Category: Drugs
MPOX CASES ON THE RISE IN KING COUNTY
In September of this year, 45 new cases of mpox were reported in King County residents. This is the highest number of cases in a month since the initial mpox outbreak in King County in 2022. Increases in the number of mpox cases have also been reported in Chicago, San Francisco and New York.
HOW TO GET THE COVID VACCINE IN KING COUNTY
Getting a COVID shot this fall might look a little different from state to state, but here in Washington, it’s pretty simple: all people ages 6 months and up can get the updated (2025-26) COVID vaccine. Here’s what you need to know.
What parents need to know about Tylenol, autism and the difference between finding a link and finding a cause in scientific research
As a father of a child with level 2 autism – meaning autism that requires substantial support – and a statistician who works with such tools as those used in the association studies cited by the White House, I find it useful to think about the nuances of association versus causation in observational studies. I hope that this explanation is helpful to parents and expecting parents who, like me, are deeply invested in the well-being of their children.
More states protect access to the COVID shot as feds restrict eligibility
For decades, states have followed the lead of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on which vaccines Americans should get, and when they should get them. Now, rejecting the antivaccine stance of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., an increasing number of states say they will rely instead on their own public health experts and professional medical organizations for that advice.
Denmark close to wiping out leading cancer-causing HPV strains after vaccine roll-out
Denmark has effectively eliminated infections with the two biggest cancer-causing strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) since the vaccine was introduced in 2008, data suggests.
What does Florida’s decision to end vaccine mandates mean for the US and other countries?
And the damage won’t be limited to Florida. Mobile Americans will spread disease to other states and other countries. Even a visit to Disney World will come with increased risks.
Washington State DOH order allows most residents to get COVID vaccine without prescription
The vaccine remains covered by most private insurers, Apple Health, and Washington’s Adult Vaccine and Childhood Vaccine Programs, removing barriers and helping people stay healthy.
How RFK Jr.’s misguided science on mRNA vaccines is shaping policy − a UW vaccine expert examines the false claims
As a vaccinologist who has studied and developed vaccines for over 35 years, I see that the science behind mRNA vaccine technology is being widely misstated. This incorrect information is shaping long-term health policy in the U.S. – which makes it urgent to correct the record. – Deborah Fuller, University of Washington
As Florida plans to end all vaccine mandates, Western states form vaccine alliance
The contrasting moves come amid turmoil at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where several top leaders resigned last week to protest efforts by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, to dismiss CDC Director Susan Monarez for pushing back against Kennedy’s vaccine policies.
At CDC, Worries Mount That Agency Has Taken Anti-Science Turn
HHS Director Robert F. Kennedy, Jrs’ move to put his stamp on the CDC means states that have long relied on the agency’s expertise and help in crises such as disease outbreaks will largely be left to fend for themselves
Washington, California and Oregon to offer independent immunization recommendations
In response to recent federal actions that have undermined the independence of the CDC and raised concerns about the politicization of science, Washington, California and Oregon Washington are beginning the process to provide evidence-based unified recommendations to their residents regarding who should receive immunizations and to help ensure the public has access and credible information for confidence in vaccine safety and efficacy.
As Measles Exploded, Officials in Texas Looked to CDC Scientists. Under Trump, No One Answered.
“CDC hasn’t reached out to us locally,” Katherine Wells, the public health director in Lubbock, Texas, wrote in a Feb. 5 email exchange with a colleague two weeks after children with measles were hospitalized in Lubbock. “My staff feels like we are out here all alone,” she added.
Pediatricians’ association recommends COVID-19 vaccines for toddlers and some older children, breaking with CDC guidance
For 30 years, vaccine recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have aligned closely with those from the American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP. But on Aug. 19, 2025, the AAP published new vaccine recommendations that diverge from those of the CDC.
The pediatrician association’s move comes on the heels of unprecedented changes made earlier this year by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as head of the Department of Health and Human Services, in how the government approves and issues guidance on vaccines.
Despite federal shift, state health officials encourage COVID vaccines for pregnant women
Experts say the federal shift puts the onus on state health agencies to ramp up vaccine guidance and outreach. Clinicians and public health organizations are trying to dispel misinformation and make sure information reaches low-income people and people of color, who had higher maternal death rates during the pandemic.