#epidemicdiphtheria

#epidemicdiphtheria

I am open-minded; I believe in integrative practices, and I agree that the medical establishment can be arrogant and unduly influenced by the pharmaceutical industry, which now funds so much of medical research. But I fully understand Scherer's frustration with his interminable discussions with Kennedy about scientific articles.

The U.S. is no longer part of the World Health Organization. After the Trump administration declared its intention to pull the country out of the global public health agency one year ago, on Thursday it formally followed through, ending its commitment to the organization after 78 years. Withdrawing the U.S. from the WHO was one of Trump's day one priorities. Now, after the required one year notice period, the deed is done.

We now have our first confirmed measles case of 2026 in the Bay Area and the first of 2026 in California as an unvaccinated international traveler apparently brought some back home to San Mateo County. Though first of 2026 may not be that distinct of a deal, considering we saw another new measles case in Contra Costa County when there was still two more days in 2025. [KQED]

The World Health Organization announced in late January that six European countries: the United Kingdom, Spain, Austria, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan had all officially lost their measles elimination status, which means the virus has been circulating continuously in those countries for more than 12 months.

Each day, they pore over reams of data about how the virus is evolving worldwide, how well last year's shot performed, and which strains might be easiest to mass produce for a vaccine. The meeting, convened by the World Health Organization twice a year, is a critical moment for the WHO's Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System.

One type of flu virus, called A H3N2, historically has caused the most hospitalizations and deaths in older people. So far this season, that's the type most frequently reported. Even more concerning, more than 91% of the H3N2 infections analyzed were a new version known as the subclade K variant that differs from the strain in this year's flu shots.

In some counties, vaccination rates increased after the pandemic, which got them past the recommended level of protection. Many more counties decreased their rates though.

We see the percentage of outpatients' visits for influenza-like illnesses (proven influenza cases and not tested but similar cases) in 2025 and the beginning of 2026, compared to the last few years. The current outbreak is represented by a dark red line that is higher than in previous years and is expected to continue rising with the start of school this week.

On Monday the top public health body in the U.S. slashed the number of vaccines recommended for children. The move came just weeks after President Donald Trump ordered health officials to align the country's vaccine schedule with those of peer, developed countries. In practice, this means the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer recommend shots to protect against 17 diseases; instead it will recommend vaccines against 11 illnesses.

Whooping cough is on the rise in the Inland Empire, where Riverside and San Bernardino county officials say numbers are up from previous years. Whooping cough cases have tripled in San Bernardino County, compared to last year, a Thursday, Jan. 8, county news release states. The county had a reported 47 infections in 2025, and no deaths, Francis Delapaz, a San Bernardino County spokesperson, said in a Friday, Jan. 9, email. In 2024, it saw 15 cases.

It's clear that the worst is far from over for the NHS this winter, with hospitals again experiencing a rise in patients admitted with flu and other respiratory virus cases last week.

"What we've identified here could help improve adherence to vaccination quicker if we target the right people," he says.

If you're based in the United States, you've probably gotten used to government bodies issuing nationwide alerts - including ones that relate to public health. These have, historically, been good ways for health-conscious people to know what to look out for and for regional public health experts to develop strategies to help keep potential outbreaks contained.Unfortunately, now both individuals and institutions are reckoning with a big question: what to do when those warnings are much smaller in number?