2019ll take all the protection I can get\u2014I\u2019d love to not miss upcoming school performances, work travel, and some fun family events.<\/p>\n Right now, the common cold is still driving most of the stuffy noses, though it\u2019s starting to decline. Flu is taking off, although not more than usual. (We still have our eyes on this new flu strain. It\u2019s really impacting the UK right now.) Covid-19 levels are stalled at low levels for now.<\/p>\n RSV is still struggling to take off this year, which is good news for babies and pediatric hospitals. We don\u2019t yet know whether it\u2019s simply delayed, inherently weaker, being crowded out by flu, or reflecting increased protection from pregnancy vaccination and infant monoclonal antibodies. Nonetheless, we\u2019ll celebrate this quiet season. <\/p>\n CDC has finally begun publishing vaccination data for this season. I trust this information because the states manage it, and I know many of the CDC scientists who collate and review it\u2014they would flag any changes made for ideological reasons. Although the data is about two months late, it should now be updated every Wednesday. Here\u2019s what we\u2019re seeing.<\/p>\n Covid-19 vaccination rates are down 21\u201339% compared to last year. Specifically:<\/p>\n I\u2019m especially worried about older adults. Only 32%<\/a> of people 65+ have received the new Covid-19 vaccine\u2014a 20% drop from last year. For comparison, the U.K. is at 61% <\/a>for this age group.<\/p>\n This is our most vulnerable population. As people age, their immune systems don\u2019t \u201cremember\u201d viruses as efficiently. This is due to a combination of factors, including a higher prevalence of chronic conditions and waning immune memory\u2014both antibody levels and T cell responses. <\/p>\n Flu vaccination rates for children continue to slide. Since 2019, pediatric vaccination has fallen in a steady, stepwise pattern, and this year looks particularly concerning, with only 35.8% <\/a>of children vaccinated\u2014a 23% drop compared to 2019 at the same time.<\/p>\n Adult vaccination rates are largely unchanged from previous years\u2014still below the Healthy People 2030 target of 70%, but not showing additional decline.<\/p>\n These disappointing numbers aren\u2019t surprising. It\u2019s been a rocky year for vaccines given federal disarray, confusing and changing eligibility communications from RFK Jr.\u2019s CDC, a lack of federal vaccination campaigns, waning concern about Covid-19, and lower circulating virus levels, all of which add up to reduced urgency and low uptake.<\/p>\n What this means for you: With low vaccination coverage now, we could be facing a more severe hospitalization season as winter transmission ramps up. Get vaccinated. It\u2019s not too late. <\/p>\n A new report<\/a> from Migrant Clinicians Network and Physicians for Human Rights shows how deportation fears are shaping health behaviors. The findings are heartbreaking and entirely preventable.<\/p>\n This chilling effect is well documented<\/a>: fear of deportation or legal consequences keeps families from seeking care. But now we are seeing it in real time at a massive scale: 84% of surveyed health care workers report significant or moderate decreases in patient visits since January 2025 executive orders on immigration.<\/p>\n Specifically: <\/p>\n Families are declining surgeries, ER visits, and specialty care. A California physician reported: \u201cI have had multiple parents decline visits with specialists, including delaying surgery, because of the fear of immigration enforcement in the destination city or on the way there.\u201d<\/p>\n Kids are afraid to play outside. One physician in Massachusetts described this: \u201cI have pediatric patients that are flagging in the obese range for weight and when we talk about playing in parks and getting other forms of exercise the parents note that they are not leaving their apartments for fear of encountering ICE. Their children suffer the double trauma of fear of family separation and immigration enforcement as well as lacking a safe place to play and exercise and other healthy outlets for children.\u201d<\/p>\n Children, some as young as six, are showing up to clinics alone, carrying anxiety and trauma. A physician from Illinois noted \u201cchildren coming to ED by themselves as parents await outside.\u201d<\/p>\n Families are avoiding insurance or SNAP renewal, viewing it as a \u201ctrap.\u201d One community health worker in North Carolina stated: \u201cWe are increasingly alarmed that the children of immigrants may soon lose access to vital programs like SNAP and Medicaid, not because they are ineligible, but because their parents are being targeted and surveilled when attempting to complete these applications on their behalf.\u201d<\/p>\n What this means for you: There\u2019s a lot that we can all do, including educators and clinicians, to support the needs of these children. See a helpful list here. <\/a><\/p>\n There have been changes to the Hep B vaccine recommendations, and not for the better. Read more here:<\/p>\n Marisa over at YLE New York covered a lot, but the most exciting news: New York City just beat its own life expectancy goal, 5 years early! Read about it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Matt over at YLE California covered how San Francisco is taking on the nation\u2019s first lawsuit against major food manufacturers over ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Read about it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n YLE has partnered with Dewey, an organization that creates search and Q&A tools from searchable libraries of information. Together, we\u2019re training a chatbot on all YLE content so your questions can be answered faster and more reliably.<\/p>\n We need your help! We want the YLE community to test, shape, and refine the chatbot. Curious? Please fill out this short survey<\/a> to get involved and help make the chatbot as useful and accurate as possible.<\/p>\n A lot is shifting fast\u2014from vaccines to virus trends to families avoiding care\u2014but staying informed, getting vaccinated, and showing up for one another is how we keep our communities safer this winter.<\/p>\n Love, YLE<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/dd7016d1-6404-42d9-bf90-2cd2f21bac90_1330.jpeg\")
<\/a>% of visits for influenza-like illness. Source: CDC<\/a>; Annotated by Your Local Epidemiologist.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/612054a7-16eb-47d1-88bb-f0afd4d1f827_1480.jpeg\")
<\/a>Weekly percent of tests positive for respiratory viruses reported to NREVSS. Source: CDC<\/a>; Annotated by Your Local Epidemiologist<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/196469d6-7954-4283-88f4-3729641f9aa0_910x.jpeg\")
<\/a>Percentage of adults and children with the Covid-19 vaccine. Source: CDC CovidVaxView<\/a>; Annotated by Your Local Epidemiologist.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/https:\/\/substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/public\/images\/f7b6c28e-3d90-4090-8d98-3d680f2f3620_1426.jpeg\")
<\/a>Flu vaccination rates for pediatrics (under 18). Source: CDC<\/a>; Annotated by Your Local Epidemiologist. <\/p>\n