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Top Stories
Immunize.org Website and Clinical Resources
Vaccine Information Statements
Featured Resources
Notable Publications
Global News
Upcoming Events
Top Stories
On May 1, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) issued a health alert to physicians, warning of a sharp rise in pertussis cases that could result in a record high case count in 2025. By that time, LDH had identified 164 cases in the first 4 months of the year, including 42 hospitalizations, surpassing the total number of annual cases reported in the state for at least 35 years. Louisiana recorded 153 cases in all of 2024. The most recent LDH news release on pertussis is dated May 14. Two infants died of pertussis early in the year; 3 months elapsed after the second infant’s death until LDH issued a health alert to physicians and its first public statement. Such a delay in notification is unusual. Prompt alerts from public health to physicians and the public when there is an outbreak of a serious vaccine-preventable disease are valuable to raise public awareness and motivate vaccinators to ensure the most vulnerable are protected.
 Nationally, CDC reports pertussis cases across the United States remain elevated this year compared to immediately before the pandemic. As of September 20, 2025, 20,939 cases of pertussis were reported in the United States. Of those, Louisiana reported 387 cases of pertussis. There are two simple and effective ways to prevent infant hospitalization and death from pertussis:
Related Links
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Immunize.org updated three of its printable QR code tables for clinic use. The QR codes in these tables, when scanned (or clicked), link directly to a VIS. The document changes did not alter the VIS QR codes on the current documents, so there is no need to change the QR codes you are using now to continue accessing current VISs. The updates include:
   Related Links
National STEM/STEAM Day is November 8. Use Immunize.org and partner resources to help youth learn about vaccine science. To observe National STEM/STEAM Day on November 8, Immunize.org compiled a list of educational resources on vaccines and the immune system. Share these credible resources for elementary, middle, and high school students. For kindergarten students
For elementary school children
As of October 28, CDC reported 1,648 confirmed measles cases in 2025 in 41 states. Of reported confirmed cases, 87% were outbreak-associated. As of October 28:
CDC’s count includes only laboratory-confirmed measles cases. Cases without laboratory testing for confirmation are not included. Actual measles cases for 2025 are, therefore, higher than confirmed case counts. Canada is also experiencing a widespread measles outbreak, with incidence rates that exceed those in the United States. October 26 marked a full year of continuous measles transmission in Canada. As a result of a year of uninterrupted measles transmission, Canada could soon lose its official designation as a nation that has eliminated measles. Canada reports 5,109 confirmed cases in 2025, through October 18. During week 42 (October 12–18), 19 new cases were reported. Case counts from Mexico lag, with September quarterly report numbers from the Pan American Health Organization indicating more than 4,500 cases by September 9, 2025, with more than 4,200 of them concentrated in the Chihuahua state across the border from Texas. The Chihuahua outbreak is linked to imported cases exposed in the U.S. outbreak in Texas earlier in the year. Immunize.org offers measles-related resources for the public on several of our affiliated websites:
Another credible source is the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Fact Checked: The Measles Vaccine Is Safe and Effective web page. Related Links
“Which Adults Need Hepatitis B Vaccine?” Watch the 1-minute video, part of the Ask the Experts Video Series on YouTube. This week, our featured episode from the Ask the Experts Video Series is titled Which Adults Need Hepatitis B Vaccine? Since 2022, the CDC and medical societies have recommended hepatitis B vaccination for all susceptible adults through age 59 years and continue to recommend vaccination of at-risk adults age 60 years and older. Catching up unvaccinated adults now is a simple step for a lifetime of protection. Like, follow, and share Immunize.org’s social media accounts and encourage colleagues and others interested in vaccination to do likewise.
These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.
Immunize.org Website and Clinical Resources
This week, we spotlight Immunize.org’s clinical resources for improving confidence and addressing concerns about vaccinations. "Vaccine Confidence & Addressing Concerns" is found under the Clinical Resources menu. Summary: Updated Immunize.org clinical resources, web pages, webinars, and videos released in September and October
IZ Express regularly provides readers with information about Immunize.org’s new and updated educational materials for healthcare professionals and handouts for patients. All Immunize.org materials are free to distribute. 2025–26 influenza season-related web page and materials:
Vaccine Information Statements
IZ Express regularly provides readers with information about VISs and translations of VISs. On May 29, 2025, CDC updated VISs for pneumococcal conjugate and polysaccharide vaccines (PCV and PPSV23). Immunize.org recently posted new VIS translations in the following wide array of languages: Families given any VIS translation should also receive the current official VIS, which is in English. Check the version date of your inventory of VIS translations. Discard translations of previous versions as translations of current versions become available. For additional support, view these resources from Immunize.org:
Featured Resources Vaccinate Your Family announces Viraltruths.org website, providing plain language answers to the questions most frequently asked about vaccines
Vaccinate Your Family (VYF) launched its new microsite Viraltruths.org built to provide plain language answers to the questions most frequently asked about vaccines. The site serves as a helpful tool to understand the challenging, dynamic vaccine policy and information environment.
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American Pharmacists Association releases interactive maps to help people find pharmacy-based vaccination locations
 
Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society offers “Comprehensive Vaccine Education Program—from Training to Practice,” a free education program to address vaccine misinformation and vaccine hesitancy The Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS) offers a free educational program, Comprehensive Vaccine Education Program—from Training to Practice, to help combat vaccine misinformation and address hesitancy in two ways:
Back to top Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's (CHOP) Vaccine Education Center released two new videos in its Vaccines and Infectious Diseases in the News series featuring Paul A. Offit, MD:
CHOP’s Vaccine Education Center offers its new “Vaccine Dictionary” web page with short definitions of vaccine-related terminology Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's (CHOP) Vaccine Education Center is offering a new vaccine dictionary resource for the public. It gives short definitions of relevant terms and, in some cases, links for those who want to take a deeper dive. The dictionary also defines common vaccine-associated acronyms. Explore the www.Give2MenACWY.org website to increase coverage for the MenACWY booster and other adolescent vaccinations
Immunize.org's www.Give2MenACWY.org website promotes the importance of adolescent vaccination, including the recommended MenACWY vaccine booster dose at age 16. Many teens are behind on vaccines, so vaccine outreach is more important than ever. The website is divided into five easy-to-access sections:
The site also categorizes materials according to whether they are primarily of interest to providers, to adolescents, or to parents.
Notable Publications
"Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of 3-Year-Old Children Exposed to Maternal Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection in Utero" published in Obstetrics & Gynecology
In the October 30 issue, Obstetrics & Gynecology published Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of 3-Year-Old Children Exposed to Maternal Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection in Utero. The study found that infection during pregnancy with COVID-19 virus increased the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring by the third birthday. Portions of the abstract appear below. Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy was associated with increased risk of adverse neurodevelopmental diagnoses by age 3 years, with effects most pronounced after third-trimester exposure and in male offspring. These findings highlight the importance of long-term neurodevelopmental monitoring for SARS-CoV-2–exposed children. Global News
On October 27, New York Times published Diphtheria, a Once Vanquished Killer of Children, Is Resurgent. Portions of the article appear below. There are large diphtheria outbreaks now in Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Chad—countries with civil wars or large populations of refugees where vaccination coverage is low, surveillance is weak and frail health systems leave children undiagnosed or treated too late. . . .
Diphtheria was once a major killer of children in the United States and other industrialized countries, but cases began to drop with the introduction of a diphtheria vaccine in the 1940s, and by the 1970s, the disease had become rare. There was just one case a year reported in the United States in the two decades after 1996, and only a handful since. The disease was vanishing from developing countries, too, at the beginning of the 21st century. But cases began to resurge about 15 years ago. Venezuela had a major outbreak, when its once-strong public health system fell apart during years of political instability. Bangladesh had one, beginning in 2017, mostly among Rohingya refugees packed into crowded camps. There have been nearly 30,000 reported cases in Nigeria in the last two years, mostly in the country’s north, where vaccination coverage is lower. There have also been cases in Europe in recent years, usually among young people who emigrated from Syria or Afghanistan and were not immunized. In the United States, the few cases have been associated with travelers. However American vaccination rates have declined slowly but steadily for the last five years; 92 percent of kindergarten students nationally had full coverage with diphtheria vaccination in the 2024–25 school year, down from 95 percent in 2020. Achieving broad immunity requires at least 85 percent coverage. Upcoming Events
Tomorrow; virtual: National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit hosts webinar “Payment Challenges in the New Immunization Environment” on November 6 at 3:00 p.m. (ET)
The National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit (NAIIS) will host an open, free webinar titled Payment Challenges in the New Immunization Environment at 3:00 p.m. (ET) on November 6. Speakers include Kate Berry, MPP, America's Health Insurance Plans; Chelsea Cipriano, MPH, Common Health Coalition; Mitchell Finkel, Avalere Health; Dan Jones, Alliance of Community Health Plans; and Sarah Price, MSN-ED, National Association of Community Health Centers. Virtual: Register for Immunize.org Website Office Hours. Join a 30-minute discussion about our new travel-vaccine content on November 12 at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or November 13 at 12:00 p.m. (ET). Recorded sessions archived. To learn simple tips and tricks for using our websites efficiently, please register for our next set of Website Office Hours on Wednesday, November 12, at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or Thursday, November 13, at 12:00 p.m. (ET). The same content will be covered in both sessions. Register today for Immunize.org Website Office Hours (content is the same for both): 
The archive of previous Website Office Hours content is posted at Immunize.org’s "Webinars & Videos" page. Mark your calendar for future Immunize.org Website Office Hours. |
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