CDC Changes Recommendations for Six Childhood Vaccines
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced updates to the national childhood vaccine schedule involving six vaccines (rotavirus, COVID-19, influenza, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B) following a presidential memorandum directing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to review and revise its recommendations. The changes clarify which vaccines […]
Supreme Court Revives Religious Exemption in NY Amish Student Case
The U.S. Supreme Court has reversed and remanded a lower court decision to uphold a law that denied Amish children religious exemptions to public school vaccine mandates in New York state. The nation’s highest court vacated the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals opinion and remanded the case back to the lower court with instructions […]
“Universal Flu Vaccine” Unveiled by DHHS
On May 1, 2025, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced plans to develop a universal influenza vaccine that would eliminate the need for annual flu shots and offer protection against other pandemic influenza threats, including bird flu and respiratory disease caused by coronaviruses. The initiative, called “Generation Gold Standard,” will cost […]
NIH Cuts Funding for “Vaccine Hesitancy” Research
Certain areas of research funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) is being reduced or discontinued with the justification that these areas no longer align with the agency’s current priorities. One of the areas in which funding will be cut is millions of dollars in NIH grants for studying vaccine hesitancy and strategies […]
Pfizer Settles Anti-Kickback Violation Claims for Nearly $60 Million
Pfizer, Inc., on behalf of its wholly owned subsidiary Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has paid almost $60 million dollars to settle claims that the pharmaceutical giant engaged in a kickback scheme from 2020 through 2022. Biohaven was charged with knowingly causing false claims to be submitted to Medicare and other health care programs, as well as […]
West Virginia on Track to Expand Childhood Vaccine Exemptions
Newly elected West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, within a day of inauguration, issued an executive order1 to establish a process for religious and conscientious objections to state school or state regulated day care center vaccination requirements. This is great news for families in West Virginia who, up to this point, have only had limited medical […]