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Trump, Democrats mark Jan. 6 anniversary separately

On the fifth anniversary of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, there will be no official government memorial. President Donald Trump is meeting privately with House Republicans for a policy forum at the Kennedy Center, while Democrats are holding a hearing and gathering on the Capitol steps to mark the day. The events come as lawmakers and the public reflect on the deadly attack that left five people dead, including law enforcement officers.

Read More...

Jury Seated In Trial of Former Uvalde Officer

A jury has been seated in the trial of a former school police officer accused of mishandling the law enforcement response to the 2022 Uvalde school shooting. Former Uvalde schools officer Adrian Gonzales faces charges of failing to protect children after authorities waited more than an hour to confront the gunman at Robb Elementary. Gonzales is one of two officers charged in connection with the attack that left 19 students and two teachers dead. The trial is expected to draw close attention as it examines the actions of law enforcement during one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.

Read More...

Schumer flip flops on Trump's actions with Venezuela

Schumer Flip Flops on Trump's Actions with Venezuela 

Read More...

Democrats Have Double Standards

Democrats Have Double Standards on Maduro Ousting

Read More...

Health Officials Label U.S. Flu Season Severe

U.S. flu infections surged over the holidays, and health officials are calling it a severe season that is likely to get worse. New government data posted Monday — for flu activity through the week of Christmas — showed that by some measures this season is already surpassing the flu epidemic of last winter, one of the harshest in recent history. The data was released the same day that the Trump administration said it will no longer recommend flu shots and some other types of vaccines for all children. Forty-five states were reporting high or very high flu activity during the week of Christmas, up from 30 states the week before. The higher numbers appear to be driven by the type of flu that’s been spreading, public health experts say. One type of flu virus, called A H3N2, historically has caused the most hospitalizations and deaths in older people. So far this season, that’s the type most frequently reported. Even more concerning, more than 90% of the H3N2 infections analyzed were a new version — known as the subclade K variant — that differs from the strain in this year’s flu shots. Flu seasons often don’t peak until January or February, so it’s too early to know how big a problem that mismatch will be. “The fact that we’ve seen steady increases over the last several weeks without much of a decline or even a flattening would suggest to me that we’ve got the peak ahead of us,” said Dr. Robert Hopkins, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

Read More...

Maduro Was An Illegitimate Leader

Maduro Was An Illegitimate Leader

Read More...

Tim Walz Is Out!

Tim Walz Is Out!

Read More...

Novo Launches Wegovy Weight-Loss Pill For Sale In U.S.

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk is launching its once-daily Wegovy pill in the United States on Monday, offering doses of 1.5 milligrams and 4 mg at $149 per month for self-paying patients in an intensely competitive weight-loss drug market. The pill was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month, a boon to Novo Nordisk as it looks to regain ground lost to U.S. rival Eli Lilly. Lilly has previously said it expects a decision in March for its own weight-loss pill. Novo's pill will also be sold in 9 mg and a higher long-term dose of 25 mg. The two higher doses will be priced at $299 for a month's supply, while the 4 mg dose will rise to $199 from April 15, the drugmaker's website shows. The Wegovy pill could attract new consumers as Novo looks to revive its fortunes after profit warnings and sliding shares last year. The treatment offers more flexibility and an alternative for those who dislike needles used in injectable medication. The once-daily pill is also under review by other regulators, with a UK decision due by year-end. Denmark-listed shares of the drugmaker closed 5% higher on Monday. U.S.-listed shares of Novo were up 4.6%, while Lilly slipped 3.5% in afternoon trading. The success of Novo's pill will be tied to attracting cash-paying consumers who cannot get insurance coverage, a stark shift from the dominant business model where drug pricing is managed through health insurance plans. Novo said the treatment would be available through U.S. pharmacies CVS and Costco, as well as through telehealth providers including Ro, LifeMD, WeightWatchers, GoodRx and its own NovoCare Pharmacy. Shares of the telehealth firms rose between 3% and 14% in afternoon trading. The low 1.5 mg dose is the starter dose for the Wegovy pill, which is made up of semaglutide, the same active ingredient found in its blockbuster injectable weight-loss and diabetes treatments marketed under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic. Novo also offers the 1.5 mg dose for its oral semaglutide drug for type 2 diabetes, sold as Rybelsus. The remaining doses of the Wegovy pill will be available for patients by the end of this week, Novo said. Lilly plans to cap higher doses of its obesity pill, if approved, at $399 a month for repeat cash buyers. Lilly's injectable drug Zepbound has largely been ahead of Novo's Wegovy in weekly U.S. prescriptions over the past year. U.S. list prices for the injectables are about $1,000 per month or more. Both companies have reduced prices of their injectables for customers paying in cash rather than using health insurance. Novo began selling its Wegovy injection at $349 a month to cash payers in November. Under a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump, Novo and Lilly also agreed to offer starter doses of their weight-loss pills at $149 per month for Medicare and Medicaid enrollees, and to cash payers via the White House's new direct-to-consumer TrumpRx site, which is expected to be launched this month. Novo had faced repeated supply shortages after launching its Wegovy injection in the U.S. But having built up supplies for its new pill for some time to prevent similar challenges, Novo said it was confident it could meet supply needs.

Read More...

What Happens Next?

What happens next with Venezuela? 

Read More...

Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah, January 11, 2026

Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah, January 11, 2026

Read More...

Delta Force Pulled Off An Impressive Operation

Delta Force Pulled Off An Impressive Operation

Read More...

President Trump does not play games

President Trump Does Not Play Games

Read More...

Real Life with Jack Hibbs, January 11, 2026

Real Life with Jack Hibbs, January 11, 2026

Read More...

The HHS Recommends Fewer Vaccines For American Children

The HHS Recommends Fewer Vaccines For American Children

Read More...

Hegseth censures Sen. Kelly after video urging troops to resist unlawful orders

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is censuring Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona. In November, Kelly joined five other lawmakers in a video that called on troops to uphold the Constitution and not follow “illegal orders.” Defense Secretary Hegseth said the censure was a “necessary” step toward proceedings that could result in a demotion from Kelly’s retired rank of captain. Kelly responded by calling the move “outrageous” and “wrong.” He said it sends “the message to every single retired servicemember that if they say something [Hegseth] or Donald Trump doesn’t like, they will come after them the same way.”

Read More...

Maduro Pleads Not Guilty To Federal Drug Trafficking Charges

Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro declared himself “innocent” and a “decent man” as he pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in a U.S. courtroom on Monday. “I’m innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the president of my country,” Maduro told a judge. Maduro made his first appearance in an American courtroom Monday on the narco-terrorism charges the Trump administration used to justify capturing him and bringing him to New York. Maduro, wearing a blue jail uniform, and his wife were led into court around noon for a brief, but required, legal proceeding that will likely kick off a prolonged legal fight over whether he can be put on trial in the U.S. His next court date is set for March 17.

Read More...

New York Is In A Real Pickle With Mamdani

New York Is In A Real Pickle With Mamdani

Read More...

Of Course Democrats Are Fuming Over Maduro's Capture

Of Course Democrats Are Fuming Over Maduro's Capture

Read More...

U.S. Cuts Recommendations For 4 Childhood Vaccines Including Flu

The United States ended on Monday its longstanding guidance that all children receive vaccines against flu and three other diseases, a sweeping change that advances one of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s longterm goals. Public health experts warn the latest rollback could lead to preventable hospitalizations and deaths. The action, approved by Acting Director Jim O’Neill of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention without the agency’s usual outside expert review, advances Kennedy’s campaign to pare back childhood vaccinations. Last month President Donald Trump urged the U.S. to “align with other developed nations” by reducing the number of shots for children. Kennedy, a prominent vaccine skeptic, has previously led efforts to drop universal recommendations for COVID-19 and hepatitis B shots for children, citing links to autism that scientists have repeatedly debunked. The action removes the recommendation for rotavirus, influenza, meningococcal disease and hepatitis A, and states that parents should consult healthcare providers under what it calls shared clinical-decision-making. Vaccine experts decried the changes they said put American children at risk. Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, said that there should have been public discussion on the risks and benefits of the potential impact of dropping the recommendations. Dr. Sean O'Leary, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said that the other developed countries face different disease risks and have different healthcare systems than the United States does. Unlike the U.S., which depends on private healthcare, most countries provide basic universal healthcare that is paid for by the government. "Any decision about the U.S. childhood vaccination schedule should be grounded in evidence, transparency and established scientific processes, not comparisons that overlook critical differences between countries or health systems," he said. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt on X described it as a move that would empower parents and physicians to make the best individualized decisions for children while also restoring much-needed confidence in the public health system. For the change in policy, two leading officials of the Department of Health and Human Services, Martin Kulldorff and Tracy Beth Hoeg, reviewed vaccine protocols in 20 other developed countries - all of which have universal healthcare - and made the recommendations to change the U.S. schedule, the agency said. In a report, HHS wrote that the level of risk varies by disease and child. The vaccine schedules of the 20 reviewed countries show that the flu shot is recommended universally in four countries and a shot against hepatitis A is universal only in Greece. The rotavirus shot is recommended for all children in 17 countries and shots against meningococcal disease are recommended in 16 of the countries. Each of the four vaccines prevents diseases that once caused unnecessary hospitalizations and death in children, said Dr. Jesse Goodman, a Georgetown University professor and former FDA chief scientist. For example, flu shots can help prevent pediatric deaths from flu, which killed 288 children in the 2024-25 season, according to the CDC. Hepatitis A, which infects the liver, usually resolves on its own but can lead to hospitalization and lifelong liver damage. Rotavirus, which causes severe diarrhea and dehydration, used to send tens of thousands of children to the hospital each year, but vaccines have made this extremely rare, Goodman said. While meningitis - a bacterial infection of the brain - is rare in children, some 15% of those infected do not respond to antibiotics and die, he said. "If you can safely prevent it, it makes total sense." The updated recommendations maintain immunizations for 11 diseases, including measles, mumps, and varicella, while categorizing others as either targeted for high-risk groups or subject to the shared-decision-making category, HHS said. Insurance providers will continue covering immunization costs regardless of the category, senior HHS officials told reporters on a call. The new schedule also recommends U.S. children receive a single dose of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, rather than a two-dose course. Recent studies have concluded that a single dose is not inferior to the longer course and noted the World Health Organization also backs a single dose schedule. Merck, which makes the only U.S. approved HPV vaccine Gardasil, was not immediately available for comment. The drugmaker has said in the past that since there is not sufficient data for the U.S. FDA to license the shot as a single-dose regimen, the CDC's recommendations should be in line with the agency's approval. Merck had $2.4 billion in U.S. sales from Gardasil in 2024. Shares were up less than 1% at $106.84.

Read More...

U.S. Drops Number Of Vaccines It Recommends For Every Child

The U.S. has taken the unprecedented step of dropping the number of vaccines it recommends for every child -- leaving other immunizations, such as flu shots, open to families to choose but without clear guidance. Officials say the overhaul to the federal vaccine schedule, announced Monday, won’t result in any families losing access or insurance coverage for vaccines, but medical experts are slamming the move, saying it could lead to reduced uptake of important vaccinations and increase disease.

Read More...

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Larry Elder is an American lawyer, writer, and radio and television personality who calls himself the "Sage of South Central" a district of Los Angeles, Larry says his philosophy is to entertain, inform, provoke and to hopefully uplift. His calling card is "we have a country to save" and to him this means returning to the bedrock Constitutional principles of limited government and maximum personal responsibility. Elder's iconoclastic wit and intellectual agility makes him a particularly attractive voice in a nation that seems weary of traditional racial dialogue.” – Los Angeles Times.

Mike Gallagher Mike Gallagher began his broadcasting career in 1978 in Dayton, Ohio. Today, he is one of the most listened-to talk radio show hosts in America, recently having been ranked in the Talkers Magazine “Heavy Hundred” list – the 100 most important talk radio hosts in America. Prior to being launched into national syndication in 1998, Mike hosted the morning show on WABC-AM in New York City. Today, Talkers Magazine reports that his show is heard by over 3.75 million weekly listeners. Besides his radio work, Mike is seen on Fox News Channel as an on-air contributor, frequently appearing on the cable news giant.

Hugh Hewitt is one of the nation’s leading bloggers and a genuine media revolutionary. He brings that expertise, his wit and what The New Yorker magazine calls his “amiable but relentless manner” to his nationally syndicated show each day.

When Dr. Sebastian Gorka was growing up, he listened to talk radio under his pillow with a transistor radio, dreaming that one day he would be behind the microphone. Beginning New Year’s Day 2019, he got his wish. Gorka now hosts America First every weekday afternoon 3 to 6pm ET. Gorka’s unique story works well on the radio. He is national security analyst for the Fox News Channel and author of two books: "Why We Fight" and "Defeating Jihad." His latest book releasing this fall is “War For America’s Soul.” He is uniquely qualified to fight the culture war and stand up for what is great about America, his adopted home country.

Broadcasting from his home station of KRLA in Los Angeles, the Dennis Prager Show is heard across the country. Everything in life – from politics to religion to relationships – is grist for Dennis’ mill. If it’s interesting, if it affects your life, then Dennis will be talking about it – with passion, humor, insight and wisdom.

Sean Hannity is a conservative radio and television host, and one of the original primetime hosts on the Fox News Channel, where he has appeared since 1996. Sean Hannity began his radio career at a college station in California, before moving on to markets in the Southeast and New York. Today, he’s one of the most listened to on-air voices. Hannity’s radio program went into national syndication on September 10, 2001, and airs on more than 500 stations. Talkers Magazine estimates Hannity’s weekly radio audience at 13.5 million. In 1996 he was hired as one of the original hosts on Fox News Channel. As host of several popular Fox programs, Hannity has become the highest-paid news anchor on television.

Michelle Malkin is a mother, wife, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, longtime cable TV news commentator, and best-selling author of six books. She started her newspaper journalism career at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1992, moved to the Seattle Times in 1995, and has been penning nationally syndicated newspaper columns for Creators Syndicate since 1999. She is founder of conservative Internet start-ups Hot Air and Twitchy.com. Malkin has received numerous awards for her investigative journalism, including the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) national award for outstanding service for the cause of governmental ethics and leadership (1998), the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award for Investigative Journalism (2006), the Heritage Foundation and Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity's Breitbart Award for Excellence in Journalism (2013), the Center for Immigration Studies' Eugene Katz Award for Excellence in the Coverage of Immigration Award (2016), and the Manhattan Film Festival's Film Heals Award (2018). Married for 26 years and the mother of two teenage children, she lives with her family in Colorado. Follow her at michellemalkin.com. (Photo reprinted with kind permission from Peter Duke Photography.)

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Trump, Democrats mark Jan. 6 anniversary separately

On the fifth anniversary of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, there will be no official government memorial. President Donald Trump is meeting privately with House Republicans for a policy forum at the Kennedy Center, while Democrats are holding a hearing and gathering on the Capitol steps to mark the day. The events come as lawmakers and the public reflect on the deadly attack that left five people dead, including law enforcement officers.

Read More...

Jury Seated In Trial of Former Uvalde Officer

A jury has been seated in the trial of a former school police officer accused of mishandling the law enforcement response to the 2022 Uvalde school shooting. Former Uvalde schools officer Adrian Gonzales faces charges of failing to protect children after authorities waited more than an hour to confront the gunman at Robb Elementary. Gonzales is one of two officers charged in connection with the attack that left 19 students and two teachers dead. The trial is expected to draw close attention as it examines the actions of law enforcement during one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.

Read More...

Schumer flip flops on Trump's actions with Venezuela

Schumer Flip Flops on Trump's Actions with Venezuela 

Read More...

Democrats Have Double Standards

Democrats Have Double Standards on Maduro Ousting

Read More...

Health Officials Label U.S. Flu Season Severe

U.S. flu infections surged over the holidays, and health officials are calling it a severe season that is likely to get worse. New government data posted Monday — for flu activity through the week of Christmas — showed that by some measures this season is already surpassing the flu epidemic of last winter, one of the harshest in recent history. The data was released the same day that the Trump administration said it will no longer recommend flu shots and some other types of vaccines for all children. Forty-five states were reporting high or very high flu activity during the week of Christmas, up from 30 states the week before. The higher numbers appear to be driven by the type of flu that’s been spreading, public health experts say. One type of flu virus, called A H3N2, historically has caused the most hospitalizations and deaths in older people. So far this season, that’s the type most frequently reported. Even more concerning, more than 90% of the H3N2 infections analyzed were a new version — known as the subclade K variant — that differs from the strain in this year’s flu shots. Flu seasons often don’t peak until January or February, so it’s too early to know how big a problem that mismatch will be. “The fact that we’ve seen steady increases over the last several weeks without much of a decline or even a flattening would suggest to me that we’ve got the peak ahead of us,” said Dr. Robert Hopkins, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

Read More...

Maduro Was An Illegitimate Leader

Maduro Was An Illegitimate Leader

Read More...

Tim Walz Is Out!

Tim Walz Is Out!

Read More...

Novo Launches Wegovy Weight-Loss Pill For Sale In U.S.

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk is launching its once-daily Wegovy pill in the United States on Monday, offering doses of 1.5 milligrams and 4 mg at $149 per month for self-paying patients in an intensely competitive weight-loss drug market. The pill was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month, a boon to Novo Nordisk as it looks to regain ground lost to U.S. rival Eli Lilly. Lilly has previously said it expects a decision in March for its own weight-loss pill. Novo's pill will also be sold in 9 mg and a higher long-term dose of 25 mg. The two higher doses will be priced at $299 for a month's supply, while the 4 mg dose will rise to $199 from April 15, the drugmaker's website shows. The Wegovy pill could attract new consumers as Novo looks to revive its fortunes after profit warnings and sliding shares last year. The treatment offers more flexibility and an alternative for those who dislike needles used in injectable medication. The once-daily pill is also under review by other regulators, with a UK decision due by year-end. Denmark-listed shares of the drugmaker closed 5% higher on Monday. U.S.-listed shares of Novo were up 4.6%, while Lilly slipped 3.5% in afternoon trading. The success of Novo's pill will be tied to attracting cash-paying consumers who cannot get insurance coverage, a stark shift from the dominant business model where drug pricing is managed through health insurance plans. Novo said the treatment would be available through U.S. pharmacies CVS and Costco, as well as through telehealth providers including Ro, LifeMD, WeightWatchers, GoodRx and its own NovoCare Pharmacy. Shares of the telehealth firms rose between 3% and 14% in afternoon trading. The low 1.5 mg dose is the starter dose for the Wegovy pill, which is made up of semaglutide, the same active ingredient found in its blockbuster injectable weight-loss and diabetes treatments marketed under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic. Novo also offers the 1.5 mg dose for its oral semaglutide drug for type 2 diabetes, sold as Rybelsus. The remaining doses of the Wegovy pill will be available for patients by the end of this week, Novo said. Lilly plans to cap higher doses of its obesity pill, if approved, at $399 a month for repeat cash buyers. Lilly's injectable drug Zepbound has largely been ahead of Novo's Wegovy in weekly U.S. prescriptions over the past year. U.S. list prices for the injectables are about $1,000 per month or more. Both companies have reduced prices of their injectables for customers paying in cash rather than using health insurance. Novo began selling its Wegovy injection at $349 a month to cash payers in November. Under a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump, Novo and Lilly also agreed to offer starter doses of their weight-loss pills at $149 per month for Medicare and Medicaid enrollees, and to cash payers via the White House's new direct-to-consumer TrumpRx site, which is expected to be launched this month. Novo had faced repeated supply shortages after launching its Wegovy injection in the U.S. But having built up supplies for its new pill for some time to prevent similar challenges, Novo said it was confident it could meet supply needs.

Read More...

What Happens Next?

What happens next with Venezuela? 

Read More...

Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah, January 11, 2026

Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah, January 11, 2026

Read More...

Delta Force Pulled Off An Impressive Operation

Delta Force Pulled Off An Impressive Operation

Read More...

President Trump does not play games

President Trump Does Not Play Games

Read More...

Real Life with Jack Hibbs, January 11, 2026

Real Life with Jack Hibbs, January 11, 2026

Read More...

The HHS Recommends Fewer Vaccines For American Children

The HHS Recommends Fewer Vaccines For American Children

Read More...

Hegseth censures Sen. Kelly after video urging troops to resist unlawful orders

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is censuring Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona. In November, Kelly joined five other lawmakers in a video that called on troops to uphold the Constitution and not follow “illegal orders.” Defense Secretary Hegseth said the censure was a “necessary” step toward proceedings that could result in a demotion from Kelly’s retired rank of captain. Kelly responded by calling the move “outrageous” and “wrong.” He said it sends “the message to every single retired servicemember that if they say something [Hegseth] or Donald Trump doesn’t like, they will come after them the same way.”

Read More...

Maduro Pleads Not Guilty To Federal Drug Trafficking Charges

Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro declared himself “innocent” and a “decent man” as he pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in a U.S. courtroom on Monday. “I’m innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the president of my country,” Maduro told a judge. Maduro made his first appearance in an American courtroom Monday on the narco-terrorism charges the Trump administration used to justify capturing him and bringing him to New York. Maduro, wearing a blue jail uniform, and his wife were led into court around noon for a brief, but required, legal proceeding that will likely kick off a prolonged legal fight over whether he can be put on trial in the U.S. His next court date is set for March 17.

Read More...

New York Is In A Real Pickle With Mamdani

New York Is In A Real Pickle With Mamdani

Read More...

Of Course Democrats Are Fuming Over Maduro's Capture

Of Course Democrats Are Fuming Over Maduro's Capture

Read More...

U.S. Cuts Recommendations For 4 Childhood Vaccines Including Flu

The United States ended on Monday its longstanding guidance that all children receive vaccines against flu and three other diseases, a sweeping change that advances one of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s longterm goals. Public health experts warn the latest rollback could lead to preventable hospitalizations and deaths. The action, approved by Acting Director Jim O’Neill of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention without the agency’s usual outside expert review, advances Kennedy’s campaign to pare back childhood vaccinations. Last month President Donald Trump urged the U.S. to “align with other developed nations” by reducing the number of shots for children. Kennedy, a prominent vaccine skeptic, has previously led efforts to drop universal recommendations for COVID-19 and hepatitis B shots for children, citing links to autism that scientists have repeatedly debunked. The action removes the recommendation for rotavirus, influenza, meningococcal disease and hepatitis A, and states that parents should consult healthcare providers under what it calls shared clinical-decision-making. Vaccine experts decried the changes they said put American children at risk. Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, said that there should have been public discussion on the risks and benefits of the potential impact of dropping the recommendations. Dr. Sean O'Leary, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said that the other developed countries face different disease risks and have different healthcare systems than the United States does. Unlike the U.S., which depends on private healthcare, most countries provide basic universal healthcare that is paid for by the government. "Any decision about the U.S. childhood vaccination schedule should be grounded in evidence, transparency and established scientific processes, not comparisons that overlook critical differences between countries or health systems," he said. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt on X described it as a move that would empower parents and physicians to make the best individualized decisions for children while also restoring much-needed confidence in the public health system. For the change in policy, two leading officials of the Department of Health and Human Services, Martin Kulldorff and Tracy Beth Hoeg, reviewed vaccine protocols in 20 other developed countries - all of which have universal healthcare - and made the recommendations to change the U.S. schedule, the agency said. In a report, HHS wrote that the level of risk varies by disease and child. The vaccine schedules of the 20 reviewed countries show that the flu shot is recommended universally in four countries and a shot against hepatitis A is universal only in Greece. The rotavirus shot is recommended for all children in 17 countries and shots against meningococcal disease are recommended in 16 of the countries. Each of the four vaccines prevents diseases that once caused unnecessary hospitalizations and death in children, said Dr. Jesse Goodman, a Georgetown University professor and former FDA chief scientist. For example, flu shots can help prevent pediatric deaths from flu, which killed 288 children in the 2024-25 season, according to the CDC. Hepatitis A, which infects the liver, usually resolves on its own but can lead to hospitalization and lifelong liver damage. Rotavirus, which causes severe diarrhea and dehydration, used to send tens of thousands of children to the hospital each year, but vaccines have made this extremely rare, Goodman said. While meningitis - a bacterial infection of the brain - is rare in children, some 15% of those infected do not respond to antibiotics and die, he said. "If you can safely prevent it, it makes total sense." The updated recommendations maintain immunizations for 11 diseases, including measles, mumps, and varicella, while categorizing others as either targeted for high-risk groups or subject to the shared-decision-making category, HHS said. Insurance providers will continue covering immunization costs regardless of the category, senior HHS officials told reporters on a call. The new schedule also recommends U.S. children receive a single dose of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, rather than a two-dose course. Recent studies have concluded that a single dose is not inferior to the longer course and noted the World Health Organization also backs a single dose schedule. Merck, which makes the only U.S. approved HPV vaccine Gardasil, was not immediately available for comment. The drugmaker has said in the past that since there is not sufficient data for the U.S. FDA to license the shot as a single-dose regimen, the CDC's recommendations should be in line with the agency's approval. Merck had $2.4 billion in U.S. sales from Gardasil in 2024. Shares were up less than 1% at $106.84.

Read More...

U.S. Drops Number Of Vaccines It Recommends For Every Child

The U.S. has taken the unprecedented step of dropping the number of vaccines it recommends for every child -- leaving other immunizations, such as flu shots, open to families to choose but without clear guidance. Officials say the overhaul to the federal vaccine schedule, announced Monday, won’t result in any families losing access or insurance coverage for vaccines, but medical experts are slamming the move, saying it could lead to reduced uptake of important vaccinations and increase disease.

Read More...

First ... 120 121 122 123 124 ... Last

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