Polio Vaccine Questioned by Chair of CDC Advisory Committee
In a podcast interview released on Jan. 22, 2026, pediatric cardiologist Kirk Milhoan, MD, PhD questioned the need for the polio vaccine.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dr. Milhoan, who is chair of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), said: As you look at polio, […]
Moderna Secures CEPI Funding for mRNA Bird Flu Vaccine After U.S. Cancels Funding
Moderna secured new funding from an international organization for its experimental mRNA bird flu vaccine after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) pulled back approximately $700 million in previously committed funding last year. The biotechnology company said that it will receive up to $54.3 million from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations […]
CDC Awards $1.6 Million Grant to Study Hepatitis B Vaccination in Newborns
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded a $1.6 million federal grant to Danish researchers to study hepatitis B vaccination in newborns, with a stated focus on determining the optimal timing and delivery of the vaccine routinely administered in the U.S. to infants on their first day after birth. Researchers from […]
CDC Changes Hepatitis B Vaccine Birth Dose Recommendation for Newborns
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stopped recommending that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, marking a significant shift in a policy that has been in place for decades. The change followed a vote by members at a Dec. 5, 2025 meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization […]
European Medicines Agency Issues Support for New Recombinant Pertussis Vaccine
A new pertussis vaccine, which has been designed to be used as a booster and for vaccinating pregnant women, has received “positive regulatory support” from the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP). Marketed under the name VacPertagen, the recombinant pertussis vaccine—formulated with genetically engineered proteins rather than inactivated whole […]
Louisiana Surgeon General Named to No. 2 Post at CDC
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) last week confirmed the appointment of Louisiana surgeon general Ralph Abraham, MD to be principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Abraham, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2015 to 2021 representing Louisiana’s 5th congressional district, will […]