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15 US states sued President Donald Trump led administration after the Department of Health and Human Services led by Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. revised vaccine schedule that led to coverage fall from 17 to 11 diseases for children. These 15 states are led Democrats and on Tuesday, they announced suing the Trump administration over unscientific grounds of releasing a new vaccine schedule.
The lawsuit has been filed by a coalition of 14 attorneys general and the governor of Pennsylvania. They have asked the courts to nullify the administration's decision to reduce the number of diseases children are routinely immunized from 17 to 11.
The lawsuit also challenges "the unlawful replacement" of members of the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, who recommend vaccines for Americans. The lawsuit names the Department of Health and Human Services and Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr as defendants. It also names the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its acting director, Dr Jay Bhattacharya.
Read: CDC Vaccine Schedule: Coverage Falls From 17 to 11 Diseases For Children
In a news briefing on Tuesday, Rob Bonta, attorney general of California said, "H.H.S. Secretary R.F.K. Jr. and his C.D.C. are flouting decades of scientific research, ignoring credible medical experts, and threatening to strain state resources and make America’s children sicker.” Bonta continued, "The fact is, vaccines save lives and save our state’s money."
The lawsuit also notes that the administration's revised vaccination schedule was unscientific and relied instead on comparisons to countries that are different than the United States.
Kris Mayes, attorney general of Arizona, as reported by The New York Times said that the latest vaccine schedule "copies" Denmark's recommendation, where the country already has a nationalized health care and the population is fraction of that of the US. "Copying Denmark’s vaccine schedule without copying Denmark’s health care system doesn’t give families more options — it just leaves kids unprotected from serious diseases."
Also Read: Wegovy And Ozempic Will Cost Less In 2027, Novo Nordisk Slashes Weight Loss Drugs Prices By Half

On January 5, 2026, the federal health officials led by RFK Jr. announced that the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaccine schedule will include routine shots for 11 diseases for children. This is down from 17 diseases, which were earlier included.
Under the revised schedule, vaccines for a limited number of diseases remain universally recommended for children. These include protection against measles, polio, and whooping cough, which are still considered essential routine immunizations.
The most controversial change is the narrowing of recommendations for several common childhood vaccines. Immunization against the following illnesses is now advised only for high-risk children or after consultation with a health care provider:
Covid-19 vaccination has also shifted to a consultation-based recommendation rather than routine use for all children.
This means shots that were once automatically given at set ages, including at birth, during infancy, and in adolescence, may now depend on individual medical discussions rather than standard guidance.
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Wegovy and Ozempic will cost less by January 1 of 2027 as manufacturer Novo Nordisk announced that the prices will be cut in half. The manufacturer said that the popular GLP-1 weight loss drugs will be as much as 50 per cent.
The manufacturer noted that this cut applies to all doses and the semaglutide tablet Rybelsus will now cost $675 a month. Rybelsus has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce the risk of heart attacks in those with diabetes.
Read: Doctor Explains Why Weight Loss Drugs Like Ozempic Are Truly A Medical Breakthrough
In a statement to PEOPLE, Jamey Millar, Executive Vice President, US Operations of Novo Nordisk Inc. said, "There are more than 100 million people living with obesity and over 35 million with type 2 diabetes and, for some, list price has been a real barrier to access and affordability."
Wegovy injections and pills currently cost $1,349.02 a month, whereas Ozempic and Rybelus cost $1,027.51. These figures have been emailed to PEOPLE by Novo Nordisk.
Read: GLP-1 Drugs Don’t Just Curb Appetite; They Rewire the Brain, Shows Study
People with commercial insurance pay $25 a month, whereas those using cash pay between $149 to $499. Patients on Medicare will pay $274 per month.

GLP-1 drugs mimic the action of the natural hormone GLP-1 to regulate blood sugar and promote weight loss. They work by increasing insulin release in a glucose-dependent manner, decreasing the liver's production of glucagon, and slowing down the emptying of the stomach, which helps lower blood sugar levels after a meal. They also act on the brain to suppress appetite and increase feelings of fullness, leading to reduced calorie intake.
Read: Zepbound Outperforms Other Weight Loss Drugs, More Details Inside
In people with type 2 diabetes, notes Harvard Health, the body's cells are resistant to the effects of insulin and body does not produce enough insulin, or both. This is when GLP-1 agonists stimulate pancreas to release insulin and suppress the release of another hormone called glucagon.
These drugs also act in the brain to reduce hunger and act on the stomach to delay emptying, so you feel full for a longer time. These effects can lead to weight loss, which can be an important part of managing diabetes.
In September 2025, WHO added GLP-1 drugs to its list of essential medicines, but only for treating diabetes, not for obesity alone. The new guideline extends that conversation, offering a more formal stance on their use in obesity management. The recommendations were developed by a committee of experts in obesity, pharmacology, and public health, following requests from several WHO member states. They also align with approvals already granted by regulators like the US FDA.
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HPV Vaccine: India is planning to launch a free nationwide HPV or the Human Papillomavirus vaccination program to strengthen women's health and eliminate preventable cervical cancers in the country. Health and Me has also reported on the same. Government has also urged parents and guardians to come forward and ensure that their 14-year-old daughters are vaccinated against HPV.
Read: India to Soon Launch Free HPV Vaccine For Young Girls To Prevent Cervical Cancer
Dr Asmita Dongare, a Pune-based consultant obstetrician and gynecologist writes on her website that cervical cancer is still one of the top causes of cancer-related deaths among Indian women. This is why every young woman must consider to get the vaccine, especially when the drive allows them to avail it for free.
HPV vaccination also provides up to 90 per cent protection against cervical cancer when administer before exposure. Studies have also shown that the vaccine is 97 per cent effective in preventing cervical cancer and related cell changes if given before the virus exposure.
Furthermore, the vaccine could prevent more than one type of cancer, notes the doctor, which includes:
The vaccines have also shown to provide long-term protection with individuals monitored for at least 12 years who showed no evidence of weakened immunity. The vaccine creates antibodies and provide lasting protection against the virus.
Also Read: 15 States Sue Trump Administration Over Revised Vaccine Schedule
The vaccine is most effective when it is administered before exposure to HPV and before becoming sexually active. Young women aged 9 to 14 years show vaccine effectiveness of 74 to 93 per cent and this decreases with age.
The nationwide program, based on expert recommendations of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI), will target girls aged 14 years.
At 14, the HPV vaccine offers maximum preventive benefit, well before potential exposure to the virus.
"By prioritising prevention at the right age, the program is expected to provide lifelong protection and significantly reduce the future burden of cervical cancer in the country," the sources said.
Vaccination under the national program will be voluntary and free of cost.
The HPV vaccination will be conducted exclusively at designated government health facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (Primary Health Centres), Community Health Centres, Sub-District and District Hospitals, and Government Medical Colleges.
The vaccine to be used is non-live and does not cause HPV infection. It is supported by more than 500 million doses administered globally since its introduction in 2006.
"India’s national program will use Gardasil, a quadrivalent HPV vaccine that protects against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause cervical cancer, as well as types 6 and 11. Strong global and Indian scientific evidence confirms that a single dose provides robust and durable protection when administered to girls in the recommended age group," the sources said.
Credits: Canva
Measles in US have already logged up to 982 cases in 2026, revealed the data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday. It is more than four times the number of cases as this time last year when a large outbreak was just beginning in West Texas.
As of now, 26 states have reported measles cases so far. Large outbreaks continue to grow in Utah, Arizona and South Carolina.
This is the largest measles outbreak US has seen in a generation. According to a South Carolina epidemiologist Dr Linda Bell, reported by NBC, at least 20 people have been hospitalized. These hospitalizations involve both adults and children. Additional cases required medical care for measles but were not hospitalized,” Bell said.
As per the CDC data, 1 in 10 measles cases in 2025 resulted in hospitalization and most of them were children and teenager.
Florida too is seeing a rise in cases. At the beginning of this year, the state's health department reported 92 cases since the beginning of the year. 66 of the cases were in Collier County and largely clustered at Ave Maria University, near Naples.
While some people recover, some also stay with the symptoms way beyond the illness. Long term health problems develop even after the rash clears up. This is because the virus targets cells that play roles in a person's immune system and makes them vulnerable to subsequent illnesses.
In some rare cases, people could develop dangerous brain inflammation seven to 10 years after a measles infection. This condition is called sclerosing panencephalitis, or SSPE, is almost always fatal.
Doctors at Children's Hospital of Orange County in California described a case in the New England Journal of Medicine. It was a 7-year-old boy who went to the hospital following several months of seizures and cognitive problems that had gotten worse. The boy had lived in Afghanistan in his infancy where he had gotten measles.
Doctors said that when he arrived in the hospital he could not speak and his body's muscle reflexes were not working. These were signs of neurological problems and he was diagnosed with SPPE. Unfortunately, within a year of his first symptoms, he died.
Measles has a high transmissibility, and high measles immunity levels are required to prevent sustained measles virus transmission.
This is why herd immunity for measles could be easily breached.
It easily spreads from one infected person to another through breathes, coughs or sneezes and could cause severe disease, complications, and even death.
The most unique symptom or the early sign of measles in the Koplik spots. These are tiny white dots that look like grains of salt on red gums inside the cheeks that appear before the red rash starts to appear on a person's face and then the body.
Furthermore, the symptoms of measles are also characterized by the three Cs:
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