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University of Nebraska Medical Center

Author: Claudinne Miller

How RFK Jr. upended the public health system

Washington Post Interviews with almost 100 people reveal how Kennedy, as health secretary, has reshaped the vaccine and broader public health infrastructure in less than a year. On his way to being confirmed as the nation’s top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised lawmakers he would do nothing that “makes it difficult or discourages people from […]

Dec 30, 2025

In 2026, Kennedy’s MAHA vision gets put to the test. Here are 3 issues to watch

STAT In many ways, it’s been a banner year for chronic disease. America’s enduring ailments became a central theme of the Trump administration, with health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wielding his influence over the president. Trump created a commission focused on childhood chronic illnesses, which issued two reports on the matter. Statehouses across the country passed Make America […]

Dec 30, 2025

Indian scientists predict how bird flu could spread to humans

BBC For years, scientists have warned that bird flu – better known as H5N1 – could one day make the dangerous leap from birds to humans and trigger a global health crisis. Avian flu – a type of influenza – is entrenched across South and South-East Asia and has occasionally infected humans since emerging in […]

Dec 30, 2025

Europe ends 2025 with more than 700 avian flu outbreaks

Watt Poultry To date in 2025, a total of 699 outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have been recorded in commercial poultry farms in 23 European countries. This is according to the Animal Disease Information System from the European Commission (EC; as of December 24). This database monitors outbreaks of listed animal diseases in European Union member states […]

Dec 30, 2025

A dozen swans have died at Lake Eola in the past week, leaving Orlando officials fearing another outbreak of bird flu at the city’s signature park.

Ohio News City Commissioner Patty Sheehan posted on Facebook that two dead swans were found on Dec. 23, with the number growing to 12 by Sunday. Due to the holidays the city’s specialized veterinarians weren’t available, Sheehan said, but the deceased swans are being stored in a secure area so necropsies can be performed. Prior […]

Dec 30, 2025

12 swans found dead at Florida park. Bird flu is suspected

Tampa News Prior to the recent deaths, the swan population at the park was estimated to be between 50 and 60. A dozen swans have died at Lake Eola in the past week, leaving Orlando officials fearing another outbreak of bird flu at the city’s signature park. City Commissioner Patty Sheehan posted on Facebook that […]

Dec 30, 2025

Measles’ Most Deceptive Trait

The Atlantic Most cases are mild, obscuring the disease’s worst outcomes. In the early 1960s, American childhood was not what it is today. Many children spent hours playing unsupervised in the streets; they rode around in cars without seat belts, then came home to frozen dinners, served in front of TVs blaring cigarette ads. And […]

Dec 30, 2025

Experts Question Denmark’s Vaccine Program as a Model for the U.S.

NYT The United States is expected to adopt the vaccine schedule used by Denmark, a much smaller country with universal health care. The United States, a nation of 343 million people with a complex and overburdened health care system, is poised to adopt the childhood vaccine recommendations used in Denmark, a country of six million […]

Dec 30, 2025

5 breakthrough health innovations in 2025

Popular Science For years, needing reading glasses to correct farsightedness seemed like an inevitable part of aging. This year, the visual accessories might officially be a thing of the past. VIZZ eyedrops by LENZ Therapeutics offer a new tool against age-related farsightedness. The newly approved drops are powerful enough to improve vision by three or […]

Dec 30, 2025

Whooping Cough Deaths Rise in U.S. as Surge in Infections Continues

Scientific American The brutal respiratory infection has infected tens of thousands and killed at least 13 people in the U.S. in 2025 Whooping cough cases are sweeping in the U.S., with tens of thousands infected and at least 13 people dead from the bacterial infection this year. While the infection rate is lower than last year, […]

Dec 30, 2025