Will Humble State Legislature, Wills Blog

Halftime at the Capitol: What’s Still Alive, What’s Dead, and What’s Dangerous

We’re basically at halftime of the 2026 legislative session.

By the end of next week, bills must have been heard in their committees of origin to stay viable. They don’t all need a final floor vote yet—but the clock is ticking. Expect long third-read sessions, especially in the Senate (the House already did its 4 a.m. marathon last week).

Only two bills are up in committee next week: HB2178 and SB1247 — and we support both.

Many bad bills have died quietly. Some good ones too. Plenty remain. And remember: the most important bills — the budget — don’t even exist yet.

Our top priority in the budget will be ensuring AHCCCS and ADES have the funding to implement HR1 by January 1, 2027. If we don’t prepare, hundreds of thousands could lose Medicaid and SNAP coverage. We also absolutely need to keep HCR2056 off the ballot.

View our updated AZPHA Bill Tracking Spreadsheet

Here’s where things stand.

Public Health Authority & Vaccination Policy

❌ We Oppose

  • HCR2056 – Awaiting House Floor Vote
    Would amend the AZ Constitution to prohibit any entity (including schools) from requiring vaccines or treatments as a condition of employment, education, public access, or benefits. Also strips outbreak control authority. Extremely dangerous.
  • HB2248 – Passed Full House
    Anti-vaccine bill prohibiting businesses and private entities (including medical facilities) from setting vaccine requirements. Likely vetoed if it reaches the Governor.
  • HB2086 – Passed Full House
    Prohibits governments and businesses from requiring masks or proof of vaccination (hospital carve-out unclear).
  • SB1194 – Awaiting Senate Floor Vote
    Prevents clinicians from declining electively unvaccinated patients.
  • SB1212 – Awaiting Senate Floor Vote
    Prohibits vaccine incentive reimbursement structures.
  • SB1011 – Awaiting Senate Floor Vote
    Requires medical examiners to record vaccination status on death certificates.

Healthcare System & Licensing Reform

✅ We Support

  • HB2176 – Passed Full House
    ADHS licensing reform. Stops “license swapping,” improves complaint transparency, structured dispute resolution.
  • HB2195 – Passed Full House
    Skilled nursing reform. Timelines, access to personnel records, CMS-aligned investigations.
  • HB2178 – Passed Full House; Senate Health next week
    Requires state chief medical officers to hold an active AZ MD/DO license.
  • SB1247 – Passed Full Senate; House Health next week
    Allows a non-service recipient to live with someone in assisted living (with consent).
  • SB1112 – Passed Full Senate
    Allows acquaintance witnesses in court-ordered mental health hearings.
  • SB1113 – Passed Full Senate
    Allows evaluation agencies to serve documents if court-authorized.
  • SB1169 – Awaiting Senate Floor Vote
    $18M appropriation authority for graduate medical education slots.
  • SB1564 – Awaiting Senate Floor Vote
    Requires long-term care facilities to disclose video monitoring policies.
  • SB1813 – Passed Full Senate
    State hospital admissions based on clinical need—not geography. Removes Maricopa cap.

AHCCCS & Medicaid Policy

✅ We Support

  • HB2051 – Passed Full House
    Expands AHCCCS breastfeeding and lactation coverage.
  • HB2177 – Passed Full House
    Restores tribal waiver services discontinued in 2010.
  • SB1372 – Awaiting Senate Floor Vote
    Forms committee to study comprehensive Medicaid dental benefit.

❌ We Oppose

  • HB2448 – Passed Full House
    Limits ADES ability to seek work requirement waivers.
  • HB2797 – Awaiting House Floor Vote
    Adds burdensome verification requirements for SNAP/TANF.
  • SB1236 – Awaiting Senate Floor Vote
    Adds bureaucratic eligibility checks for AHCCCS.
  • SB1368 – Passed Full Senate
    Restricts SNAP purchases to narrow statutory list (pending USDA waiver).

Oral Health

✅ We Support

  • HB2542 – Dead
    Would have allowed preventive dental care under AHCCCS emergency benefit.
  • HB2958 – Dead
    Would have provided dental coverage for pregnant AHCCCS members.

Behavioral Health & Serious Mental Illness

✅ We Support

  • HB2673 – Awaiting House Floor Vote
    Requires mental health screening, assessment, and treatment in county jails.
  • HB2923 – Awaiting House Floor Vote
    Improves judicial review standards for court-ordered treatment.
  • SB1112 / SB1113 / SB1813 – See above (all positive SMI reforms).

Reproductive & Gender-Related Bills

❌ We Oppose

  • HB2060 – Passed Full House
    Prohibits university health centers from mentioning abortion care.
  • HB2085 – Passed Full House
    Prohibits gender-affirming procedures for minors, including hormones.
  • HB2364 – Passed Full House
    Makes mailing abortion-inducing drugs a Class 4 felony.

Long-Term Care & Elder Protection

✅ We Support

  • HB2228 – Passed Full House
    Improves accountability in elder abuse reporting to the AG.
  • SB1247 – See above (assisted living flexibility).

Bills That Have Died (Not Exhaustive)

A number of problematic bills are gone, including ivermectin OTC (HB2007), fluoride prohibition (SB1019), religious exemption expansion (SB1016), and “Trump Derangement Syndrome” research (SB1070).

Some good ones also died — sun safety plates, jail clozapine fixes, preventive dental expansion — but we’ll regroup.

Bottom Line at Halftime

The most dangerous live bill is HCR2056. If it passes both chambers, it goes straight to the ballot. The Governor cannot veto it. That’s the one to watch. HB2248 is bad, but vetoable.

Meanwhile, the biggest fight is still ahead: the budget. If AHCCCS and ADES don’t get the operational funding to implement HR1’s work requirements and redeterminations, Arizona families will pay the price.

Will Humble Social Determinants, Wills Blog

Why Violent Immigration Enforcement Is a Public Health Crisis

Violent and indiscriminate immigration enforcement isn’t just a civil-rights or legal issue. It’s a public health problem that harms trust, safety, and community wellbeing.

The Center for Public Health Law, through the Network for Public Health Law, recently explained why in “A Humanitarian Crisis Unfolds at Home.” Their analysis shows how aggressive federal enforcement by ICE and CBP undermines health, even far from the border.

https://www.networkforphl.org/news-insights/a-humanitarian-crisis-unfolds-at-home-violent-and-unlawful-immigration-enforcement-requires-us-all-to-respond/

Fear Is a Health Threat

Public health depends on trust. People need to feel safe seeking medical care, sending their kids to school, and reporting unsafe conditions. When enforcement is violent or unpredictable, families avoid clinics and withdraw from community life — not because they don’t want care, but because they’re afraid of what might happen if they interact with any authority.

That fear becomes chronic stress — and chronic stress drives poor health outcomes like anxiety, depression, and heart disease.

Communities Hurt Together

The Center’s report highlights that harm doesn’t stop with undocumented individuals. Clinics see fewer patients. Schools see reduced attendance. Community health workers lose contact with the people they serve. Public health agencies struggle to do basic prevention and outreach because people are too scared to engage.

Public health isn’t neutral about fear. Policies or actions that rely on force erode health, community cohesion, and essential social support systems.

Public Health Law Offers Guidance

Public health law helps us recognize when government actions start doing more harm than good. The Center for Public Health Law offers legal analysis and tools to guide policies that protect safety without undermining health or dignity.
https://www.networkforphl.org/center-for-public-health-law/

What AZPHA Is Calling For

As AZPHA’s statement earlier this week explained, violence and unaccountable federal enforcement are public health failures. We urged U.S. Senators to condition any Department of Homeland Security funding on verifiable accountability, independent oversight, enforceable limits on force, and protections for families — all grounded in public health principles.

Kelly, Gallego Introduce Bicameral Bill to Increase ICE Accountability and Keep Communities Safe – Senator Mark Kelly

The Bottom Line

Health depends on trust, safety, and access — not fear. If we care about strong communities and healthy people, we have to pay attention to how law-enforcement practices affect public health. Enforcement that harms health shouldn’t be accepted as normal. And public health law gives us a framework to say so clearly.

Will Humble Professional Development, Wills Blog

Public Health & AI Summer School Returns to Tucson — June 8–11, 2026

The University of Arizona College of Public Health is hosting its 2nd Public Health & AI Summer School on June 8–11, 2026, at the Grand Challenges Research Building (750 N Cherry Ave, Tucson).

After a strong inaugural year, the program is back with an expanded format and two distinct tracks designed to meet public health professionals at different stages of their AI journey.

This four-day, in-person training is built for students, faculty, research staff, and working professionals across disciplines. Whether you are just beginning to explore artificial intelligence or already experimenting with real-world applications, there is a structured pathway for you.

AI Literacy — Your Gateway to the AI Revolution in Public Health

If you are AI-curious but unsure where to begin, the AI Literacy track is designed for you. Over four immersive days, participants will build a practical understanding of what AI is, how it works, and how it can support population health practice and research.

No coding or technical background is needed. Participants will learn how to evaluate AI tools, craft effective prompts, and find proper use cases in areas such as surveillance, community health assessment, communications, and policy analysis. The focus is not hype — it is informed, responsible application. By the end of the course, attendees should move from curiosity to practical confidence.

AI Fluency — From User to Builder

For those already past the basics, the AI Fluency track goes deeper. This pathway emphasizes implementation: code versioning, geospatial analysis, responsible AI frameworks, and building pipelines using real datasets. Participants will work through hands-on exercises that move beyond experimentation toward deployable systems.

If you are leading or planning AI initiatives in your department, institute, or research program, this is the track that helps translate ambition into operational capacity.

A Significant Discount for Public Health Professionals

As they did last year, organizers are offering a substantial discount for public health professionals, including AZPHA members. This makes the program far more accessible for those working in practice settings who want to build AI capacity without stepping away from their mission.

Artificial intelligence is already reshaping public health. The question is whether we build the skills to guide it responsibly — or allow others to define its use for us.

If you are serious about strengthening your organization’s capacity in 2026, this is a practical opportunity to do so.

Learn more and register at:
https://ph-ai.me/

Will Humble Professional Development, Wills Blog

Professional Development Opportunities through the NARBHA Wellbeing Collaborative

The NARBHA Wellbeing Collaborative offers a range of professional development opportunities designed specifically for health professionals and organizational leaders who are committed to strengthening workforce wellbeing, resilience, and organizational culture across Arizona.

The Leader Roundtable is a distinctive, year-long leadership development experience for Arizona leaders who are actively working to build healthier, more compassionate workplaces. Unlike traditional training or short-term workshops, this program is designed to sustain and support leaders over time.

Participants engage in:

  • Mentorship from experienced leaders and facilitators
  • Peer learning with a cohort of like-minded Arizona professionals
  • Monthly guided reflection focused on leadership, wellbeing, and systems change
  • Project-based action, allowing participants to apply what they learn directly within their organizations

The Leader Roundtable is intentionally structured to energize and support those doing the demanding work of supporting workforce wellbeing, offering space for reflection, accountability, and practical leadership growth.

Who Should Apply

The program is well-suited for:

  • Health and behavioral health leaders
  • Executives, managers, and supervisors
  • Professionals responsible for workforce wellbeing, culture, or organizational change
  • Arizona leaders committed to compassionate, sustainable workplaces

Application Process and Deadline

Interested applicants must complete the online application form

Deadline: 11:59 PM on Sunday, March 1, 2026

Questions: Anca Castillo at info@designconvo.com

Will Humble Firearm Safety, Wills Blog

Suicides and Firearms in Arizona: A Data Review & Policy Call to Action

Understanding Suicide and Firearms in Arizona: What Every Arizonan Should Know

Suicide is a serious and growing public health issue in Arizona. In a new brief report, Suicides and Firearms in Arizona: A Data Review & Policy Call to Action, AZPHA member Allan Williams, Ph.D. lays out clear data showing how often suicide happens in our state, especially when firearms are involved, and why this matters for families, communities, and public health.

Suicides and Firearms in Arizona: A Data Review & Policy Call to Action 

Across the US tens of thousands of people die by suicide each year. In Arizona, the rate of suicide is higher than the national average. Over recent years, suicide deaths in Arizona have increased steadily.

One key finding from the report is that firearms play a large role in these deaths. When people use guns to attempt suicide, the attempt is almost always fatal. National research shows that more than 90 % of suicide attempts with a firearm result in death. Because of this, gun-related suicide deaths make up a large portion of all suicide deaths in Arizona.

The data in the report also shows differences between groups. Men are more likely to die by suicide with a firearm than women, and older men are especially affected.

Firearm suicide becomes more common with age, and rates among those 75 and older are particularly high. While firearms are the leading means of suicide for most groups in Arizona, there are some differences by race and age as well.

The cost of suicide is not just emotional. It is also economic. In 2023 alone, suicide deaths in Arizona were associated with billions of dollars in combined medical and lifetime costs.

So what can be done? Dr. Williams emphasizes that while mental health support is important, so are strategies that reduce access to the most lethal means of suicide, especially for people in crisis.

Research shows that policies and practices like safe storage of firearms in the home, child access prevention laws, waiting periods for firearm purchases, and extreme-risk protection orders can help lower the chances that someone in a moment of crisis uses a gun to take their life.

The full report lays out both the data and specific policy steps that could improve safety in Arizona. It also points to strong evidence from national research showing that limiting access to lethal means when people are at risk can save lives.

We encourage readers to read the full report by Allan Williams, Ph.D., to better understand the numbers behind suicide in Arizona and the ways public health approaches can make a difference. This is not just a statistic — these are people in our communities.

Suicides and Firearms in Arizona: A Data Review & Policy Call to Action 

Will Humble State Legislature, Wills Blog

Quick Legislative Session Update

This week is called ‘crossover week’ – meaning bills needed tp have already been heard in their house of origin in order to stay alive. There generally arent committee hearings next week (except for Rules and maybe Appropriations). The real action is in the caucus rooms and the floor votes in both chambers.

In early March the committees accelerate again. The infamous Director Nominations Committee hasn’t even met yet and I don’t see any agendas posted – so who kniows whether that work will ever even begin?

I’ll provide a more in depth assessment of the session in next week’s update, For the time being you can visit our tracking spreadsheet to get your own update on bills you’re most interested in at: AZPHA Bill Tracking Spreadsheet 2026

Will Humble Healthcare, Wills Blog

Privatizing Prison Health Care: A 14-Year Failed Experiment

In 2012, the Arizona Legislature made a major change in how health care was delivered in our state prisons. In a party-line vote, lawmakers decided to privatize prison health services. Governor Brewer signed the law in 2012.

Arizona Privatizes Health Care in State Prison System | Prison Legal News

What followed? The AZ Department of Corrections fired the state-employed doctors, nurses, and health staff, contracting the work out to private companies.

Then-ADOC Director Chuck Ryan was tasked with dismantling a decades-old, state-run system and replacing it with a contract model. Instead of directly providing care, the ADOC would write requests for proposals (RFPs), select vendors, and manage contracts.

That transition — from running health care to managing contracts — didn’t go well.

Over the next several years, complaints increased. Inmates and their families experienced and documented delayed treatment, missed medications, and preventable suffering. Lawsuits followed. The most significant case, now Jensen v. Thornell, has been in federal court for more than a decade. As the case drug on over the years the court repeatedly found serious deficiencies in care.

Now, after years of frustration and missed benchmarks, U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver appointed a court-controlled receiver to take over prison health operations. It reflects the court’s opinion that the state has been unable to fix the system on its own. Governor Hobbs believes good progress has been made on her watch. I don’t know whether that’s true or not but clearly Judge Silver doesn’t believe so.

Arizona state prisons lose control of health care after federal ruling

So what happened? Why did the privatization experiment fail?

A root cause points to the transition itself. Running a health system with your own staff and managing a vendor contract are two different skills. When Arizona privatized prison health care in 2012, it didn’t just switch providers. It changed the whole operating model.

The Department of Corrections had decades of experience delivering care directly. But contract oversight needs a different culture, staffing model, data systems, and ability.

Good contract management requires objective performance monitoring, clear accountability, and the ability and wherewithal to enforce penalties when vendors don’t meet demands in the scope of work. It also requires a solid contract that allows the state to actually provide the accountability needed including compliance and enforcement provisions.

In short… contract development and management are different from running a program yourself.

By nearly all accounts, that shift from service provision to contract management was poorly executed, especially during the Ducey administration. Whether privatization was a flawed idea from the start or whether it failed because the transition to contract management was mishandled is a legitimate debate.

The outcome isn’t.

For 14 years, incarcerated people have lived in a system under court supervision due to what the court believes is substandard care.

As Arizona moves forward under federal oversight, we owe it to taxpayers and to those in custody to learn from our policy mistakes.

We learned those lessons were learned the hard way.

Will Humble Behavioral Health, Professional Development, Wills Blog

AzPHA is Proud to Announce our 98th Annual Conference – “From Crisis to Care: Improving Outcomes in Arizona’s Behavioral Health System”


AzPHA is Proud to Announce our 98th Annual Conference
“From Crisis to Care: Improving Outcomes in Arizona’s Behavioral Health System“

Friday, May 1, 2026: Desert Willow Conference Center

AzPHA’s 98th Annual Conference will focus on strengthening Arizona’s behavioral health system and improving outcomes for people with mental and behavioral health needs.

Arizona’s behavioral health system sits at the intersection of public health, Medicaid, housing, courts, and community-based services.

This year’s conference will highlight innovative strategies, evidence-based practices, and policy approaches that move the system beyond crisis response toward sustainable, person-centered care. Our final agenda will be released in late February and will focus on:

  • Policy, Advocacy, and Systems Change
  • Serious Mental Illness & Population-Specific Needs
  • Integrated Care and Community Well-Being
  • Crisis Response and Civil Commitment Systems
  • Maternal Mental Health & Perinatal Care
View Our Sponsorship Opportunities & Benefits
Register to Sponsor or Exhibit Today!

2026 draft agenda

Will Humble Behavioral Health, Wills Blog

Arizona’s Unhoused Crisis and Severe Mental Illness: Why Housing Is Health Care

Amy Arias, MMS, MD/MPH candidate MS4 UACOMP

Arizona is growing fast — and so is its unhoused population. As housing costs rise, resources lag behind demand, and extreme heat becomes deadlier each year, the people most affected are often those least equipped to navigate the system: individuals living with severe mental illness (SMI).

Homelessness is not just a housing issue. It is a public health crisis, a mental health crisis, and a fiscal crisis for the state of Arizona.

https://azpha.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Arizonas-Unhoused-Crisis-and-Severe-Mental-Illness-Why-Housing-Is-Health-Care-Amy-Arias-Final.pdf

The Scope of the Crisis

As of January 2024, nearly 15,000 people in Arizona were experiencing homelessness, according to the state’s annual Point-in-Time count. While there has been a slight decrease in unsheltered homelessness, this data likely underrepresents the true scope of the problem due to difficulties with self-reporting, loss of follow-up, and limited outreach capacity.

At the same time, Arizona faces a shortage of approximately 133,000 affordable housing units for low-income renters. Even someone working full-time may still be unable to afford fair market rent. For families, the math becomes impossible.

Children are not spared. One in five unhoused individuals in Arizona is a child, and the majority of unhoused adults are between the ages of 18 and 64.

Why Arizona’s Climate Makes Homelessness More Dangerous

Arizona’s environment turns homelessness into a life-threatening condition.

In Maricopa County alone, 45% of all heat-related deaths in 2023 occurred among people experiencing homelessness, with heat-related mortality increasing more than 50% from the prior year. Extreme heat doesn’t just worsen chronic illnesses, it increases overdose risk, worsens psychiatric symptoms, and overwhelms emergency departments.

For individuals with severe mental illness, exposure to extreme weather compounds already elevated health risks.

Severe Mental Illness and Homelessness: A Vicious Cycle

Arizona’s Medicaid program (AHCCCS) currently serves over 65,000 individuals with a severe mental illness designation, a number that has increased by more than 50% since 2015. More than 11% of people with SMI experienced homelessness in a single year.

Mental illness makes housing stability harder to achieve due to:

  • unemployment and poverty,
  • difficulty adhering to treatment plans,
  • long waitlists for housing,
  • and high rates of hospital readmission.

At the same time, homelessness worsens psychiatric illness, increases substance use, disrupts medication access, and raises mortality risk.

The result is a self-perpetuating cycle: untreated mental illness leads to homelessness, and homelessness worsens mental illness.

Substance Use, Injury, and Early Death

Unsheltered homelessness is strongly associated with increased substance use — particularly alcohol — and higher rates of dual diagnosis (mental illness plus substance use disorder).

Arizona spent over $776 million on substance use disorder treatment in 2024, much of it funded through Medicaid. Alcohol-related treatment was the single largest category.

Mortality data paints an even starker picture. Individuals with SMI who are unhoused die younger and at much higher rates than the general population. Accidental death, suicide, overdose, and chronic liver disease are all more common — especially among unsheltered individuals.

Men with SMI experience particularly high mortality rates, suggesting a need for more targeted housing and support services.

Hospitals Are Becoming the Safety Net of Last Resort

When housing is unavailable, hospitals absorb the consequences.

Emergency departments and inpatient psychiatric units often house individuals who are medically or psychiatrically stable but cannot be safely discharged due to lack of housing. The median waiting time for permanent housing for someone with SMI in Arizona is one to two years.

This leads to:

  • prolonged hospital stays,
  • high 30-day readmission rates,
  • increased inpatient psychiatric spending,
  • and avoidable strain on healthcare workers and systems.

Inpatient psychiatric expenditures for SMI patients in Arizona totaled hundreds of millions of dollars in 2024 alone.

The Financial Case for Permanent Supportive Housing

Arizona currently spends nearly $17,000 per person per year on care for individuals with SMI — much of it on crisis services, inpatient treatment, and emergency care.

Yet evidence consistently shows that permanent supportive housing reduces hospitalizations, emergency visits, incarceration, and overall public spending. Housing improves medication adherence, stabilizes mental health, and saves lives.

Despite this, Arizona’s investment in permanent supportive housing stays insufficient, and waitlists continue to grow.

Existing Programs — and Their Limits

Arizona has made meaningful efforts:

  • emergency shelters,
  • rapid rehousing programs,
  • street outreach,
  • prevention initiatives,
  • and pilot data-tracking tools.

But these programs cannot compensate for a fundamental shortage of housing units.

Proposed investments in new data systems and secure behavioral health facilities may improve coordination, but data alone does not house people. Without sufficient housing stock, individuals with SMI will continue to cycle through hospitals, shelters, and the streets.

A Path Forward

Addressing Arizona’s unhoused crisis — particularly among those with severe mental illness — requires prioritizing housing as essential infrastructure for health.

That means:

  • expanding permanent supportive housing,
  • reducing waiting times,
  • investing in affordable housing development,
  • and pairing housing with integrated mental health and substance use services.

This is not just a moral imperative. It is a financially responsible strategy that reduces strain on hospitals, lowers Medicaid expenditures, and improves quality of life statewide.

Housing Is Health Care

Arizona’s unhoused crisis cannot be deferred. With continued population growth and worsening climate conditions, the cost of inaction will only rise — in dollars and in lives.

When we house our most vulnerable residents, we don’t just provide shelter. We improve health outcomes, reduce public spending, and build a more resilient Arizona.

Housing is health care — and Arizona cannot afford to ignore that any longer.

Will Humble Vaccination, Wills Blog

Kennedy’s FDA Refuses to Review Moderna’s mRNA Flu Vaccine Application:

his decision leaves us more exposed during the next influenza shift

This week, the FDA declined to even consider Moderna’s application to license its new mRNA influenza vaccine.

This, despite strong clinical trial results. Those results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which found that Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine was more than 20% more effective than a traditionally produced influenza vaccine in adults.

Efficacy, Immunogenicity, and Safety of Modified mRNA Influenza Vaccine | New England Journal of Medicine

So why refuse to even review it?

Kennedy has made no secret of his opposition to mRNA technology. He has publicly criticized mRNA vaccines… not only for infectious diseases, but also as a promising platform for cancer treatments, including pancreatic cancer. He also directed the National Institutes of Healthto cancel hundreds of millions of dollars in mRNA-related research grants.

Most traditional influenza vaccines are grown in fertilized chicken eggs. That process takes months. Scientists must first find the strain, adapt it to grow in eggs, scale up production, purify it, and distribute it. It works… but it’s slow.

mRNA vaccines are different. Once scientists know the genetic sequence of a new influenza strain, they can design and produce an mRNA vaccine in weeks.

That difference in speed could be decisive if a big late Southern Hemisphere antigenic shift.

If (when) we experience a major antigenic shift… especially one that appears during the Southern Hemisphere winter (our summer) we face a compressed timeline before the Northern Hemisphere flu season begins. With egg-based vaccines, we won’t have enough time to develop, produce, and distribute a matched vaccine before the virus spreads widely.

An mRNA platform could respond far faster. That means a better chance of having an updated, protective vaccine ready in time.

Refusing to even review a more effective and more adaptable flu vaccine increases our vulnerability during the next three years.

Kennedy’s blocking of this technology does more than stall one product. It signals to researchers and investors that the US is no longer a stable environment for mRNA innovation. That delays advances mRNA not only in infectious disease prevention but also in cancer treatment and other therapeutic areas.

And yet… scientific progress has a long arc. mRNA technology has already proven its value. Researchers across the globe continue to advance use of this promising technology. When leadership changes and Kennedy is finally gone, research momentum will return.

Public health preparation depends on evidence, speed, and flexibility. Turning away from a faster, more effective influenza vaccine (without even reviewing the application) is foolish.

Yet – that’s the world we’re living in (for now).

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