Author: Claudinne Miller
Viral outbreaks are always on the horizon – here are the viruses an infectious disease expert is watching in 2026
The Conversation A new year might mean new viral threats. Old viruses are constantly evolving. A warming and increasingly populated planet puts humans in contact with more and different viruses. And increased mobility means that viruses can rapidly travel across the globe along with their human hosts. As an infectious diseases physician and researcher, I’ll be keeping an eye on a […]
Jan 7, 2026
Controversial US-Backed Vaccination Study Begins in Guinea-Bissau
Health Policy Watch The US government-funded trial on the timing of hepatitis B vaccinations, which will delay vaccination for up to 7,000 newborns in Guinea-Bissau, started this week. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded a controversial Danish research group a ,6 million five-year grant to study the “optimal timing and delivery of […]
Jan 7, 2026
How A Bird Flu Outbreak Wiped Out A Generation Of Seals In Patagonia—And What It Means For Wildlife Conservation – Analysis
Eurasia Review An unprecedented avian flu outbreak in Argentine Patagonia devastated a stable elephant seal colony, highlighting the rising threat of infectious disease to wildlife in a warming world. In the spring of 2023, we returned to Península Valdés, a rugged coastal region in Argentine Patagonia, expecting to witness the familiar sights and sounds of […]
Jan 7, 2026
The Ancient Art of Nasal Rinsing Might Protect You From a Cold
Wired On average, the typical American contracts two to three colds per year between September and May, at an estimated cost of around $40 billion to the economy. Effective forms of treating or preventing colds have proven hard to come by, with the majority of over-the-counter medicines yielding modest results; it’s hard to devise a drug that tackles the vast array of viral […]
Jan 7, 2026
Massachusetts officials announce detection of Avian Influenza
WJAR News The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources announced a highly pathogenic Avian Influenza was detected in a domestic flock of chickens. Officials said the agency safely depopulated and disposed of a backyard flock of chickens in Dukes County. According to officials, the birds exhibited signs consistent with Avian Influenza and tested positive for the […]
Jan 7, 2026
US Sees Highest Measles Case Count in Decades as Outbreaks Grow
Pulmonology Advisor The U.S. recorded more than 2,000 measles cases in 2025, the nation’s highest yearly total in decades, health officials report. As of Dec. 30, 2,065 measles cases had been confirmed nationwide, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The last time the United States saw more cases in a […]
Jan 7, 2026
4 child flu deaths reported in Massachusetts: “We are seeing children who are seriously ill”
CBS News Four children have died from the flu in Massachusetts so far this season, public health officials say. The deaths occurred in recent weeks as peak flu season gets underway, according to the Department of Public Health. The Boston Public Health Commission said Tuesday that two of the deaths were children in the city under 2 […]
Jan 7, 2026
Why flu seems to be everywhere — even if ‘super flu’ is not a thing
STAT News Subclade K is making its impact felt. Australia’s 2025 flu season lasted weeks longer than it normally does. Hong Kong’s hit so early that the rollout of seasonal flu shots hadn’t yet started. New York has reported record-breaking flu hospitalizations for the past two weeks. Welcome to the winter of subclade K. Even if you weren’t already aware of […]
Jan 7, 2026
Kennedy Scales Back the Number of Vaccines Recommended for Children
NYT Federal health officials now recommend that children be routinely inoculated against 11 diseases, not 17, citing standards in other wealthy nations. Federal health officials on Monday announced dramatic revisions to the slate of vaccines recommended for American children, reducing the number of diseases prevented by routine shots to 11 from 17. Jim O’Neill, acting […]
Jan 7, 2026
Stanford scientists uncover why mRNA COVID vaccines can trigger heart inflammation
Science Daily Stanford scientists have uncovered how mRNA COVID-19 vaccines can very rarely trigger heart inflammation in young men — and how that risk might be reduced. They found that the vaccines can spark a two-step immune reaction that floods the body with inflammatory signals, drawing aggressive immune cells into the heart and causing temporary […]
Dec 30, 2025