|
|||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
Top Stories
Immunize.org Website and Clinical Resources
Featured Resources Notable Publications
Upcoming Events
Top Stories
Immunize.org asks for your feedback once every 2 years! Please take 5 minutes to make your voice heard. Dear IZ Express readers, Immunize.org reviews and updates “Ask the Experts: Vaccine Recommendations,” adding resources for professional medical organizations’ recommendations and schedules Immunize.org revised its Ask the Experts: Vaccine Recommendations web page on January 18 to add resources on healthcare professional organizations’ new recommendations and schedules. Our new Ask the Experts video on what the changes to the 2026 CDC schedule mean for those offering childhood immunizations is included. 
Immunize.org’s Ask the Experts main page leads you to 30 web pages on various topics with more than 1,300 common or challenging questions and answers about vaccines and their administration. Immunize.org’s team of experts includes Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH (team lead); Carolyn B. Bridges, MD, FACP; Iyabode Beysolow, MD, MPH; and Jane Zucker, MD, MSc. Related Links
Back to top
Live-virus chikungunya vaccine (Ixchiq, Valneva) withdrawn from the U.S. market. Non-live chikungunya vaccine (Vimkunya, Bavarian Nordic) is recommended when chikungunya protection is needed. On January 19, the live-virus chikungunya vaccine (Ixchiq, Valneva) was voluntarily withdrawn from the U.S. market. This followed FDA's suspension of the vaccine's license in August 2025 due to serious adverse events identified through United States and international vaccine safety monitoring systems.
After January 31, most regions of the United States may pause RSV vaccination during pregnancy. Keep giving RSV preventive antibody to all susceptible infants through March. In most of the contiguous United States, RSV vaccination (Abrysvo, Pfizer) during pregnancy is paused each year after January 31. This date is based on the typical seasonality of RSV in the continental United States. In these areas, vaccination during pregnancy (between 32 through 36 weeks and 6 days gestation) should resume on September 1. Prenatal care providers in states or territories with different RSV circulation patterns (e.g., Hawaii, Alaska) should look to their state or territorial health departments for specific guidance in their areas.
Measles 2026: South Carolina outbreak growing fast, more than 400 confirmed cases in 14 states since January 1 As of January 22, CDC reported 416 confirmed measles cases in 14 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and Washington since January 1, 2026. South Carolina accounts for 338 of the 2026 cases (81%). South Carolina has reported a total of 700 cases of measles since October. The South Carolina outbreak has spilled over into North Carolina, which has reported 12 measles cases since January 1. CDC only requires reporting of laboratory-confirmed measles cases. Cases without laboratory testing for confirmation are not included in these numbers. Actual numbers of cases are, therefore, higher than confirmed case counts.
Immunize.org offers measles-related resources for the public on several of our affiliated websites:
Nationwide respiratory virus activity reported by CDC is highlighted below.
Level of Respiratory Illness Activity
It’s not too late to vaccinate! Vaccination against COVID-19, influenza, and RSV reduces the risk of severe illness. Administration of RSV preventive antibodies for all infants younger than 8 months who are unprotected is crucial now to provide them immediate protection as RSV activity rises in many communities. Other CDC Respiratory Illness Resources
Related Links
“What Is the Burden of Influenza Disease in the United States?” Watch the 3-minute answer, part of the Ask the Experts Video Series on YouTube.
Our new feature in the Ask the Experts Video Series is titled What Is the Burden of Influenza Disease in the United States? Influenza infects millions of people each year in the United States, which leads to substantial medical visits, hospitalizations, and tens of thousands of deaths, with severity varying by season. Notably, adults age 50 through 64 account for 1 in 5 influenza hospitalizations and deaths, yet in the 2024–25 season, fewer than half were vaccinated. Increasing vaccination, especially among this age group, can substantially reduce the influenza disease burden. Like, follow, and share Immunize.org’s social media accounts and encourage colleagues and others interested in vaccination to do likewise.
These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.
Immunize.org Website and Clinical Resources
This week, we spotlight our “Vaccines A–Z" pages. Each of these 35 pages brings together Immunize.org’s resources on each vaccine-preventable disease. To navigate to the pages, select the "Vaccines & VISs" tab on the main menu. The Vaccines A–Z option opens by default and lists all vaccines alphabetically. The most common types of resources you will find for a vaccine are:
These and other types of content, such as photos, videos, webinars, and Unprotected People Stories may also be available for your selected vaccine. Featured Resources Sanofi's Patient Advocacy Voices podcast episode, “Rebuilding Trust: What the Autism Community Teaches Us About Vaccine Confidence” features Immunize.org’s Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH
Sanofi's podcast series, Patient Advocacy Voices, released an episode titled Rebuilding Trust: What the Autism Community Teaches Us About Vaccine Confidence. In this episode, cohosts Sanofi’s Eric Racine and Heather Entenmann are joined by Danielle Hall, former vaccine education lead, Autism Society of America, and Kelly Moore, MD, MPH, president and CEO of Immunize.org for a conversation on vaccine confidence, trust, and inclusion. Drawing on decades of public health leadership and frontline advocacy work, the conversation explores why the long-debunked myth linking vaccines and autism persists, and why rebuilding trust requires more than facts. The discussion highlights how healthcare experiences, sensory needs, anxiety, and empathy all play critical roles in shaping vaccine decisions, and what advocacy leaders and providers can do differently to better support autistic individuals and their families. Listen to the podcast episode.
This helpful site includes information, tools, and tips for communicating with adults age 65 and older about the burden and severity of influenza. Resources include:
A clinician recommendation is the most important reason why a person will get vaccinated. Check out the updated 65+ Flu Defense website to assist your ongoing efforts in protecting this vulnerable population. Notable Publications
“Vaccinations Among Adults Age 65 and Older: United States, 2024” published by CDC's National Center for Health Statistics
On January 21, CDC's National Center for Health Statistics published a data brief, Vaccinations Among Adults Age 65 and Older: United States, 2024, that contains data from the National Health Interview Survey. The key points appear below.
 Back to top
Commentary: “A Risk to Child Health: Confusion and Concern over Changes to US Vaccine Policy” published in Lancet In its January 20 issue, Lancet published A Risk to Child Health: Confusion and Concern over Changes to US Vaccine Policy. A portion of the commentary by Stanley Plotkin, MD, and Andrew Pollard, FHEA FMedSci, appears below. Back to top
In its January 12 issue, JAMA published High-Dose vs Standard-Dose Influenza Vaccine in Older Adults with Diabetes: A Secondary Analysis of the DANFLU-2 Randomized Clinical Trial. A portion of the key points appear below. Upcoming Events
The Hepatitis B Foundation will host two 1-hour webinars this February on the HepB birth dose. Building Trust at Birth: Improving Hepatitis B Birth Dose and Handling Refusals From HBsAg Positive Mothers at 1:00 p.m. (ET) on February 12, cohosted with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, will highlight the role of HepB in Pennsylvania, focusing on state-specific data and best practices. Participants will learn culturally informed strategies to strengthen communication with families affected by hepatitis B, and support improved uptake of the birth dose, especially in situations involving HBsAg-positive mothers. Virtual: Register for Immunize.org Website Office Hours. Join a 30-minute discussion about our new Official Guidance: Healthcare Professional Organization Schedules content on February 11 at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or February 12 at 12:00 p.m. (ET). Recorded sessions are archived.
To learn simple tips and tricks for using our websites efficiently, please register for our next set of Website Office Hours on Wednesday, February 11, at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or Thursday, February 12, at 12:00 p.m. (ET). The same content will be covered in both sessions. Register today for Immunize.org Website Office Hours (content is the same for both): The archive of previous Website Office Hours content is posted at Immunize.org’s "Webinars & Videos" page. Mark your calendar for future Immunize.org Website Office Hours. |
|||||||||||
|
