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 Spring 2026 edition .

Part 2 of my Spring 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.

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MORE VACCINE NEWS:

• GENERAL NEWS
  • Multiple national medical organizations strongly favor AAP vaccine schedule over CDC (tinyurl.com/3bsbd3sc)
  • AAP releases 2026 child vax schedule, no longer endorses CDC’s version (tinyurl.com/ywn5jxht)
  • Nonmedical vaccine exemptions on rise across the US (tinyurl.com/5ad272k7)
  • Vaccine hesitancy poses rising challenge for family physicians, AAFP CEO Says (tinyurl.com/ms8sm528)
  • Yet another large study finds no link found between routine childhood vaccines, aluminum adjuvants, and epilepsy risk (tinyurl.com/bdzy7bas)
  • Twelve former FDA chiefs warn against vaccine policy shifts (tinyurl.com/ywebck28)
  • Vaccinating in the shoulder: why needle length matters (tinyurl.com/3ccss3nx)
  • Adult respiratory disease vaccination rates on the decline, below 35% (tinyurl.com/4kc6c5jf)
  • The ins and outs of respiratory virus vaccines for immunocompromised patients (tinyurl.com/3r9hawdn)
• CHIKUNGUNYA
  • Chikungunya vaccine (Ixchiq) pulled from US market amid safety concerns (tinyurl.com/bdf8km4f)
• COVID
  • Study finds updated COVID vaccine has protective effects against severe outcomes, ED and UC visits, and hospital admission (tinyurl.com/4yzx7xvh)
  • AAFP News: COVID vaccines: mRNA vs. non-mRNA for shared decisions (tinyurl.com/3tvusrmw)
  • COVID mRNA vaccine tied to reduced all-cause mortality risk over 4 years, study finds (tinyurl.com/52ytkjzb)
  • COVID shots tied to a lower risk of death from any cause even after removing coronavirus-related deaths from the mix (tinyurl.com/52ytkjzb)
  • COVID vaccines decrease the risk of ED and urgent care visits in children (tinyurl.com/5xwrjte4)
  • COVID vaccines reduce severe outcomes in veteran study (tinyurl.com/mr2hxu57)
  • A dozen former FDA leaders lambast claims by current FDA vaccine chief that COVID vaccines caused ten children’s deaths (tinyurl.com/4zya79zu)

·      HEPATITS B

• • ”They’ve just gotten it wrong’: vaccine shift raises fears of hepatitis A, B surges (tinyurl.com/yh5dnh99)
  • CDPHE recommends continued universal hepatitis B vaccination for all Colorado newborns (tinyurl.com/3kw9pzwe)
  • FPs’ role for infants stays the same after ACIP’s Hep B vote (tinyurl.com/nm7j22te)
  • Resurrecting a global killer: ACIP’s Hep B vote was our best way to beat it (tinyurl.com/4s6tkcu6)
  • Delaying Hep B vaccine in infants carries significant risks, report warns (tinyurl.com/4m69p7z6)
  • ACIP drops the strongly evidence-based, three-decade old recommendation for Hep B shot at birth (tinyurl.com/5dttj5v6)
• HPV
  • Here’s where experts stand on Kennedy cutting HPV vax to one dose (tinyurl.com/yn3haz3j)
  • HPV vaccine uptake is too low for herd immunity (tinyurl.com/3xu64k78)
  • HPV vaccine reduced risk of high-grade vulvovaginal precancers by 37-55% (tinyurl.com/4kyr939e)
  • Two more reviews find HPV vaccine safe, effective at preventing cervical cancer (tinyurl.com/yp5fmf8s)
  • One dose of HPV vaccine as effective as two – trial supports WHO recommendation for single-dose vaccination to achieve higher coverage (tinyurl.com/menbesc8)
• INFLUENZA
  • FDA calls for new febrile seizure warning on flu shots (tinyurl.com/5c3v63fb)
  • The unusual symptoms to watch for with new flu variant, Subclade K, hitting with severe symptoms (tinyurl.com/34z782kz)
  • CDC data show surge of flu cases (tinyurl.com/3dsf7v6y)
  • Maternal influenza and Tdap vaccination linked to fewer infant hospital and emergency visits (tinyurl.com/ms8vjpwp)
  • Trial: mRNA flu vaccines more effective than quad (tinyurl.com/49ehnabd)
  • Influenza vaccination between ages 40-50 not associated with increased Parkinson’s risk, study finds (tinyurl.com/33e267s4)
• LYME
  • Uptick in Lyme Disease underscores need for return of human vaccine (tinyurl.com/ye2xjsu8)
• MEASLES
  • Senior CDC official: Loss of measles elimination status in US would be the ‘cost of doing business’ (tinyurl.com/mr92een4)
  • US is on the verge of losing its measles elimination status (tinyurl.com/yz46cf5h)
  • US hits 2,000 measles cases for first time in more than 30 years (tinyurl.com/ayvbpztk)
  • Yale maps US measles outbreak (tinyurl.com/26uyk8f6)
• MENINGITIS
  • Physicians warn meningitis deaths could rise as teen vaccination rates fall (tinyurl.com/4zt4sjsc)
  • ACIP supports pentavalent meningococcal vaccine use when MenACWY and MenB are indicated at the same visit (tinyurl.com/marfbcjn)
  • The epidemiology of meningitis has changed dramatically with vaccine advances (tinyurl.com/bdhsyktv)
• MMR
  • Tardy primary vaccines predict the kids most likely to miss their MMR shots (tinyurl.com/ms74s2sm)
• OSTEOARTHRITIS
  • IL-6 vaccine shows early benefit in knee osteoarthritis (tinyurl.com/55nabkk8)
• PERTUSSIS
  • Maternal influenza and Tdap vaccination linked to fewer infant hospital and emergency visits for flu and whooping cough (tinyurl.com/ms8vjpwp)
  • US records nearly 28K whooping cough cases this year (tinyurl.com/mtp74fvk)
  • DTaP vaccination rates falling across US as states report increases in whooping cough (tinyurl.com/2pajx9ph)
• POLIO
  • ACIP chair questions need for polio vaccine, and draws swift rebuke (tinyurl.com/2auztk5r)
• ROTOVIRUS
  • If parents skip rotavirus vaccine, more kids will be hospitalized (tinyurl.com/4uehbjhj)
• RSV
  • More than 1 In 4 US adults have risk factors for severe RSV amid limited vaccine uptake, study suggests (tinyurl.com/2a2r8zn3)
  • Interim safety data reassure on RSV vaccine in pregnant women (tinyurl.com/2emxetem)
  • Nirsevimab is highly effective at preventing RSV-associated ICU admission, acute respiratory failure among infants one year or less (tinyurl.com/3552xpzw).
  • Nirsevimab might top maternal vax for infants’ RSV protection (tinyurl.com/5bruh4k7).
  • Note: all infants aged < 8 months entering their first RSV season should receive nirsevimab if they have not been exposed to maternal RSV vaccination more than 2 weeks before birth.
  • Studies: RSV vaccine protection wanes over time (tinyurl.com/uj9twpm5)
• SHINGLES
  • Shingles vaccine tied to dramatic drop in dementia deaths (tinyurl.com/mv4her7v)
  • Shingles vaccine may reduce risk of developing dementia, yet another study finds (tinyurl.com/5n8b654t)
• TETANUS
  • As tetanus vaccination rates decline, doctors worry about rising case numbers (tinyurl.com/bdf955vh)

Abbreviations used:

• AAFP – American Academy of Family Physicians
• ACIP – Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices
• CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• CDPHE – Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
• COVID – COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2
• DTaP – tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccine for children 6 years and younger
• ED – emergency department
• FDA – US Food and Drug Administration
• Flu – influenza
• FPs – family physicians
• Hep B – hepatitis B
• HPV – human papillomavirus virus
• ICU – intensive care unit
• MenACWY – meningococcal disease caused by serogroups A, C, W, and Y
• MenB – meningococcal disease caused by serogroup B
• MMR – measles, mumps, and rubella
• mRNA – messenger ribonucleic acid
• RSV – respiratory syncytial virus
• WHO – World Health Organization

© 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.