I’ve been honored to write a quarterly column, “Vaccine News You Can Use,” for the Colorado Family Physician magazine for several years. Below is Part 2 of my column in the Winter 2026 edition .

Part 1 of my Winter 2026 column in the CAFP journal can be viewed by clicking this link; however, I’ve also posted the articles with links in last week’s blog here.

Below is Part 2 of the column, which was posted online here, but you can see the linked headlines below.

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MORE VACCINE NEWS:

• GENERAL NEWS
  • CDC website no longer rejects autism-vaccine link. New language reflects HHS secretary’s vaccine skepticism (tinyurl.com/5dysccea)
  • “Dangerous:” Medical groups slam CDC changes on vaccines and autism (tinyurl.com/ymcz7dce)
  • Six former surgeons general harshly criticize RFK saying he is endangering the health of the nation (tinyurl.com/2hefh5yw)
  • Poll finds 63% of Americans extremely or very confident in effectiveness of childhood vaccines (tinyurl.com/3hefbuku)
  • Another poll shows support for vaccine availability, access, promotion (tinyurl.com/5hjmkw9b)
  • The high-stakes battle over vaccines and autism could threaten the viability of the vaccine injury compensation program and public trust (tinyurl.com/4e83m9ua)
  • Income disparities affect childhood vaccination rates (tinyurl.com/4cyz5k39)
  • Eight FAQs about vaccination from patients with cardiovascular disease (tinyurl.com/3kbax6cw)
  • RFK endorses religious exemptions for vaccines (tinyurl.com/mvmfwktm)
  • Live-attenuated vaccines safe in kids on dupilumab for atopic dermatitis (tinyurl.com/3v7chckh)
• FUN VACCINE NEWS
  • Australia approves world-first vaccine to save koalas from chlamydia (tinyurl.com/nhrh5hcr)
• CANCER
  • COVID vaccines and cancer risk: experts dissect flawed retrospective study from Korea that proves nothing about COVID vaccines and cancer, experts say (tinyurl.com/2s77wj6m)
• CHIKUNGUNYA
  • FDA yanks chikungunya vaccine over safety concern (tinyurl.com/4nds8vdm)
• COVID
  • Conflicting COVID shot advice likely to push vaccine uptake even lower, experts warn (tinyurl.com/3tjyynyc)
  • Large review backs safety, effectiveness of COVID, flu, and RSV shots (tinyurl.com/32vh7xfs)
  • Universal COVID vaccination saves lives, averts up to 20% of disease burden, estimates suggest (tinyurl.com/bc5hnj5m)
  • Scandinavian study shreds COVID vaccine-myositis link (tinyurl.com/3xd32hrp)
  • As COVID’s severity wanes, vaccines reduce ER visits, hospital stays, and death in VA study (tinyurl.com/3u3s8f5n)
  • Conflicting advice on COVID shots likely to ding already low vaccine rate (tinyurl.com/ezv5utpc)
  • Mom’s COVID shot aided baby, too, large review confirmed. Vaccination during pregnancy was safe for both mom and baby (tinyurl.com/j3juta5r)
  • Long COVID risk lower for vaccinated teens (tinyurl.com/yfnbvkav)
  • COVID vaccination safer for kids’ heart health than infection (tinyurl.com/2prtphc5)
  • First-trimester COVID vaccination not linked to birth defects (tinyurl.com/mrx6u54p)
  • COVID vaccine provides health boost to children with eczema (tinyurl.com/y5fnwyun)
  • mRNA COVID vaccines may improve survival rates in patients with cancer getting immunotherapy (tinyurl.com/5a3n9eka)
  • COVID vaccination reduces risk for multiple infections in children with atopic dermatitis (tinyurl.com/bdfs2s2n)
  • COVID vaccination associated with slight prolongation of the menstrual cycle, particularly among younger women (tinyurl.com/2yka3uuf)

·      COVID AND INFLUENZA

o   Data from 1.25 million pregnancies show maternal COVID vaccination safe and highly effective (https://tinyurl.com/3jjfduc8)

o   FDA scrutinizing practice of administering COVID-19 and flu vaccines together (tinyurl.com/38zn3y6h)

• COVID AND INFLUENZA
  • Data from 1.25 million pregnancies show maternal COVID vaccination safe and highly effective (https://tinyurl.com/3jjfduc8)
  • FDA scrutinizing practice of administering COVID-19 and flu vaccines together (tinyurl.com/38zn3y6h)
• HEPATITIS B
  • Universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth saves lives (tinyurl.com/2nwf25kb)
• HPV
  • HPV vaccine may protect unvaccinated women via ‘herd effect’ (tinyurl.com/4rsd5z4z)
  • We have that potential to eliminate cervical cancer in our lifetimes (tinyurl.com/4rsd5z4z)
• INFLUENZA
  • New virus variant, lagging vaccinations may drive US into severe flu season (tinyurl.com/54msr4bt)
  • mRNA flu vaccine tops standard shot in trial (tinyurl.com/mpcc5ut3)
  • Large review backs safety, effectiveness of COVID, flu, and RSV shots (tinyurl.com/32vh7xfs)
  • CDC puts 2025 flu vaccine effectiveness at 50% (tinyurl.com/37e7mfkc)
  • Two doses of inactivated influenza vaccine associated with improved protection for children younger than 3 years, another review finds (tinyurl.com/4usvm7jr)
  • Starting toddlers under three years of age who have not had a flu shot with two doses at least four weeks apart boosted effectivenes (tinyurl.com/58nmhc6m)
  • High-dose flu shot cuts hospitalizations in older adults (tinyurl.com/39x5zmm6)
  • High-dose flu shot may better protect against heart inflammation (tinyurl.com/2bu4sn43)
• MEASLES
  • Infectious Diseases Update: Measles, Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease Rates Increasing (tinyurl.com/2s4k52b5)
  • CDC links measles outbreak in multiple states, threatening US “Elimination Status” (tinyurl.com/bd5dpzmn)
  • US measles cases at 30-year high with dropping vaccination (tinyurl.com/362vf8sm)
  • Measles outbreak in Utah and Arizona linked to low vaccination (tinyurl.com/cbjths84)
  • Kansas says its measles outbreak has ended (tinyurl.com/32mmxaby)
• MENINGITIS
  • Meningitis vaccines protect kids from both bacterial and viral cases (tinyurl.com/57dh4djf)
• MPOX
  • California Mpox cases raise concerns (tinyurl.com/bp4t38ap)
  • WHO ends public health emergency for mpox (tinyurl.com/2s37p9da)
• PERTUSSIS
  • CDC data show surge in whooping cough cases (tinyurl.com/2v2a4z35)
  • Waning immunity and falling vaccination rates fuel pertussis outbreaks in several states (tinyurl.com/yn87d3cx)
  • Texas reports 11-year high in pertussis cases (tinyurl.com/2s4e8vk7)
  • Mississippi has first pertussis death in 13 years (tinyurl.com/3ay6teb9). There have been five deaths in the US as of June (tinyurl.com/3tveske7).
  • Antibiotic-resistant pertussis spreading in Americas (tinyurl.com/ycxzrpxz)
• RSV
  • CDC reports higher RSV infant and maternal vaccination (tinyurl.com/5wb2hu8j)
  • RSV vaccine 92% effective for older adults, data show (tinyurl.com/msey9dkv)
  • Large review backs safety, effectiveness of COVID, flu, and RSV shots (tinyurl.com/32vh7xfs)
  • Immunizing both mom and baby against RSV appears highly effective and safe for both (tinyurl.com/4nkdaaxf)
  • RSV innovations significantly reduce infant infections driving a ‘stunning drop’ in infant RSV hospitalizations (tinyurl.com/23v2wkn8)
  • RSV vaccination during pregnancy improves infant outcomes with no major maternal side effects (tinyurl.com/2fm6ttpd)
  • Single dose of RSV vaccine may protect older patients for consecutive seasons and cut cardiorespiratory hospitalizations (tinyurl.com/5fzphmkn)
  • However older immunocompromised adults could use an RSV booster shot, study suggests (tinyurl.com/32auwdwd
• SHINGLES
  • Shingles vaccine tied to lower dementia risk (tinyurl.com/ykz7mm9y)
  • Two doses of the recombinant shingles vaccine is ideal, but even a single dose delivered benefits (tinyurl.com/4rbkhuzc)
  • Shingles vaccine tied to drops in heart disease, dementia, death (tinyurl.com/4adp8ubn)

Abbreviations used:

• CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• COVID – COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2
• ER – emergency room
• FAQs – frequently asked questions
• FDA – US Food and Drug Administration
• Flu – influenza
• HHS – US Department of Health and Human Services
• HPV – human papillomavirus virus
• flu – influenza
• MMR – measles, mumps, and rubella
• mRNA – messenger ribonucleic acid
• RFK – Robert F. Kennedy, US Secretary of HHS
• RSV – respiratory syncytial virus
• SARS-CoV-2 – severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
• US – United States

© Copyright WLL, INC. 2026. This blog provides healthcare tips and advice you can trust about a wide variety of general health information only and is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from your regular physician. If you are concerned about your health, take what you learn from this blog and meet with your personal doctor to discuss your concerns.