An Arkansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee report found that 94% of pregnancy-related deaths in the state were preventable. The report, published in December but released to the public April 10, collected data on deaths during or within one year post…
Public Health
Cesarean section rates continued to rise in 2025, reaching a decade-high, while the nation’s fertility rate hit its lowest point in at least 25 years, new CDC data shows. The agency’s National Center for Health Statistics released provisional data on…
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will continue operating under a charter renewed April 1 that expands its focus on vaccine safety and alters member expertise requirements. The updated charter places greater emphasis on vaccine risks and adverse events and…
The CDC has delayed publication of a report on COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness that had been scheduled for March 19, according to an April 9 report from The Washington Post. The report found that vaccinated healthy adults reduced their likelihood of…
As the White House works to steer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. toward politically safer topics ahead of 2026 midterm elections, the HHS secretary said April 8 he plans to launch a health podcast. Citing concerns about unpopular anti-vaccine rhetoric, the…
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The “Cicada” SARS-CoV-2 variant has been identified in 25 states as of mid-February, though federal experts say the true extent of its spread is likely broader. The BA.3.2 variant first emerged in South Africa in late 2024. As of Feb.…
Earlier availability of COVID-19 vaccines in 2024 compared to 2023 may have contributed to higher vaccination rates among healthcare workers, according to an April 2 CDC report. Between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 respiratory seasons, the percentage of healthcare workers who…
A majority of states, territories and major cities in the U.S. are extending their immunization season for respiratory syncytial virus, according to an April 2 report from the Association of Immunization Managers. Of the 66 jurisdictions surveyed by the association,…
The CDC has issued a national health advisory warning that medetomidine — a veterinary sedative not approved for human use — is increasingly being detected in the illicit fentanyl supply, raising the risk of overdose and severe withdrawal syndrome. The…
The new “Cicada” variant identified in more than half of U.S. states may be more likely to infect children than adults, CNN reported April 2. The variant, BA.3.2, earned its nickname because it has largely remained undetected or “underground” —…