CDC drops universal COVID vaccine recommendations, suggests separate MMRV shots
Detail of vials and syringe containing a COVID-19 vaccination by Pfizer at Kaiser Permanente Venice Medical Office Building in Culver City Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its immunization schedule on Monday, dropping the universal COVID-19 vaccine recommendation and recommending that toddlers receive the chickenpox shot separately from the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shot.
Acting Director and Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill signed off on the recommendations, which were made by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) last month.
“Informed consent is back,” O’Neill said in a statement. “CDC’s 2022 blanket recommendation for perpetual COVID-19 boosters deterred health care providers from talking about the risks and benefits of vaccination for the individual patient or parent. That changes today.”
Last month, the ACIP voted to abandon its previous universal recommendation for annual COVID-19 vaccine shots for anyone aged 6 months and older, instead suggesting that Americans can get the vaccine “based on individual-based decision-making,” or a personal choice.
The panel also voted to no longer recommended children around 12 months old receive the first dose of the combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine.
Instead, the committee recommended that children receive two separate shots, one for the combined MMR shot and a second shot for chickenpox. The MMRV shot will be recommended as an option for a child’s second dose, typically given at around 4 to 6 years old.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — Eli Lilly’s next generation of weight loss drugs appear to show promise, possibly leading to even faster weight loss and added health benefits, early trial results suggest.
The pharmaceutical company presented the results for its newer drug at the annual ObesityWeek conference on Thursday.
Known as amylin analogs, these drugs slow digestion and curb appetite, similar to the more well-known GLP-1 drugs, but act through a different hormone.
Amylin is a hormone that is co-secreted with insulin through the pancreas and helps regulate blood glucose levels, appetite and gastric emptying, which is the process of food moving from the stomach to the intestines.
These drugs can treat type 2 diabetes and obesity by imitating the body’s natural amylin.
While the effects are similar to Eli Lilly’s GLP-1 drugs, Mounjaro and Zepbound, some studies have suggested that amylin analogs may lead to a lower loss of lean muscle mess relative to fat mass.
Early trial results of Eli Lilly’s amylin analog, known as eloralintide, helped patients who were overweight or obese — with at least one pre-existing condition related to obesity and without type 2 diabetes — lose 9.5% to 20.1% of their body weight.
This was compared to patients who lost 0.4% when taking a placebo, according to the trial results, which were published in the medical journal The Lancet.
Patients who were treated with eloralintide also saw improvements in blood pressure, fat levels in the blood stream and markers of inflammation.
Eli Lilly said it will begin phase 3 clinical trials after the promising results, with the aim to enroll patients by the end of the year.
“Obesity is a complex condition, and no single treatment works for everyone. To truly address each patient’s needs, we need therapies with different mechanisms of action so that each person can receive the treatment that offers the best balance of effectiveness and tolerability for them,” Dr. Liana K. Billings, lead author of the study and director of clinical and genetics research in diabetes and cardiometabolic disease at Endeavor Health in Skokie, Illinois, said in a statement.
She added that the early trial results underscore “the potential of amylin receptor agonists to expand our therapeutic strategies and better serve individuals living with obesity.”
Eli Lilly is not the only drug company testing amylin analogs. Novo Nordisk’s version, called cagrilintide, led to about a 12% weight loss over 68 weeks in early, previously published studies.
Novo is testing a combination of cagrilintide and semaglutide — the latter of which is known under the brand name Wegovy — that produced about a 22% weight loss in people with obesity but not diabetesin a previously published, late-stage clinical trial.
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(NEW YORK) — The first U.S. case of a more severe strain of mpox without any recent travel history has been identified in California.
Health officials said this week that the case was confirmed in a Long Beach resident. The patient required hospitalization and is now isolating and recovering at home.
No other identifying details were provided about the patient, including name, age or sex.
While this is the seventh case of the more severe strain confirmed in the U.S this year, it is the first without known travel, according to local officials.
Officials say the risk to the general public is low and the health department is conducting an investigation, including working to identify the patient’s potential sources of exposure.
“We are taking this very seriously and ensuring our community and health care partners remain vigilant so we can prevent any more cases,” Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said in a press release. “This underscores the importance of continued surveillance, early response and vaccination.”
There are two types of the virus that cause mpox: clade I and clade II, with clade roughly meaning they are descended from a common ancestor organism. Clade I has historically been associated with severe illness and death, and is endemic to parts of central and western Africa, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Clade II was responsible for a large outbreak that peaked in summer 2022, leading to more than 100,000 cases in 122 countries, including more than 30,000 cases in the U.S.
The less severe strain in the U.S. has continued circulating at low levels and has remained relatively stable.
Parts of Africa have been dealing with sustained person-to-person spread of the more severe strain of mpox. All six previously confirmed cases of the more severe strain in the U.S. have been among people who had recently traveled to areas associated with the outbreak in central and eastern Africa, according to the CDC.
In November 2024, California reported the first domestic case of the more severe strain in a traveler from Africa who experienced mild illness.
People with mpox, which was formerly known as monkeypox, often get a rash that can be located on hands, feet, chest, face, mouth or near the genitals, the CDC said.
Most people with mpox typically recover within two to four weeks without specific treatments.
Currently, the JYNNEOS vaccine, a two-dose vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent smallpox and mpox, is the only vaccine being used in the U.S.
The JYNNEOS vaccine is recommended for adults at high risk for mpox, which includes people who are gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men and have recent or upcoming risk factors like multiple sexual partners, intimate contact with someone who may have mpox, or sex at commercial venues.
ABC News’ Mary Kekatos contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Oct.1 marks the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the American Cancer Society (ACS) is commemorating 40 years of spreading awareness about the condition.
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women, with one in eight developing breast cancer in her lifetime, according to the ACS.
However, the group also says that early detection can significantly improve treatment outcomes.
ABC News has compiled resources to help you learn more about breast cancer diagnosis, treatments and support.
Breast cancer statistics Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the U.S., behind skin cancer, accounting for one in three of all new female cancers every year, according to the ACS.
Between 2018 and 2022, more than two-thirds of cases of female breast cancer were diagnosed at a localized stage, meaning the cancer was contained to the breast, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women, behind lung cancer, although death rates have been decreasing over the last three decades. ACS states this is believed to be due to earlier screenings, better treatments and increased awareness.
To learn more key statistics about breast cancer, click here or here.
Diagnosing breast cancer Although breast cancer can be found after symptoms appear, many patients have no symptoms.
The most common symptom of breast cancer is a new lump or mass, but other signs and symptoms include swelling of the breast, skin dimpling, breast or nipple pain, nipple discharge aside from breast milk and nipple or breast skin that is red, dry, flaky or thickened, according to ACS.
Tests use to detect breast cancer include mammograms, breast ultrasounds and breast MRIs.
For women with low incomes and are uninsured or underinsured, the CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program offers free or low-cost mammograms.
To learn more about breast cancer symptoms and what imaging tests are available, click here.
Treating breast cancer Treatment for breast cancer can vary depending on the type, stage and location of the cancer.
Options include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy and targeted drug therapy.
The ACS recommends patients discuss all treatment options that are available to them with their doctors.
To learn more about treatment options and approaches, click here.
What to know about screening Currently, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends women between ages 40 and 74 who are at average risk for breast cancer get a mammogram every two years.
Women who are at higher risk with a family history of breast cancer or other risk factors should discuss timing of screening with their health care provider.
Experts say screenings can help detect breast cancer in its early stages, when it’s easier to treat.
To learn more about screening and what tests are available, click here.
One of ACS’ fundraising efforts includes Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.
The non-competitive walks, between three and five miles, are meant “to provide a supportive community for courageous breast cancer survivors and people living with metastatic breast cancer.”
To find an event near you, click here.
Connect with a breast cancer survivor Through the American Cancer Society’s app, ACS CARES, those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer can connect with trained volunteers who are breast cancer survivors.
The app can help connect patients with volunteers who have the same cancer experience and similar background including diagnosis, location, race and ethnicity.
To learn more about how to be connected with a volunteer, click here.
