Cases of a rare tick-borne illness have been on the rise in the United States in recent years, decades after the disease was first identified in 1958. 
Powassan virus is a potentially fatal disease transmitted by the bite of an infected woodchuck tick or deer tick. The virus can cause symptoms such as weakness, fever, headache, and vomiting, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/about/index.html">according</a> to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 
There are currently no treatments or vaccines for Powassan virus.
The CDC also said it can cause meningitis or encephalitis. As the illness progresses, severe symptoms can include seizures, confusion, difficulty speaking, and loss of coordination.
The first known case of Powassan, named after a town in Ontario, was in 1958 when a 4-year-old boy named Lincoln Byers fell ill and died from an unidentified virus. Years later, researchers identified the same virus in a tick collected from a dead squirrel, helping establish the source of the infection, the Boston Globe reported. 
Even though the virus is rare, reported cases in the United States <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/powassan/data-maps/historic-data.html">increased</a> in recent years, and headlines have featured cases from New Jersey and New Hampshire, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2026/06/28/powassan-virus-disease-is-rise-us/">according</a> to the Washington Post. A CDC chart shows reported cases increased from seven in 2015 to 76 in 2025.
Most infections occur during the late spring through mid-fall, when tick populations are the most active. 
“One of the most dangerous aspects is its rapid transmission,” Dr. Jorge P. Parada, a Chicago medical adviser at the National Pest Management Association, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health/rare-tick-borne-virus-turns-deadly-fast-us-cases-reach-record-high-experts-warn">told</a> Fox News Digital. 
“Powassan can be transmitted in as little as 15 minutes after the infected tick bites, while Lyme disease usually requires a 36- to 48-hour attachment time for transmission.”

Lone Star Tick

Record-High Cases Of Rare Tick-Borne Virus Reported Across U.S.

Ticks

A French doctor tested positive for Ebola after returning home from a humanitarian mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the French Ministry of Health said on Wednesday. 
A list of passengers that the patient was in contact with on the Air France flight is being reported to the health authorities, <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/france/20260624-france-confirms-first-ebola-case-in-doctor-returning-from-dr-congo-mission">according</a> to France 24, and the risk of a wider outbreak appears to be relatively low. The low risk, particularly in France and across Europe, is attributed to better access to hygiene and generally cleaner and less cramped living conditions.
The infected doctor was isolated when he arrived in France before he was officially diagnosed, the health ministry <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj9gzr9rdjlo">said</a>. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s office said he is monitoring the situation “very closely.”
Ebola is a rare but sometimes fatal illness with early symptoms that may include fever, aches, pains, and fatigue. As the illness progresses, symptoms may shift to &#8220;wet&#8221; symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting, and unexplained bleeding, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/about/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Ebola is often spread through contact with bodily fluids.
This strain of Ebola is known as Bundibugyo — which is rare and does not have a vaccine or treatments — but is typically less deadly. The fatality rate for the Bundibugyo strain is around 25%, just half of the Ebola average fatality rate of 50%. This is the first Ebola case detected in France, and the only one reported outside of Africa during this current outbreak. 
The 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC was declared on May 15 after there were several deaths in the eastern Ituri province.
Last week, it was revealed that the first line of defense against Ebola had collapsed. The number of infected has risen faster for this outbreak of Bundibugyo than any past Ebola outbreak on record, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/situation-summary/index.html">according</a> to the CDC. Around 781 people are infected, and 267 are dead, making this the second-largest outbreak the DRC has ever faced, but Oxfam said the true number is most likely much higher. 
Some cases in the North Kivu province have only been identified as Ebola after the patient has died, meaning they were unaware they had the illness and could not take any precautions. 
The DRC’s water infrastructure and contact tracing programme are at a breaking point. People do not have access to clean water or hygiene facilities. In Ituri, the worst-affected area, only one in five health centers has access to enough clean water. 
Health experts believe the risk for a worldwide outbreak is relatively low due to the low contagiousness of the virus.
The CDC has not reported any outbreaks in the United States.

Health Officials Race To Contain Deadly Ebola Outbreak In Congo

Historic Ebola Outbreak Hits New Continent

Democratic Republic of Congo

Ebola

France

Nara Organics baby formula was recalled from stores nationwide and online on Saturday after a multi-state outbreak of infant botulism.
Three infants ranging from 2-5 months old from California, Washington, and Pennsylvania became ill with botulism after they were fed Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Infant Formula. The infants were hospitalized and treated with BabyBIG (Botulism Immune Globulin Intravenous), which is an IV medication created from the blood plasma of people immunized against botulism. There have been no deaths, the CDC <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2026/infant-botulism-outbreak-linked-to-powdered-infant-formula-june-2026.html">reported</a>.
Infant botulism occurs in babies under 1 year old who swallow Clostridium botulinum spores, which settle in the immature intestinal tract and produce botulinum neurotoxins. This leads to symptoms such as constipation, poor feeding, ptosis (drooping eyelid), sluggish pupils, low muscle tone, difficulty sucking and swallowing, weak or altered cry, generalized weakness, respiratory difficulty, and possibly respiratory arrest, <a href="https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/nara-organics-recalls-all-lots-nara-infant-formula-because-possible-health-risk">according</a> to the FDA. Even though infant botulism is rare, it can be fatal.
“We believe in taking the strongest possible measure to protect the safety of babies. That’s why we quickly decided, in an abundance of caution, to voluntarily recall all Nara Organics infant formula currently available in the U.S.,” Nara Organics <a href="https://nara.com/pages/nara-organics-recall-information?srsltid=AfmBOoq0YgeNSd_YJ2MVk5K-oarj3G9Pxve9n4Wcs8Zped0KhzXsuAgj">said</a>. 
The CDC advised all parents who have any Nara Organics products to either return them or throw them away. It also told parents to take a picture of the lot code and use-by date, consider keeping any opened formula for state health department testing, and seek immediate medical attention if their baby develops symptoms. If no symptoms emerge after a month, parents can throw the leftover formula away.
As of June 13, no Nara Organics formula has tested positive for C. botulinum. 
This case <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-infant-botulism-infant-formula-november-2025?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">follows</a> ByHeart’s Whole Nutrition Infant Formula recall in November 2025, when a botulism outbreak affected 48 babies from 17 different states after being fed the formula. As of June 10, 2026, last year&#8217;s recall is still in place, <a href="https://byheart.com/pages/important-recall-information?srsltid=AfmBOoq9kcbjfHOFy3cLa2AF9SkHROtLOc3A-zE4G6guFCOO46EyO589">according</a> to ByHeart&#8217;s recall information page. 
“The safety and well-being of every infant who uses our formula is our absolute highest priority,” <a href="https://byheart.com/pages/in-response-to-a-broader-fda-investigation-byheart-initiates-a-voluntary-recall-of-two-batches-of-infant-formula">said</a> Mia Funt, ByHeart&#8217;s co-founder and president. “We take any potential safety concern extremely seriously, and act quickly to protect families. As parents ourselves, we understand the concern this news may raise.&#8221;

Mother holding her baby in her arms

Parents Urged To Check Formula After Babies Develop Rare Illness

baby formula

Nara Organics

The recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/worries-spread-as-ebola-outbreak-hits-grim-milestone?row=0&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;rowType=Web+Search+Overlay">Ebola outbreak</a> in Africa has received a lot of media attention in recent weeks, but there is a potentially deadlier pandemic sweeping across Africa: cholera. 
According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/situation-summary/index.html">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>, officials have confirmed 115 deaths out of 598 confirmed cases of Ebola outside the U.S. since the outbreak started in early May. In comparison, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has <a href="https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/all-topics-z/cholera/surveillance-and-disease-data/cholera-monthly">reported</a> 3,596 new cholera cases and 176 deaths in Africa since the end of April. 
The reason cholera is underreported is that the disease has affected Africa and parts of Asia for centuries. 
Cholera is one of the world&#8217;s deadliest diseases and has swept the globe with seven pandemics since its discovery, according to the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cholera">World Health Organization</a>. The current outbreak has lasted for 65 years since starting in Southern Asia and has since gone worldwide.
“Researchers estimate that there are 1.3 to 4.0 million cases and 21,000 to 143,000 deaths from cholera worldwide each year,” the WHO reported.
The symptoms of cholera can be even more painful and more quickly lead to death than Ebola symptoms.
Cholera is a disease that triggers rapid, uncontrollable diarrhea that can cause severe dehydration, internal organ failure, and death of infected patients within hours if left untreated.
Ebola, on the other hand, causes internal bleeding. It can take between 2 and 21 days for an infected person to begin showing symptoms, and symptoms can continue for weeks.
Though Ebola does have a higher fatality rate than cholera, studies show that treatment in the United States can significantly lower the chance of death.
“Death rates [for Ebola] drop sharply with intensive supportive care, the kind that keeps patients hydrated and their blood pressure and oxygen stable,” <a href="https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/articles/news/commentary/how-worried-should-you-be-about-ebola">UC Berkeley Public Health</a> reported. &#8220;During the 2014 West Africa outbreak, mortality ran 40 to 70 percent across affected countries; for the small number of patients evacuated to Europe and the U.S., it was closer to 20 percent.”
Ebola, unlike other viruses such as COVID-19, is not airborne but spreads through contact with a contaminated person’s bodily fluids. In Africa, the disease has spread rapidly due in part to local burial customs that dictate that a whole tribe should bury the dead.
Cholera spreads through contaminated water. Thus, while Ebola spreads from person to person, entire villages can contract cholera at the same time due to using a single source of contaminated water.
Cholera has also been increasing in Africa in recent years. Conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, along with earthquakes and natural disasters, have harmed the water infrastructure in Africa, causing more people to resort to cholera-infested sources.
“Reported cholera cases rose by 5% and deaths by 50% in 2024 compared to 2023, with more than 6000 people dying from a disease that is both preventable and treatable,” the WHO <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/12-09-2025-cholera-kills-more-people-for-second-consecutive-year-while-prevention-and-treatment-available">stated</a>. “Conflict, climate change, population displacement, and long-term deficiencies in water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure continue to fuel the rise of cholera.”

TOPSHOT-SUDAN-CONFLICT-HEALTH-CHOLERA

The Pandemic Nobody’s Talking About — And It’s Not Ebola

Africa

Disease

Pandemic

World Health Organization

Two foreign nationals employed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were charged Tuesday with smuggling monkeypox into the United States and lying to federal law enforcement. 
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, Vincent Munster, 53, a Dutch citizen and chief of the Virus Ecology Section at the NIH’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Montana, and Claude Kwe, 38, a Cameroonian national and NIH research fellow, were charged with conspiracy to smuggle monkeypox into the United States from the Republic of Congo and giving false statements to federal investigators.
Both men face a maximum sentence of five years in prison if convicted.
The two men worked at a Biosafety Level 4 laboratory, the highest level of biological containment used to study the world&#8217;s most dangerous pathogens.
Federal authorities claim the pair arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on January 25 after traveling from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, where a monkeypox outbreak was ongoing. Customs and Border Protection officers reportedly questioned the men after noticing they were transporting a large black plastic case.
According to investigators, Munster and Kwe told officers the case contained diagnostic and testing equipment. Authorities later determined the case allegedly contained 113 biological vials packed inside Styrofoam coolers.
Federal investigators said testing on 20 of the vials found that 17 contained deactivated monkeypox virus, one contained chickenpox virus, and two contained human DNA.
“These NIH experts apparently broke our laws by smuggling viral pathogens on a packed commercial airplane from an outbreak in the Republic of Congo. Let that sink in,” U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. said in a statement.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, monkeypox is a viral disease that spreads primarily through close physical contact with infected people, animals, or contaminated materials. While most infected individuals recover, children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems face a <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9468204/">greater risk</a> of severe illness. The CDC says the virus does not spread through casual contact or through the air in places like classrooms, offices, or pools.
Outbreaks of monkeypox have been ongoing in Central and Eastern Africa since late 2023. The CDC says the global clade IIb monkeypox outbreak that began in 2022 has resulted in more than 100,000 cases across 122 countries.
Since November 2024, the United States has recorded more than 20 laboratory-confirmed clade I monkeypox cases, according to the CDC. Officials say those infections involved travelers returning from affected regions in Africa or Europe, or individuals linked to recent travelers.
FBI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan said the allegations were “serious” and involved “dangerous and unlawful smuggling” along with attempts to mislead federal agents.
“No researchers should believe their positions, credentials, or professional status place them above the law,” Runyan added.
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General also condemned the alleged conduct, warning that attempts to conceal biological materials could place the public at risk.
“We have zero tolerance for anyone who attempts to exploit our research frameworks, circumvent our border enforcement processes, or deceive investigators,” said CBP Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon.

BURUNDI-HEALTH-VIRUS-MPOX

Leftist Scientists Caught Sneaking 113 Vials Of Monkeypox Into America

Crime

Health

Monkeypox

Over a dozen Americans arrived in Nebraska on Monday morning for monitoring after being trapped on board a cruise ship during a hantavirus scare. 
The State Department airlifted 17 American citizens from the Dutch ship M.V. Hondius after their vacation was disrupted by fears of the Andes strain of the hantavirus. The Department of Health and Human Services said that one passenger had tested positive for the virus while another showed mild symptoms.
HHS <a href="https://x.com/HHSGov/status/2053656580118216985">said</a> Sunday that “two of the passengers traveling in the plane&#8217;s biocontainment units out of an abundance of caution. One passenger currently has mild symptoms and another passenger tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus.”
The passengers were transported to the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center at the University of Nebraska in Omaha. The passengers are expected to be quarantined for 42 days while they undergo testing. 
“Upon arrival at each facility, each individual will undergo clinical assessment and receive appropriate care and support based on their condition,” HHS said. 
The person who tested positive for the virus had no symptoms, according to Nebraska Medicine. 
“The passenger who is going to the Biocontainment Unit tested positive for the virus but does not have symptoms,” Nebraska Medicine said. “They were managed separately from other passengers during transport using appropriate biocontainment measures. They will be monitored in the Biocontainment Unit out of an abundance of caution and follow-up testing will be performed.”
During an update on Monday, health officals from HHS and Nebraska Medicine reiterated that there is a &#8220;very low&#8221; risk to the public from the virus and explained more about what it meant that one of the passengers tested &#8220;mildly positive&#8221; for the virus.
Centers for Disease Control official Brendan Jackson said that testing positive for the virus was a &#8220;range&#8221; and that there had been a positive and negative test.
&#8220;There&#8217;s sort of a range,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We want to just want to make sure there&#8217;s further testing to evaluate that at this point more.&#8221;
The arrival of the passengers in Nebraska comes after days of uncertainty aboard the ship, which had effectively been stranded at sea while governments and health agencies coordinated where passengers could safely disembark and quarantine.
The passengers are being monitored for symptoms like fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, and general malaise.
The ship <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hantavirus-stricken-cruise-ship-docks-in-canary-islands-whats-next-for-passengers">docked</a> in the Canary Islands on Sunday and Spanish health officials said that evacuation efforts were “proceeding normally” as passengers were escorted off the vessel in small groups under strict biosecurity measures. Travelers wore face masks and protective coverings while hazmat-suited crews transported them directly to quarantine flights waiting at Tenerife Airport.
At least nine confirmed or suspected cases have now <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2026-DON600">been linked</a> to the outbreak, including three fatalities. Officials believe the outbreak likely began after an elderly Dutch couple contracted the virus during travel in Argentina before boarding the cruise ship. The husband later died aboard the vessel, while his wife became seriously ill after leaving the ship and died in South Africa. Another passenger, a German national, also died after developing symptoms.
The Centers for Disease Controls said last week that “the risk to the American public remains extremely low.&#8221;

TOPSHOT-SPAIN-HEALTH-HANTAVIRUS-ILLNESS-TOURISM

Hantavirus Outbreak Linked To Cruise Ship Is Officially In The United States

Department of Health and Human Services

Nebraska

Virus

Los Ángeles Mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt vowed to bring in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) if elected, saying it would be necessary to rid the streets of &#8220;medieval diseases.&#8221;
Pratt, speaking with David Friedberg on &#8220;The All In&#8221; podcast, said that he&#8217;d give the lawless in L.A.&#8217;s streets &#8220;three weeks, or maybe we&#8217;ll even do two weeks, maybe people will want it faster&#8221; before he set to work cleaning things up.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 JUST IN: LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt announces Los Angeles criminals and homeless degenerates will have 2-3 WEEKS after he gets into office before MASS ARRESTS ensue
&#8220;First 3 weeks: signups, no nakedness, no drug use, no robbing, no dog abuse.&#8221;
Love this guy MORE AND… <a href="https://t.co/exoqW3j28e">pic.twitter.com/exoqW3j28e</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2053600568938291544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;First three weeks, signs up across the city: &#8216;No more nakedness, no more drug use, no more robbing, no more —'&#8221; Pratt began.
&#8220;No more burning dogs in the street,&#8221; Friedberg interjected, referencing reports that dogs had been abused in the streets.
&#8220;— No more dog abuse,&#8221; Pratt agreed. &#8220;Very — on every sign, everywhere, so that — and we&#8217;re going to go around, we&#8217;re going to warn everybody, &#8216;you got three more weeks of this, clock&#8217;s ticking,&#8217; just keep telling — so that people are aware that, oh wow, there&#8217;s a new mayor in town.&#8221;
&#8220;They may start leaving,&#8221; he added with a shrug. &#8220;And then when the three weeks, or maybe we&#8217;ll even do two weeks, maybe people will want it faster. And then once we start enforcing the laws, BOOM! Streets will be back.&#8221;
&#8220;You know how else I&#8217;m going to bring in? The CDC, because there&#8217;s medieval diseases in these encampments. They&#8217;re not swabbing these encampments, they&#8217;re not swabbing the streets! People are just living in feces and drug use and dogs burning, and body — we need these streets cleaned!&#8221;
Pratt sparred with current Democratic Mayor Karen Bass and Democratic socialist city council-member Nithya Raman over how to deal with the issue of homelessness, and both of them argued in favor of offering treatment and beds at city expense. Pratt <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/reality-tv-star-spencer-pratt-obliterates-leftist-policies-in-heated-l-a-mayoral-debate">pushed back</a>, citing statistics indicating that many of L.A.&#8217;s homeless were abusing drugs.
Speaking specifically to Raman, he volunteered to go with her to offer treatment to homeless people in the city, and warned they were likely to attack her rather than accept her help.

Spencer Pratt Visits “Fox & Friends”

Spencer Pratt Promises To Bring In CDC To Rid City Of ‘Medieval Diseases’

Homelessness

Los Angeles

Politics

Spencer Pratt

WASHINGTON—A civil rights group this week reached a sweeping settlement with the federal government, which will stop agencies from pressuring social media companies to remove or suppress lawful speech.
The New Civil Liberties Alliance announced Tuesday that it had reached a consent decree on behalf of its clients in the case Missouri v. Biden, a long-running case in which the plaintiffs alleged the Biden administration worked with big tech platforms to censor users with opinions it viewed as disagreeable — largely conservatives who deviated from the accepted orthodoxy on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the consent decree, federal entities, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Office of the Surgeon General, are prohibited from threatening or coercing platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube over content moderation decisions. The agreement also bars officials from directing or vetoing those decisions. 
The settlement is awaiting final approval from U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty. 
The case centers on claims that federal officials coordinated with social media companies to suppress viewpoints that conflicted with government messaging on COVID-19 and other politically sensitive topics. Plaintiffs, including Dr. Aaron Kheriaty and activist Jill Hines, argued that such actions amounted to unconstitutional government censorship carried out through private intermediaries.
NCLA attorneys said discovery in the case revealed what they described as a broad effort spanning multiple agencies and senior officials.
 “This case began with a suspicion that blossomed into fact,” said John Vecchione, a senior litigation counsel with the group. “Freedom of speech has been powerfully preserved by our clients.”
The legal fight has taken multiple turns over the past several years. <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/06/justices-side-with-biden-over-governments-influence-on-social-media-content-moderation/">In 2024</a>, the Supreme Court vacated a lower court injunction that had restricted government contacts with social media companies, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked standing at that stage of the case. Despite that setback, the lawsuit continued in district court, ultimately leading to the current agreement.
The settlement also reflects a broader policy shift under the Trump administration, which had previously condemned federal involvement in content moderation. In an early executive order, President Donald Trump criticized what he described as government infringement on Americans’ speech rights. As part of the agreement, the administration acknowledges that labeling speech as “misinformation,” “disinformation,” or “malinformation” does not remove First Amendment protections.
NCLA President Mark Chenoweth said the outcome reinforces a core constitutional principle.
“Federal officials may police the line between lawful and unlawful speech,” Chenoweth said, “but they have no role in deciding if speech is true or false.” The plaintiffs are granted authority to enforce the consent decree if violations occur, giving the agreement ongoing legal weight beyond the initial ruling.
The settlement marks one of the most significant legal developments to date in the ongoing debate over the government’s role in moderating online speech, an issue that has drawn increasing scrutiny from courts, lawmakers, and the public as social media platforms have become central to political discourse.
NCLA said related lawsuits targeting federal agencies and officials over similar allegations remain ongoing.

President Biden Holds NATO Summit News Conference As Questions Surround His Candidacy

Biden’s Social Media Censorship Campaign Is Finally Dead

Biden Administration

COVID-19

Free Speech

Surgeon General

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, head of the National Institutes of Health, will reportedly be the next interim head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The former acting head of the agency, Jim O’Neill, was dismissed from the post last week as part of a larger restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Services under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. O’Neill will instead be tapped to head the National Science Foundation, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/18/bhattacharya-cdc-director-oneill-rfk-00786582">Politico</a>.
Bhattacharya&#8217;s ascension to the top of the CDC would mean the agency would fall under control of one of its longtime critics. Bhattacharya, a professor emeritus of health policy at Stanford, became widely recognized for his criticisms of the CDC during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After the start of the pandemic, Bhattacharya and several associates openly broke with the approach of the top government health officials, including those at the CDC and former White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci. In October 2020, Bhattacharya joined with former Oxford University epidemiologist Dr. Sunetra Gupta and then-Harvard University professor Dr. Martin Kulldorff to write “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thousands-of-health-experts-sign-declaration-calling-for-end-to-lockdown-warn-of-irreparable-damage">The Great Barrington Declaration</a>.”
The declaration broke openly with the much more conservative approach to the pandemic government medical experts espoused. The outside experts warned of “damaging physical and mental health impacts” brought on by following lockdown policies, instead urging an approach based on targeted protection for the vulnerable while healthy populations mingle and develop herd immunity.
Bhattacharya’s 2020 warnings have proved prescient in the intervening years. The lockdown policies of the pandemic have been thought to have caused numerous add-on effects, such as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/09/upshot/covid-lockdown-five-year-charts.html">spikes</a> in social isolation and alcohol consumption. 
Lockdown policies in schools retarded the growth and education of millions of students. Students in huge chunks of the country fell many months behind typical instruction and the efforts to catch them back up proved lacking, according to a 2023 <a href="https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/news/23/05/new-data-show-how-pandemic-affected-learning-across-whole-communities">report</a> from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The loss in learning continued despite a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/09/upshot/covid-lockdown-five-year-charts.html">surge</a> in spending on education.
CDC leadership has undergone a tumultuous time under the second Trump administration. The agency had a Senate-confirmed head last year, but Susan Monarez was removed from the role after less than a month on the job. O’Neill replaced Monarez, and he generated some controversy among health experts last month with the CDC rolled back its recommendations for a slate of vaccines.

Jay Bhattacharya

One Of The CDC’s Biggest Critics Is Now In Charge Of The Whole Thing

For the first time in decades, the nation&#8217;s childhood vaccine schedule is getting a major overhaul. 
Under the new guidance, issued Monday after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-to-shake-up-childhood-vax-schedule-what-comes-next?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=RFK+Wants+To+Shake+Up+Childhood+Vaccines+To+Mirror+Denmark.+Here’s+What+That+Could+Mean+For+Parents">President Donald Trump ordered the department to review the United States&#8217; vaccine schedule</a> in relation to other developed nations, there are fewer shots recommended for kids. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now advises vaccines for eleven diseases instead of eighteen, aligning more closely with Denmark’s approach.
Dropped from the vaccine schedule are recommendations for Hep B, Rotavirus, MenACWY, Hep A, and the flu shot. Still recommended for all children — not those who are specifically high-risk — are the vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus (HPV), and chickenpox.
Health officials say their assessment, which reviewed 20 developed peer nations&#8217; schedules, found that the United States is a &#8220;global outlier&#8221; among developed nations in both the number of diseases addressed in its routine vaccine schedule, as well as the total number of recommended doses, while still not achieving higher vaccination rates than the other nations.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been a longtime critic of the vaccine industry. Last summer, his agency moved to fire all seventeen members of the government&#8217;s advisory committee on vaccines, saying &#8220;a clean sweep is necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science.&#8221;
He has argued that the government health agencies have for years been a &#8220;rubber stamp&#8221; for the pharmaceutical industry, which has prioritized profits over science.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-to-shake-up-childhood-vax-schedule-what-comes-next?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=RFK+Wants+To+Shake+Up+Childhood+Vaccines+To+Mirror+Denmark.+Here’s+What+That+Could+Mean+For+Parents">RFK Wants To Shake Up Childhood Vaccines To Mirror Denmark. Here’s What That Could Mean For Parents</a>
The changes, his top officials argue, are aimed at restoring public trust after the COVID pandemic, not discouraging vaccination. 
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All vaccinations recommended by the CDC as of December 31, 2025, will continue to be fully covered by Affordable Care Act plans, and in insurance plans and federal insurance programs like Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Vaccines for Children program.
A press release from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.&#8217;s Health and Human Services said insurance &#8220;will continue to cover more vaccines for children in the United States than in peer nations, where insurance generally only pays for recommended vaccines.&#8221;
As for what&#8217;s coming next, health care providers will soon have access to the updated Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule by Age (through age 18) of immunization recommendations for all children, immunization recommendations for certain high-risk groups or populations, and immunizations based on shared clinical decision-making, according to HHS.
Additionally, the department is working with states and physician groups to educate parents and providers on the updated schedule. The CDC says it will closely monitor vaccine uptake, infectious disease rates, and vaccine safety.
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Syringe and Coronavirus vaccine

RFK Jr. Orders Major Overhaul Of Childhood Vaccine Schedule

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention&#8217;s (CDC) vaccine panel recommended this week that the hepatitis B immunization should not be given to all babies immediately after birth. The decision was fully supported by President Donald Trump, who then took the issue one step further, signing a memorandum to &#8220;fast track&#8221; a full evaluation of the childhood vaccine schedule.
The decision from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, marks a major shift, changing up standard practice in the United States for some 30 years.
In an 8-3 vote, the panel recommended the hepatitis B vaccine only be given at birth for infants whose mothers test positive for the virus, or whose status is unknown. If a mother has a negative hepatitis B status, she should speak to her doctor about getting the first dose of the vaccination at birth.
Traditionally, the vaccine is given in three separate doses. The ACIP panel decided that some children do not need a third dose, and recommended testing children&#8217;s antibody levels before determining if they need follow-up doses.
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On Friday, Trump posted on Truth Social that the decision from ACIP is &#8220;very good&#8221; and criticized the general vaccine schedule for children.
&#8220;[T]he CDC Vaccine Committee made a very good decision to END their Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendation for babies, the vast majority of whom are at NO RISK of Hepatitis B, a disease that is mostly transmitted sexually, or through dirty needles,&#8221; the president wrote.
&#8220;The American Childhood Vaccine Schedule long required 72 &#8216;jabs,&#8217; for perfectly healthy babies, far more than any other Country in the World, and far more than is necessary,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;In fact, it is ridiculous! Many parents and scientists have been questioning the efficacy of this &#8216;schedule,&#8217; as have I!&#8221;
Trump then announced that he signed a &#8220;Presidential Memorandum directing the Department of Health and Human Services to &#8216;FAST TRACK&#8217; a comprehensive evaluation of Vaccine Schedules from other Countries around the World, and better align the U.S. Vaccine Schedule, so it is finally rooted in the Gold Standard of Science and COMMON SENSE!&#8221;
&#8220;I am fully confident Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and the CDC, will get this done, quickly and correctly, for our Nation’s Children,&#8221; the president added. &#8220;Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAHA!&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1010839" style="width: 938px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1010839" class="wp-image-1010839 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-06-at-10.10.19-AM-928x576.png" alt="" width="928" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-06-at-10.10.19-AM-928x576.png 928w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-06-at-10.10.19-AM-300x186.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-06-at-10.10.19-AM-768x477.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-06-at-10.10.19-AM-1536x953.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-06-at-10.10.19-AM.png 1576w" sizes=" (max-width: 928px) 100vw, 928px" />Truth Social</div>
In addition to other notable changes, Kennedy&#8217;s Health and Human Services department has so far modified COVID vaccine recommendations, advised that young babies get vaccinated against chickenpox separately, and opened the door to exploring a connection between vaccines and autism.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vax-panel-takes-on-covid-hep-b-and-mmrv-vaccines-heres-what-they-decided?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Vax+Panel+Takes+On+COVID%2C+Hep+B%2C+And+MMRV+Vaccines.+Here’s+What+They+Decided.">Vax Panel Takes On COVID, Hep B, And MMRV Vaccines. Here’s What They Decided.</a>

MixCollage-16-Jul-2024-02-24-PM-5436

RFK Jr. Shakes Up Childhood Vax Schedule With Hep B Decision

Donald Trump

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its website to suggest that autism could be caused by infant vaccinations &#8212; a major agency shift from past administrations.
&#8220;The claim &#8216;vaccines do not cause autism&#8217; is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism,&#8221; the site now reads.
The CDC also now says that studies &#8220;supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities,&#8221; and Health and Human Services (HHS) &#8220;has launched a comprehensive assessment of the causes of autism, including investigations on plausible biologic mechanisms and potential causal links.&#8221;
The site was updated on Wednesday.
<div id="attachment_1003207" style="width: 979px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1003207" class="wp-image-1003207 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-20-at-8.31.15-AM-969x576.png" alt="" width="969" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-20-at-8.31.15-AM-969x576.png 969w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-20-at-8.31.15-AM-300x178.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-20-at-8.31.15-AM-768x457.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-20-at-8.31.15-AM-1536x913.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-20-at-8.31.15-AM-2048x1218.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 969px) 100vw, 969px" />CDC.gov</div>
Before HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn into office, the CDC firmly stated that autism does not have any links to vaccination. The CDC website, for example, previously said, &#8220;Studies have shown that there is no link between receiving vaccines and developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD).”
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The CDC also previously stated that &#8220;no links have been found between any vaccine ingredients&#8221; and autism.
The current site stresses the HHS investigation into autism causes and notes that many parents believe their child&#8217;s autism was in some way related to vaccination (emphasis added):
<blockquote>It is critical to address questions the American people have about the cause of autism to ensure public health guidance is adequately responsive to their concerns. Approximately <a class="tp-link-policy" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16685182/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-domain-ext="gov">one in two surveyed parents</a> of autistic children believe vaccines played a role in their child&#8217;s autism, often pointing to the vaccines their child received in the first six months of life (Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP), Hepatitis B (HepB), Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), Poliovirus, inactivated (IPV), and Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV)) and one given at or after the first year of life (Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)). This connection has not been properly and thoroughly studied by the scientific community.</blockquote>
As part of his investigation into the massive spike in autism cases, Kennedy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/potential-cause-treatment-of-autism-revealed-by-trump-rfk-jr">announced</a> back in September that acetaminophen use during pregnancy is tied to an increased risk of autism. Acetaminophen is the active ingredient in Tylenol, one of the most widely used medications globally for pain relief and fever reduction. But in late October, Kennedy <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-health-chief-says-not-enough-data-show-tylenol-causes-autism-still-advises-2025-10-29/">said</a> he did not have sufficient evidence to back up a definitive link.
&#8220;The causative association between Tylenol given in pregnancy and perinatal periods is not sufficient to say it definitely causes autism, but it is very suggestive,&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/atrupar/status/1983591905385390220">said</a>.
At the time, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/potential-cause-treatment-of-autism-revealed-by-trump-rfk-jr">The Daily Wire</a> he had already sent out a “Dear doctor” letter to all U.S. physicians about the association.
“We have an epidemic of autism that has increased 400% in the recent decades and we don’t have a known cause,” he said. “Now this may be a cause, but when you have enough evidence to suggest an association and you have no other plausible cause, we have a duty to notify parents and doctors.”
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Trump’s CDC Suggests Autism Could Be Caused By Vaccines In Major Website Update

CDC Suggests Autism Could Be Caused By Vaccines In Major Website Update 

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