Cdc

• Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent anti-vaccine voice, praised President Trump's nomination of Dr. Erica Schwartz as CDC Director and expressed his intention to work with her to restore the agency's mission. • Kennedy's public endorsement of the pro-vaccine nominee marked a sharp reversal from his previously hard-line stance on CDC leadership and sparked significant backlash among MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) loyalists online. • The shift comes amid congressional scrutiny of Kennedy's conflicting rhetoric on measles vaccination safety during a Thursday hearing, as measles outbreaks rise across the U.S.

Current and ex-officials at the CDC warn Americans’ health security in danger under RFK Jr’s directionFourteen months after Robert F Kennedy Jr was sworn in as US health secretary, the country’s prime public health agency over which he presides is in a state of disarray.Eighty per cent of the top director positions at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stand vacant, with no permanent leader to drive policies affecting the health of millions of Americans. No one is in place to coordinate the agency’s day-to-day work fighting infectious disease, combatting heart conditions or screening for cancer. Continue reading...

Schwartz was deputy surgeon general under Trump’s first administration and is a rear admiral in the US Coast GuardDonald Trump announced Thursday that he has selected Erica Schwartz to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bringing to an end a months-long search for a permanent head of the troubled public health agency.Trump revealed his choice on Truth Social, saying: “I am pleased to announce the new leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is my Honor to nominate the incredibly talented Dr Erica Schwartz, MD, JD, MPH, as my Director of the CDC,” he wrote. “She is a STAR!” Continue reading...

• 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.

• Between 2009 and 2023, the US recorded at least 402 tetanus cases with 37 deaths, primarily among those unvaccinated or overdue for boosters. • None of the fatalities involved individuals with three or more doses of tetanus-containing vaccine, highlighting booster importance every 10 years. • The analysis underscores ongoing risks from this bacteria despite effective vaccines, with many cases in people lacking full primary series.

• CDC data reveals sexually transmitted disease rates fell among US adults last year, but congenital syphilis in newborns kept increasing. • This trend highlights persistent challenges in prenatal screening and treatment access for at-risk pregnant women. • Rising newborn syphilis threatens infant health outcomes, prompting calls for enhanced public health interventions.

• The CDC has suspended dozens of diagnostic tests as part of agency downsizing, disrupting testing capabilities for critical infectious diseases including rabies and mpox. • The testing pause has left pharmacists and state health departments scrambling to identify alternative diagnostic pathways and coordinate emergency responses. • Public health officials and pharmacy professionals have raised alarms about the implications for disease surveillance, outbreak detection, and timely clinical decision-making.

• As of March 24, 2026, CDC estimates national COVID-19 Rt at 1.05 (range 0.93-1.32), indicating epidemic not changing with 71% probability. • Infections growing or likely growing in 2 states, declining in 34, stable in 11; ED visits at very low 0.3%. • Weekly ED visit percentage remains minimal, informing ongoing public health monitoring and policy.

Study that reportedly found reduction in ER visits and hospitalizations being reviewed by Jay BhattacharyaA Trump administration appointee has delayed publication of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that shows benefits related to the Covid vaccine, leading to concerns that the administration is engaging in behind-the-scenes tactics to undermine vaccines.Research by CDC scientists found that the Covid vaccine cut the likelihood of emergency room visits and hospitalizations for healthy adults last winter by about half, according to reporting from the Washington Post. The acting CDC director, Jay Bhattacharya, reportedly delayed the report’s publication due to concerns surrounding the research’s methodology. Continue reading...

• A norovirus outbreak struck five cruise lines departing from US ports between April 6-7, 2026, sickening 1,237 passengers and 157 crew with vomiting and diarrhea. • Ships including Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas and Carnival's ships reported attack rates up to 12%, with Florida and California ports most impacted. • CDC attributes surges to post-winter travel rebound; experts warn of 20 million annual US cases costing $5.5 billion, urging hand hygiene.

• The CDC temporarily halted testing for rabies and pox viruses—including those for smallpox and mpox—to assist state labs, as part of an agency-wide review started in late 2024. • By July, the rabies team will have only one advisor left for states, while the pox virus team will have none due to dwindling staff from resignations and layoffs. • Experts express concern over reduced clinical expertise, potentially weakening national responses to outbreaks.

• The CDC posted its first large set of genetic data from 1,000 measles viruses circulating in the US last year, with more data expected soon to assess if elimination status has been lost. • In 2025, measles cases reached 2,285 across 44 states—the worst in over 30 years—while 2026 has seen 1,575 cases by late March amid declining vaccination rates. • Delays in data release stemmed from mass layoffs and resignations; researchers criticize the Trump administration's budget cuts and slow outbreak response.

Federal agency, which normally supports state and local public health labs, has been hobbled by staff departuresSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US federal agency responsible for monitoring diseases has temporarily halted certain diagnostic testing, including those for rabies, human herpesvirus and several other infectious illnesses.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a list on Monday showing that more than two dozen types of testing are now unavailable. Continue reading...

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed an E. coli outbreak with illnesses in several states including Texas and Florida, over half affecting children under age 5 as of March 27, 2026. • Three people hospitalized and one developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a dangerous kidney infection, amid ongoing investigations into the source. • The outbreak underscores vulnerabilities in food safety systems, particularly for young children, prompting heightened surveillance and public alerts.

Trump has yet to nominate a permanent CDC director and the Senate confirmation of his pick for top doctor is in limboSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe Trump administration’s “Make America healthy again” (Maha) agenda appears to be stalled as two of the government’s most influential public health positions sit empty.The president has yet to nominate a permanent director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), leaving a leaderless agency that has been plagued by turmoil for the past year. At the same time, Trump’s controversial pick for surgeon general, Casey Means, remains in limbo as her nomination stalls in the Senate. Continue reading...

• Thousands of CDC employees have been laid off over the past year, leaving the agency in chaos amid funding cuts and the aftermath of a deadly shooting at its Atlanta headquarters last summer. • Insiders express concerns that the incoming Trump-nominated director will further erode trust in the agency as measles outbreaks escalate and vaccine policies face resistance. • The nominee is expected to be announced on Truth Social by Wednesday, inheriting a hollowed-out leadership structure marked by yearlong turmoil.

• On March 18, 2026, the CDC released a notice finding insufficient evidence to add Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane (Anti-GBM) Glomerulonephritis to the List of WTC-Related Health Conditions after receiving a petition from the WTC Health Program Administrator. • The decision highlights ongoing evaluations of conditions potentially linked to 9/11 exposures for covered responders and survivors. • This ruling impacts thousands of WTC Health Program participants seeking coverage for emerging renal diseases.

• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) hospitalizations declined 42% in the week ending March 20, 2026, compared to the peak surge in February, according to CDC surveillance data. • The decline follows the introduction of the first RSV vaccines approved for adults over 60 and high-risk populations, with over 8 million doses administered since January. • RSV typically causes severe disease in infants and older adults; the new vaccines represent a major breakthrough after decades of failed vaccine development efforts.

• A federal judge on Monday blocked HHS from implementing vaccine policy changes made by RFK Jr.'s revamped CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), reversing all recent decisions. • The ruling leaves unresolved the status of the RSV vaccine for infants, potentially making it no longer free for children who need it, as its inclusion was authorized by the current advisers. • Public health experts are scrambling to understand ramifications, with health groups concerned about unintended harms and weakened vaccination recommendations for hepatitis B and COVID-19.

CDC interim analysis from September 2025 to February 2026 shows this season's flu vaccine effectiveness at 22-34% against outpatient visits for adults and 30-41% for those 65+, with hospitalization protection at 30-31%, due to H3N2 strain mismatch. The season saw 27 million illnesses, 350,000 hospitalizations, and 22,000 deaths, lower than last year's peaks but with 101 child deaths, 85% unvaccinated. Despite flaws, experts like Dr. William Schaffner stress shots prevent severe outcomes, with adult rates at 46.5%. Vaccination campaigns will target improved strains for next season.

CDC studies from September 2025 to February 2026 estimate flu vaccine effectiveness (VE) at 22-34% against influenza A/B outpatient visits for adults and 30-41% for those 65+, with 30-31% against hospitalizations. Patrick Maloney, PhD, from CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, led the analysis. Low VE underscores need for improved formulations amid slumping protection. Findings inform next season's vaccine development.

A University of Pennsylvania Annenberg survey reveals only 11% of Americans would follow CDC over American Academy of Pediatrics on vaccine recommendations, signaling severe public health alarm fatigue. RFK Jr.'s leadership gutted the childhood immunization schedule from 17 to 11 vaccines, terminated $500 million in mRNA research contracts, and oversaw 2,200 measles cases with three deaths in 2025, risking loss of elimination status achieved in 2000. CDC trust plummeted from 75% to 60% in one year due to political leadership, though two-thirds still trust career scientists. Protocols are shifting as 77% prefer AAP guidance on vaccinations.