96
Global Health NOW: COVID Vaccines鈥� Safety Confirmed Amid U.S. Scrutiny; and How to Read a Scientific Study
December 10, 2025
TOP STORIES
In DRC鈥檚 worst cholera outbreak in 25 years, children account for nearly a quarter of the 64,427 total cases so far this year; in 鈥渙ne of the most tragic鈥� instances, 16 of 62 children died when the virus swept through a Kinshasa orphanage.
The first single-dose dengue vaccine has been approved for use in Brazil; the shot, Butantan-DV, protects against four strains of dengue and will initially be given to 1 million people in January.
Children exposed to extreme heat are less likely to meet basic developmental milestones than children living nearby in cooler areas, ; low-income children are especially vulnerable.
Civicus downgraded from 鈥渘arrowed鈥� to 鈥渙bstructed,鈥� citing a 鈥渟harp deterioration of fundamental freedoms in the country鈥� this year and placing the U.S. in the same classification as 39 other countries including Hungary, Brazil, and South Africa. IN FOCUS People waiting to receive a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at the Clermont-Tonnerre military hospital in Brest, France. April 6, 2021. Loic Venance/AFP via Getty COVID Vaccines鈥� Safety Confirmed Amid U.S. Scrutiny A major French study is offering one of the clearest looks yet at the long-term safety of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, concluding that the vaccines did not increase mortality rates in France, .
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
The first single-dose dengue vaccine has been approved for use in Brazil; the shot, Butantan-DV, protects against four strains of dengue and will initially be given to 1 million people in January.
Children exposed to extreme heat are less likely to meet basic developmental milestones than children living nearby in cooler areas, ; low-income children are especially vulnerable.
Civicus downgraded from 鈥渘arrowed鈥� to 鈥渙bstructed,鈥� citing a 鈥渟harp deterioration of fundamental freedoms in the country鈥� this year and placing the U.S. in the same classification as 39 other countries including Hungary, Brazil, and South Africa. IN FOCUS People waiting to receive a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at the Clermont-Tonnerre military hospital in Brest, France. April 6, 2021. Loic Venance/AFP via Getty COVID Vaccines鈥� Safety Confirmed Amid U.S. Scrutiny A major French study is offering one of the clearest looks yet at the long-term safety of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, concluding that the vaccines did not increase mortality rates in France, .
- The research arrives amid renewed debate of the vaccines鈥� safety in the U.S. sparked by an FDA memo that alleged vaccine-related deaths鈥攃laims rejected by former FDA leaders and unsupported by data.
- The team tracked all causes of death for four years鈥攆ar longer than most prior studies.
- Prasad also said he plans to implement tighter vaccine-approval standards, though it is unclear what data sources the FDA is using to assess the safety of the vaccines or the approval process, .
- How can nonscientists avoid falling for oversimplification, distortion, or manipulation?
- Eye the essentials: Know the journal and its quality; understand the abstract section; look at the introduction to understand the study鈥檚 purpose, and read the discussion section to learn more about how to interpret the study.
- Consider possible limitations, including sample size, participant demographics, and what needs further study.
- Distinguish between correlation and causation.
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
The vast majority of World Health Organization (WHO) member States say 40 to 90 per cent of their populations now use traditional medicine.
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Polio: An Influx of Cash鈥攁nd a Funding Shortfall
December 9, 2025
TOP STORIES
A hospital and kindergarten in Sudan came under drone strikes last week, killing 114 people, including 63 children; 35 were injured, many of whom tried to get victims to the hospital, according to the WHO; Sudan officials attributed the Kalogi massacre to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, a group responsible for other atrocities in Sudan鈥檚 civil war.
Countries must jointly enact policies and fund programs against climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution, ; the report, based on the work of 287 scientists, calls for unprecedented transformation of government, the financial sector, and industry.
A multidrug-resistant bacterial colonization of the gastrointestinal tract is prevalent worldwide, ; carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales often precedes infections in critically ill hospital patients.
Returning to school after the COVID-19 pandemic improved children鈥檚 mental health, according to a California-based study that found kids鈥� probability of being diagnosed with a mental health condition dropped 43% nine months after school reopening compared to pre-opening levels. IN FOCUS A child is vaccinated against polio by Thane Municipal Corporation Health Department on December 8, 2024, in Mumbai, India. Praful Gangurde/Hindustan Times via Getty Images Polio: An Influx of Cash鈥攁nd a Funding Shortfall
International donors committed to $1.9 billion against polio yesterday, but is it enough?
4.6 billion
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌�
The estimated number of people worldwide who still lack access to essential health services; while countries have advanced toward universal health coverage, major challenges remain. 鈥�
HEALTH SYSTEMS A Health Care Breakdown in a Health Care Town
Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital is southwest Georgia鈥檚 largest health provider鈥攂ut also the region鈥檚 dominant employer and economic power center.
And yet: Locals describe a system fraught with access limitations, poor outcomes, high prices, and fractured care鈥攊ncluding dismissive treatment reported by uninsured residents.
Inflection point: When the region became one of the nation鈥檚 first COVID-19 hot spots in 2020, the crisis exposed frayed relationships between the hospital and the community, especially poor and Black residents who suffered the worst outcomes.
Bigger picture: The more hospitals operate as behemoth businesses, 鈥渢he fewer incentives there are to lower costs or improve quality and the less communities can do about either.鈥�
QUICK HITS More Americans refusing vitamin K shots for newborns, new study finds 鈥� Warning issued after new mpox strain identified in England 鈥� Why Some Doctors Say There Are Cancers That Shouldn鈥檛 Be Treated 鈥� Surprise! Your health care provider added a fee for that questionnaire you filled out 鈥�
Zimbabwe鈥檚 only female heart surgeon on medicine, misogyny and making a difference 鈥� Issue No. 2834
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Countries must jointly enact policies and fund programs against climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution, ; the report, based on the work of 287 scientists, calls for unprecedented transformation of government, the financial sector, and industry.
A multidrug-resistant bacterial colonization of the gastrointestinal tract is prevalent worldwide, ; carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales often precedes infections in critically ill hospital patients.
Returning to school after the COVID-19 pandemic improved children鈥檚 mental health, according to a California-based study that found kids鈥� probability of being diagnosed with a mental health condition dropped 43% nine months after school reopening compared to pre-opening levels. IN FOCUS A child is vaccinated against polio by Thane Municipal Corporation Health Department on December 8, 2024, in Mumbai, India. Praful Gangurde/Hindustan Times via Getty Images Polio: An Influx of Cash鈥攁nd a Funding Shortfall
International donors committed to $1.9 billion against polio yesterday, but is it enough?
- The funds will be used to vaccinate 370 million children against polio each year as well as build up health systems, (GPEI).
- The Gates Foundation pledged $1.2 billion, and Rotary International committed to $450 million, .
Shortfall: Despite the pledges, there鈥檚 still a $440 million gap in support for GPEI through 2029.
- The U.K., Germany, and other countries have pulled back plans for development assistance and health funding in 2026, and U.S. support for polio efforts is unclear for 2026.
- GPEI expects to cut its budget by 30% next year because of the global retreat in foreign aid, .
The Quote: Without the full $6.9 billion needed for GPEI鈥檚 strategy, 鈥渃hildren will be left unprotected against polio,鈥� GPEI spokesperson Ally Rogers told CNN.
Polio memories: , the University of Toronto Mississauga鈥檚 Madeleine Mant interviewed 65 people who had polio between 1941 and 1977. Their message: Young people shouldn鈥檛 have to experience polio or other vaccine-preventable diseases, .
Related: Bill Gates renews call to eradicate polio and malaria with UAE as key partner 鈥�
4.6 billion
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌�
The estimated number of people worldwide who still lack access to essential health services; while countries have advanced toward universal health coverage, major challenges remain. 鈥�
HEALTH SYSTEMS A Health Care Breakdown in a Health Care Town
Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital is southwest Georgia鈥檚 largest health provider鈥攂ut also the region鈥檚 dominant employer and economic power center.
And yet: Locals describe a system fraught with access limitations, poor outcomes, high prices, and fractured care鈥攊ncluding dismissive treatment reported by uninsured residents.
Inflection point: When the region became one of the nation鈥檚 first COVID-19 hot spots in 2020, the crisis exposed frayed relationships between the hospital and the community, especially poor and Black residents who suffered the worst outcomes.
Bigger picture: The more hospitals operate as behemoth businesses, 鈥渢he fewer incentives there are to lower costs or improve quality and the less communities can do about either.鈥�
QUICK HITS More Americans refusing vitamin K shots for newborns, new study finds 鈥� Warning issued after new mpox strain identified in England 鈥� Why Some Doctors Say There Are Cancers That Shouldn鈥檛 Be Treated 鈥� Surprise! Your health care provider added a fee for that questionnaire you filled out 鈥�
Zimbabwe鈥檚 only female heart surgeon on medicine, misogyny and making a difference 鈥� Issue No. 2834
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
Supporting colleagues facing potential sexual exploitation or abuse (PSEA) in the workplace, may start with small acts of recognition but can have lasting positive impacts, according to a UN member of staff working in the Southeast Asian country, Lao People's Democratic Republic.
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: The Hepatitis B Vote: A Pivotal Moment for U.S. Vaccine Policy
December 8, 2025
TOP STORIES
20+ babies in Hungary have died of maternally contracted syphilis, and 63 cases have been confirmed in the country this year as syphilis cases increase worldwide.
2 MERS cases have been reported in France; both patients had been on the same trip to the Arabian Peninsula; no secondary transmission has been detected.
Kenya signed a $2.5 billion, five-year agreement to accept U.S. funding to help fight infectious diseases, becoming the first country to sign a deal aligned with the Trump administration鈥檚 foreign policy goals; the agreement sparked concerns about the security of sensitive health data.
Environmental advocates in Canada are pushing for a moratorium on the use of glyphosate, the key ingredient in RoundUp, after a 25-year-old foundational research paper on the herbicide鈥檚 safety was following revelations that RoundUp鈥檚 maker, Monsanto, may have helped produce the paper. IN FOCUS Members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at the CDC headquarters. Atlanta, Georgia, December 5. Megan Varner/Bloomberg via Getty The Hepatitis B Vote: A Pivotal Moment for U.S. Vaccine Policy It鈥檚 a tectonic shift in U.S. immunization policy: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted Friday to withdraw a long-standing recommendation that newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccination at birth.
Australia this week, prompting platforms like Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube to deactivate hundreds of thousands of accounts, .
Faulty glucose monitors linked to 7 deaths and more than 700 injuries, FDA warns 鈥�
'Very concerning': Opioids for sickle cell pain often not administered fast enough in ED 鈥�
How the new H-1B visa fee is upending health care in rural America 鈥� Editors鈥� pick 2025: Our favourite essays and longform stories on public health in South Africa 鈥� Ashish Jha to leave Brown University School of Public Health 鈥� 鈥極ne bite and he was hooked鈥�: from Kenya to Nepal, how parents are battling ultra-processed foods 鈥� Issue No. 2833
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
2 MERS cases have been reported in France; both patients had been on the same trip to the Arabian Peninsula; no secondary transmission has been detected.
Kenya signed a $2.5 billion, five-year agreement to accept U.S. funding to help fight infectious diseases, becoming the first country to sign a deal aligned with the Trump administration鈥檚 foreign policy goals; the agreement sparked concerns about the security of sensitive health data.
Environmental advocates in Canada are pushing for a moratorium on the use of glyphosate, the key ingredient in RoundUp, after a 25-year-old foundational research paper on the herbicide鈥檚 safety was following revelations that RoundUp鈥檚 maker, Monsanto, may have helped produce the paper. IN FOCUS Members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at the CDC headquarters. Atlanta, Georgia, December 5. Megan Varner/Bloomberg via Getty The Hepatitis B Vote: A Pivotal Moment for U.S. Vaccine Policy It鈥檚 a tectonic shift in U.S. immunization policy: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted Friday to withdraw a long-standing recommendation that newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccination at birth.
- The decision was made without new evidence and against the strong consensus of medical groups that the change puts children at unnecessary risk, .
- But the vaccine鈥檚 safety is well established, , which outlines the history of the shot, its timing, and its role in bringing down infections in young people by 99%.
- President Trump Friday, urging health officials to review the entire childhood vaccine schedule, calling the U.S. an 鈥渙utlier,鈥� .
- But states are already pushing back against ACIP鈥檚 recommendation: New York , and Ohio officials .
Australia this week, prompting platforms like Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube to deactivate hundreds of thousands of accounts, .
- Other governments worldwide are watching the move, which Australian officials call the 鈥渇irst domino鈥� in such regulation.
- A 鈥渓ayered safety approach,鈥� including AI-informed age detection, activity-pattern analysis, and mandatory age verification.
- Protections to block circumvention attempts, and parent reporting.
- Fines of up to $49.5 million for platforms.
Faulty glucose monitors linked to 7 deaths and more than 700 injuries, FDA warns 鈥�
'Very concerning': Opioids for sickle cell pain often not administered fast enough in ED 鈥�
How the new H-1B visa fee is upending health care in rural America 鈥� Editors鈥� pick 2025: Our favourite essays and longform stories on public health in South Africa 鈥� Ashish Jha to leave Brown University School of Public Health 鈥� 鈥極ne bite and he was hooked鈥�: from Kenya to Nepal, how parents are battling ultra-processed foods 鈥� Issue No. 2833
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
