Latest reports, ordered by publication time.
The CDC says it will move forward with changes to the U.S. childhood immunization schedule after a presidential directive and a review comparing U.S. recommendations with those of peer nations. Officials said vaccines will remain covered by insurance without cost-sharing, while the schedule will be organized into clearer categories.
South Carolina’s measles outbreak has grown to 789 confirmed cases, surpassing the size of Texas’ 2025 outbreak and becoming the largest U.S. outbreak since measles was declared eliminated nationally. Officials say the outbreak remains concentrated in Spartanburg County, with hospitalizations reported and ongoing risk for spread where vaccination rates are low.
South Carolina’s measles outbreak has continued to grow, with state updates highlighting that most infections are among people who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated. Public health officials have relied on quarantine and isolation measures, school exposure investigations, and contact tracing to reduce spread in affected areas. The outbreak has renewed debate about vaccine coverage, the speed of transmission in communities with pockets of low immunity, and the strain placed on local health departments when case counts rise rapidly.
Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente health care workers walked off the job in California and Hawaii in an open-ended strike, with unions citing staffing levels, compensation and patient care delays. The action adds to wider labor pressure across the health sector as hospitals and systems face recruitment and retention strains.
Public health officials say digging out after a major storm can be dangerously strenuous, especially for older adults and people with cardiovascular risk factors. Cold temperatures constrict blood vessels while heavy exertion spikes blood pressure and heart rate, creating conditions linked to cardiac events.
Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente nurses and other health professionals walked off the job in California and Hawaii in an open-ended strike, escalating a labor dispute centered on staffing, wages and working conditions. Kaiser says it has contingency plans to keep facilities operating, while the union argues patient care risks are driving the walkout.
Federal health officials proposed a 0.09% net average increase in Medicare Advantage payments for 2027 and outlined risk-adjustment changes aimed at payment accuracy, setting up a high-stakes lobbying fight and raising questions about plan benefits and premiums.
The American Academy of Pediatrics released recommendations continuing to endorse vaccines against 18 diseases, diverging from a recently slimmed CDC childhood schedule and escalating a rift over U.S. immunization policy.
The CDC’s latest update shows measles cases continuing to climb early in 2026, with most infections linked to outbreaks that began in 2025. Health officials warn that falling vaccination coverage leaves pockets of communities vulnerable, and they urge families to check MMR status and follow public health guidance if exposure is suspected.
The World Health Organization said Ethiopia has ended its first Marburg virus outbreak after 42 consecutive days with no new confirmed cases. Officials credited coordinated response work across surveillance, labs, infection control and community engagement.
The American Academy of Pediatrics released its 2026 vaccine schedule and kept broader recommendations than the CDC, which pared back universal guidance. Pediatric leaders said the AAP schedule reflects decades of evidence and urged parents to discuss concerns with clinicians rather than interpret the split as uncertainty about vaccine safety.
CDC data show influenza activity stayed high into late December, prompting officials to label the 2025–26 season ‘moderately severe’ amid millions of illnesses and continued warnings that flu could remain elevated for weeks.