New CDC MMWR Report: Measles Cases Reach 25-Year High
According to CDC’s latest MMWR, the U.S. is currently experiencing its second-highest annual number of measles cases in 25 years, with 800 cases reported as of April 17, 2025. A majority stem from a multistate outbreak in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, particularly in close-knit communities with low MMR vaccination coverage.
Measles remains highly contagious—infecting up to 90% of unvaccina…
Air Pollution Still Affects Nearly Half of Americans — And It's Taking a Toll on Health
Despite decades of progress under the Clean Air Act, nearly half of Americans—156 million people—still live with unhealthy levels of air pollution, according to the American Lung Association's 2024 State of the Air report. While cleaner air has prevented millions of asthma attacks and extended life expectancy, rising threats like climate change-driven wildfires are eroding these gains.
Pollut…
Advance Your Impact at the 2025 National Summit for Health Communication
The 9th Annual National Summit for Health Communication, hosted by the Society for Health Communication, will take place on June 24, 2025, in McLean, VA and online. The summit offers a rich opportunity for public health communicators to gain practical tools and fresh insights. This one-day event will spotlight expert-led sessions on critical topics like generative AI, evaluation strategies, and…
Boosting PR Impact: How Data-Driven Strategies Strengthen Public Health Communication
To maximize the impact of public relations (PR) efforts, it’s crucial to track return on investment (ROI) through metrics like active media coverage, potential reach, website referral traffic, sentiment, backlinks, and social media engagement. Understanding and applying these analytics helps shape more effective, measurable campaigns.
Public health communicators can boost ROI by leaning into…
NCHCMM Abstract - Due Friday
Public health communicators: there’s still time to showcase your work at the 2025 National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media (NCHCMM)! The abstract deadline has been extended to this Friday, May 2, 2025, giving you extra time to submit or update proposals.
Whether your work addresses misinformation, health equity, or innovative community engagement, NCHCMM is your plat…
White House Trumpets Covid Lab Leak Theory on Web Page That Was Devoted to Health Information
A recent redesign of Covid.gov has raised alarms in the public health community. The site, once a reliable source for COVID-19 guidance and resources, now redirects to a White House page centered on the lab-leak theory of the virus’s origin—featuring partisan messaging and criticism of public health leaders. While some federal agencies have supported the lab-leak possibility, many scientists ma…
FDA Making Plans to End its Routine Food Safety Inspections
The FDA is reportedly exploring plans to shift most routine food safety inspections to state and local agencies—a move that could free up federal resources but raises concerns about oversight and consistency. While the FDA says inspections will continue during a reorganization period, internal sources and layoffs suggest significant changes are underway.
States already handle about one-third…