More big leadership changes are underway at the CDC, as Director Rochelle Walensky continues to overhaul the public health agency, a process she started last spring. Walenksy sent an email to staff last week that featured a revamped organizational chart in which several offices, including the new data and equity offices, will report directly to the Office of the Director. It also included the c...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said last week it is withdrawing its emergency use authorization of Evusheld, a COVID-19 antibody therapy as a prevention tool, because it is unlikely to be effective against variants that are currently circulating. The FDA said the medication does not neutralize several omicron subvariants including BQ.1, BQ.1.1, BF.7, BF.11, BA.5.2.6, BA.4.6, BA.2.75.2, X...

Winter sports can be dangerous, specifically regarding the risk of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). January is Winter Sports TBI Awareness Month, and now is a good time to remember that a TBI can happen to anyone and that you can help prevent them. TBIs happen when external force impacts the brain, like in a fall or if a hard, flying object hits you in the head. These hard impacts can cause con...

The number of undergraduate public health majors has skyrocketed over the past two decades, according to new research from the University of Minnesota, Johns Hopkins University and the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health that analyzed three different data sets. The study—the first to analyze the popularity of undergraduate public health majors, the demographics of those program...

A synthetic opioid up to 40 times more powerful than fentanyl is scrambling the public health response to the addiction crisis in a growing number of U.S. cities. Nitazine comes in powder, pill and liquid form and requires time-consuming lab work to trace. Often laced into substances that users think is fentanyl or heroin, it's potentially lethal or can cause a more severe onset of withdrawal s...

Debunking misinformation is critical for establishing and increasing vaccine trust, confidence, and equity. ASTHO is hosting “Vaccine Equity: Combating COVID-19 Misinformation” event on February 13, 2023 from 1-2 pm ET. This event will highlight best practices for identifying and dispelling misinformation and discuss ways to assist groups most at risk of being exposed and influenced by misinfor...

NPHIC members are invited to meet virtually with CDC on every fourth Wednesday of the month from 4 to 5 pm EST to discuss situational updates with CDC’s Office of the Associate Director of Communication. Find a recording of the most recent meeting on January 25, along with a transcript and presentation slides directly on our website under NPHIC’s membership tab “Recordings Dashboard” and click ...

In a letter sent to AAP members on January 26, AAP announced new communications research the AAP commissioned with the FrameWorks Institute, a think tank that uses rigorous social science methods to unveil the foundational mindsets and assumptions people hold on numerous issues and empirically based guidance on how to talk about them outside the exam room setting. This new research has yielded ...

The World Health Organization (WHO) keeps a list of viruses and bacteria with pandemic potential. Jill Weatherhead of Baylor College of Medicine says prioritizing diseases is generally based on two factors: their ability to spread and the ability of humans to treat them. The list helps guide scientists, governments and organizations in investing energy and funds to study the pathogens most like...