The CDC issued a new Health Alert Network (HAN) health advisory highlighting increases in recent animal rabies activity and associated human exposures across the United States. Reports of animal exposures and rabies post-exposure vaccinations have increased during summer 2026, prompting CDC to urge clinicians and health departments to conduct careful, evidence-based risk assessments. People…

The Museum of Science, Boston, and SENDRIL are offering a six-month, stipend-supported fellowship to help public health experts and other science professionals strengthen their digital communication skills. The 2026–27 Public Health Science Communication Fellowship provides training, mentorship, and opportunities to develop sustained public-facing content. Fellows will work alongside establis…

A story NPR published last year on the HIV epidemic in an Indigenous community in Panama has won an Indigenous Media Award, recognizing reporting that brings attention to a public health challenge shaped by barriers to care and persistent stigma. Hundreds of Indigenous people in the Ngäbe-Buglé territory are living with HIV, despite free prevention and treatment medication. Limited sexual edu…

CDC has posted interim clinical guidance for the 2026–2027 flu season, with updated recommendations for vaccine selection, timing and use. This season’s FDA-licensed influenza vaccines contain three updated components from last season, while annual vaccination remains recommended, ideally by the end of October, with efforts continuing while flu viruses circulate.   People 65 and older, p…

Missed last week’s CDC/NPHIC communication call? The recording and presentation materials are now available. The August call featured updates and resources on measles communications, Folic Acid Awareness Week, the Overdose Prevention Data Channel, and the Suicide Prevention Communication Playbook, along with safe storytelling resources from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. NPHI…

Clear, actionable communication is especially important as respiratory virus season approaches and new vaccine recommendations are issued. The Public Health Communications Collaborative’s (PHCC) new Guide to Developing a Public Health Press Release: Tips and Template gives public health communicators a practical starting point for developing effective press releases. The guide covers key step…

HPV vaccination coverage among U.S. adolescents has stalled for the fourth consecutive year, leaving uptake well below national prevention goals. In 2025, 63.4% of teens ages 13–17 completed the HPV vaccine series, compared with the Healthy People 2030 target of 80%; 77.7% received at least one dose, down from 78.2% in 2024. HPV coverage also remained lower than Tdap and MenACWY vaccination…

Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. are declining, while CDC’s new Overdose Prevention Data Channel provides a centralized view of fatal and nonfatal overdose trends. From April 2025 through March 2026, the predicted provisional number of drug overdose deaths was 67,798—a 12.3% decrease from the previous year. The channel integrates data from the National Vital Statistics System, Nonfatal Drug O…

A cyclosporiasis outbreak that sickened more than 11,000 people across 20 states and caused two deaths exposed how limited public health surge capacity can disrupt routine services during a major foodborne illness event. Cases in Washtenaw County, Michigan, rose from a handful daily in late June to 80 per day by mid-July, forcing public health staff to pause vaccinations and restaurant inspec…