PHCC Offers New Graphics and Messaging for the 2025-26 Respiratory Illness Season
Public Health Communication Collaborative (PHCC) offers new social media graphics and messaging for public health communicators to support community preparation for the 2025–26 respiratory virus season, running November through April. Available in English and Spanish, these resources help explain respiratory virus prevention, updated vaccine eligibility, and the importance of COVID-19 and other…
New Blood Test Detects HPV-Associated Head and Neck Cancer 10 Years Early
A new federally funded study demonstrates that a liquid biopsy called HPV-DeepSeek can detect HPV-associated head and neck cancers up to 10 years before symptoms appear. HPV causes roughly 70% of these cancers in the U.S., yet no screening test previously existed. Using whole-genome sequencing and machine learning, HPV-DeepSeek identifies microscopic fragments of HPV DNA in the blood with high…
CDC’s Flu Vaccination Recommendations Published
CDC has released its 2025–26 flu vaccination recommendations, urging everyone 6 months and older to get vaccinated, ideally by the end of October, though efforts should continue while flu viruses circulate. Updates include FDA approval of FluMist for self- or caregiver administration and expanded use of Flublok for ages 9 and up.
ACIP advises single-dose, thimerosal-free formulations for chil…
Mississippi Declares Public Health Emergency Over Rising Infant Mortality Rate
The Mississippi Department of Health has declared a public health emergency in response to alarming infant mortality rates, with 9.7 deaths per 1,000 births in 2024—the state’s highest rate in over a decade and more than 60% above the national average. Since 2014, more than 3,500 Mississippi infants have died before their first birthday.
State health officials outlined strategies including expanding prenatal and postpartum care, addressing maternity care deserts, increasing access to community health worker programs and home visits, and promoting safe sleep education. Public health leader…
FDA Says IV Saline Shortage is Over
The FDA announced that the longstanding shortage of sodium chloride 0.9% intravenous (IV) saline, ongoing since 2018, has now been resolved. The shortage worsened after Hurricane Helene flooded a key Baxter manufacturing plant, responsible for 60% of the nation’s supply, forcing hospitals to ration IV fluids and delay elective procedures.
This situation exposed vulnerabilities in the U.S. medical supply chain, which relies heavily on a few manufacturers due to stringent sterility standards and low market incentives. The FDA continues to collaborate with producers and monitor other IV flui…