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Health News:

• 124 new measles cases were reported since Friday in South Carolina, most in Spartanburg County, bringing the total to 434 cases and over 400 people in quarantine. (SCPR)

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• Wastewater testing can ID measles outbreaks days or even months before cases are confirmed by doctors, but proposed budget cuts would put it at risk. (AP)

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• Live It Up brand Super Greens supplement was recalled after being linked to a Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak with 45 cases in 21 states. (CBS)

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• There’s a novel strain of extensively drug-resistant Shigella in the Los Angeles area. (CIDRAP)

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• Berkeley, CA warned residents after rats and dogs tested positive for leptospirosis, which can be deadly for humans and animals alike. (Daily Cal)

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• California will add folic acid to corn masa products, like tortillas. The U.S. has fortified all wheat products since 1998 to reduce birth defects; adding corn helps Latino populations benefit. (YLE)

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• Public mistrust has led to a drop in organ donations and kidney transplants. (AP)

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• 70% of people with cancer now survive at least 5 years after diagnosis, up from just half in the ‘70s. (USA Today)

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• A highly controversial U.S.-funded hepatitis B study in Guinea-Bissau was halted due to ethical concerns. (Guardian)

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• An elementary school in CT closed due to a high number of students with norovirus. (WTNH)

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• Delaware and Georgia both had major commercial avian flu outbreaks in poultry this week. (CIDRAP)

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• Patients value diagnostic testing now more than ever, new research shows, but it can come with confusion. (Sensitive and Specific)
  
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• Lyme disease costs up to $1 billion annually in the U.S. (CIDRAP)

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Best Question: 

What is “shared clinical decision making” for vaccines? 

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The latest CDC childhood vaccination schedule removed a number of key pediatric vaccinations from the standard guidelines, and instead shifted them to something called “shared clinical decision making.” 

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This includes children’s vaccines against flu, COVID, hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, and meningococcal disease. 

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But what is shared clinical decision making? 

If you’re not sure, you’re not alone. A study from the Annenberg Public Policy Center from the University of Pennsylvania found that at least 1 in 10 aren’t sure what it means, but up to 2 in 5 had some sort of misunderstanding about the meaning. 

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Shared clinical decision making means the parent or guardian should discuss their child’s individual situation and medical history with a healthcare provider. 

This is an alternative to the broad, benefits-based recommendations that CDC made before these changes. As a reminder, no science changed around these vaccinations. This is a policy-based change, not an evidence-based one. 

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Who counts as a healthcare provider for shared clinical decision making? 

The good news is that families have lots of options - and some are more accessible than others. A healthcare provider that can administer vaccines and discuss your child’s individual situation include:

• doctors
• physician’s assistants (PA)
• nurse practitioners (NP)
• registered nurses (RN), and
• pharmacists.

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Can I still get these vaccinations for my kid? 

Yes! No part of the CDC recommendation changes bans any of these vaccines, and they’re all still covered by insurance. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) still recommends all 17 of the routine childhood vaccinations that the CDC used to recommend broadly, and at least 17 states and many key counties and hospital groups have announced they won’t use the new CDC schedule. 

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Sources: CIDRAP, Annenberg Public Policy Center, ACIP

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Best Read:

Last year’s headlines about the risk of black plastic kitchen utensils were based on some flawed math. Turns out the idea that we have a spoon’s worth of plastic in our brains might be, too. Should you go out and replace them in your kitchen? Maybe not. But don’t stress if you still use some. 

Bring Back the Black Plastic Spatula - Slate

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