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A coalition of leading US health groups has issued its own vaccination guidance for flu, COVID-19 and RSV, urging the public to get updated shots as federal recommendations have shifted. The guidance covers different age groups and pregnancy status, citing strong scientific evidence of protection against severe disease. The move aims to reduce confusion caused by the lack of updated federal recommendations.
After two public health emergencies in 2022 and 2024 with nearly 190,000 cases across 145 countries, mpox has now appeared in Guinea-Bissau for the first time, raising concerns about severe impacts on children. Disease control measures need to be strengthened, especially in areas with weak health systems.
Pennsylvania reported its first measles deaths in over 30 years, both in unvaccinated individuals. The state has seen 393 cases this year amid a national surge linked to falling vaccination rates.
The WHO announced that the Democratic Republic of Congo will receive 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine from global reserves to combat its largest Ebola outbreak, which has killed nearly 2,500 people. The doses include 20,000 for trials against the Bundibugyo strain, with the rest for frontline workers. The UN and partners are scaling up response efforts amid continued transmission.
The World Health Organization says the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo remains a global health emergency as cases exceed 5,000. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain with no approved vaccine, has killed over 2,320 people and is spreading at an unprecedented rate.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has criticized President Donald Trump for pushing changes to child vaccination policies, warning they ignore 'decades of scientific evidence.' He stressed vaccines, including MMR, are safe and do not cause autism, and that policy must be based on science, not political pressure.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 4,000 cases, becoming the world's second-largest and fastest-spreading outbreak on record. WHO experts recommend large-scale trials of the Ervebo vaccine to test its cross-protection against the Bundibugyo strain.
The U.S. Senate confirmed Erica Schwartz as CDC director on February 4 with a 51-44 vote, marking the first confirmation for the role since 2025. She takes over an agency reeling from staff departures, political pressure, and public health emergencies, including a severe measles outbreak.
At least three Ebola vaccines are being urgently researched and funded as a rare Bundibugyo strain outbreak spreads across East Africa, with hundreds infected and no approved vaccine for this strain. The outbreak began in eastern DRC's conflict-hit Ituri province and has spread to Uganda. While vaccines exist for the more common Zaire strain, none have been approved for Bundibugyo, prompting accelerated trials.
