Pharmacists Instructed to Combat “Mistrust” in Vaccination and Increase Vaccine Uptake
In an interview with Drug Topics, Hashim Zaibak, PharmD, CEO of Hayat Pharmacy, emphasized that all pharmacy employees, including frontline staff like pharmacy technicians and cashiers, must take an active role in building trust with patients and providing clear information about vaccines.1 According to Zaibak, public distrust in routine vaccination, commonly referred to as vaccine […]
Ninth Circuit Court Upholds COVID-19 Shot Mandate
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th circuit rejected a challenge to the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) COVID-19 shot mandate. The Los Angeles public school system is the largest in California and mandated the controversial shot for all employees in 2021.1 The mandate was issued after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control […]
Senate Confirms Susan Monarez as Director of the CDC
(photo courtesy ARPA-H) On July 30, 2025, the U.S. Senate voted 51 to 47 to confirm the nomination of Susan Monarez, PhD to be director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The vote, along party lines, came three weeks after the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) decision […]
Survey Finds Most U.S. Parents, Pregnant Women Reject CDC’s Vaccine Schedule
A survey from researchers at Emory University and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that only 35 to 40 percent of pregnant women and parents of young children in the United States intend to accept all government recommended vaccines.1 The survey was published as a research letter in the JAMA Network […]
Pre-filled Syringe Version of GSK’s Shingles Vaccine Approved by FDA
On July 17, 2025, officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted a license to GSK plc (formerly GlaxoSmithKline) to distribute a pre-filled syringe version of Shingrix (Zoster Vaccine Recombinant Adjuvanted) vaccine to control outbreaks of shingles (herpes zoster) in adults. The pre-filled syringe version of Shingrix was approved for use by adults […]
Nomination of Susan Monarez for CDC Director Advances to Full Senate
(photo courtesy ARPA-H) On July 9, 2025, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) voted 12 to 11 to advance the nomination of Susan Monarez to be director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Monarez, who holds a doctorate degree in microbiology and immunology and has been serving […]