COVID-19 Daily Case Average Rises 13.3% While Hospitalizations Continue Declining

• President Trump issued an Executive Order directing the Department of Health and Human Services to expedite access to treatments for patients with serious mental illness. • The FDA is accelerating its review process for mental health therapies in response to the directive. • This policy shift aims to reduce barriers to treatment approval and expand therapeutic options for affected patients.

• A multiyear international campaign is underway to repair damage to childhood immunization efforts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. • The initiative focuses on restoring vaccination rates that declined during the pandemic period across multiple countries. • Public health experts view this effort as critical to preventing resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases in vulnerable pediatric populations.

• The Trump administration will require all 50 states to explain their plans to revalidate Medicaid providers as part of a national escalation of anti-fraud efforts, announced by Dr. Mehmet Oz on Tuesday. • This marks a significant expansion from previous anti-fraud initiatives that have largely focused on specific states rather than a nationwide mandate. • The move aims to strengthen program integrity and reduce fraudulent claims across the Medicaid system.

• President Trump signed an executive order directing federal regulators to fast-track FDA review of psychedelic drugs including psilocybin and ibogaine for treating depression, anxiety, and PTSD. • The order allocates $50 million in federal funds to states implementing or developing psychedelic treatment programs as part of a federal-state partnership initiative. • Trump highlighted that over 14 million American adults have serious mental illness, with approximately 8 million on prescription medication, framing psychedelics as addressing a national mental health crisis including suicide prevention.

• The FDA announced it will issue national priority vouchers for three psychedelic drugs next week, marking the first time the agency has fast-tracked any psychedelics for review under Trump's executive order on mental health reform. • The vouchers can compress FDA review timelines from several months to just weeks, according to FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, if the drugs align with national priorities. • Trump's order directs $50 million in federal funding to states developing psychedelic treatment programs and establishes a federal-state partnership for technical assistance and data sharing.

• The FDA announced the first ibogaine investigational new drug application as part of Trump's mental health executive order accelerating psychedelic drug approvals and research pathways. • HHS will coordinate with the FDA and DEA to expedite research approval and clinical trial access for emerging mental health treatments under strict medical supervision and scientific oversight. • The initiative specifically targets treatment-resistant conditions and addresses mental health needs among veterans and patients who have not responded to conventional therapies.

• President issues executive order on April 18, 2026, to speed medical treatments for serious mental illness using psychedelic drugs including ibogaine compounds. • Order highlights clinical studies showing potential for patients with persistent conditions unresponsive to standard therapies. • Directs federal agencies to prioritize research, approvals, and access to innovative mental health interventions nationwide.

• President Donald Trump announced Dr. Jennifer Shuford, Texas' top public health official and infectious disease physician, as his nominee for CDC chief medical officer on Thursday via Truth Social. • Shuford oversaw the country's largest measles outbreak in 30 years; other nominees include Dr. Erica Schwartz as CDC director, Sean Slovenski as deputy director and COO, and Dr. Sara Brenner as senior counselor to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. • The appointments aim to reshape CDC leadership amid ongoing public health challenges in the US.

• CDC data indicates 71 per 100,000 emergency room visits for tick bites in the most recent week, highest in Northeast followed by Midwest, Southeast, West, and South Central. • Rising tick activity signals increased Lyme disease and other vector-borne risks as warmer weather extends season. • Public health experts warn of prevention needs amid Northeast ER surge.

• CDC data shows 3.6 million US births in 2025, a 1% decline from 2024, with fertility rate at 53.1 births per 1,000 women ages 15-44, down 23% since 2007. • Trump administration downplays contraception in Title X grants, mentioning it once as overprescribed with side effects, amid efforts to reverse birth decline. • High maternal mortality of 17.9 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2024, with 4 in 5 pregnancy deaths preventable, contrasts lower risks of contraception.

• CDC reports rotavirus circulating at high levels nationwide, with 73.8% of US children vaccinated against the highly contagious virus causing severe diarrhea in infants. • Health experts attribute the late-season surge to vaccine hesitancy, noting the Trump administration's past efforts to remove rotavirus vaccine from childhood schedules. • Cases are life-threatening for kids, prompting warnings as emergency room visits remain elevated beyond typical seasonal peaks.