Kennedy’s War on Vaccination: FDA to Suspend Approval of Updated COVID Boosters Except for Seniors & Folks w/ High Risk Factors
In a major and dangerous policy shift, the FDA announced in a New England Journal of Medicine article that updated COVID-19 vaccines will now require randomized, controlled trials for approval in healthy individuals aged 6 months to 64 years. This marks a departure from previous decades long practice where annual updates were approved based on immune response data, similar to the approach for influenza vaccines. Under the new guidelines, only
A Familiar Idea Returns: Will ‘Most Favored Nation’ Drug Pricing Survive This Time?
Americans continue to pay more for prescription drugs than anyone else in the world. This has been a long-standing and well-documented problem. A key driver isn’t just what patients pay out of pocket—it’s the actual list prices of the drugs themselves. These prices inflate private insurance premiums, drain the Medicare trust fund, and strain household budgets across the country – damaging the social determinants of health. One of the key
A Breath of Fresh Air: Sheila Sjolander Named Interim ADHS Director
We’re delighted to share that Sheila Sjolander has been appointed as the interim director of ADHS! This is good news for public health in Arizona—and a breath of fresh air for county health departments across the state. Sheila is no stranger to public health and ADHS. She’s been shaping public health policy and strategy in Arizona for more than two decades. Most recently, she served as Deputy Director for Public
The Science & Community Impacts Mapping Project
Science transforms our world but doing science and the impacts of scientific research are often hidden from view. Not anymore. That’s because the Science & Community Impacts Mapping Project now allows folks to explore how science and health fuels the economy, supports jobs and improves health outcomes. The White House and Secretary Kennedy have ordered large cuts to federal funding for scientific research. These changes include a proposal to reduce support for
Congress’ Proposed Medicaid Cuts & Kennedy’s Separate IED: How Arizona Could Lose AHCCCS Coverage for 600,000 Residents
The U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee just passed a budget bill along party lines (30-24) that proposes $715B in federal Medicaid spending cuts over the next decade. While the bill includes several overt measures to reduce spending (and throw people off Medicaid), less conspicuous provisions in the bill and a separate CMS regulation change being proposed by Secretary Kennedy and CMS Administrator Oz poses a big threat
AI & Public Health Practice: MEZCOPH Summer School
The Public Health & AI Summer School at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health is offering an immersive, direct educational experience designed to equip graduate students, research staff, faculty, and public health professionals with essential skills in AI and digital public health. Participants will explore foundational and advanced topics such as Digital Epidemiology, AI and Machine Learning fundamentals, generative AI applications, digital biomarkers, ethical considerations, and precision public