It is no news that all appointments in the United States' Health Departments that have been made under RFK Jr are of the people who have been vaccine critiques. In a similar scenario, Dr Ralph Abraham, a state surgeon from Louisiana, who had ordered health officials to stop promoting mass vaccination will now serve as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) principal deputy director.

It was in February when Abraham instructed health department staff to stop promoting vaccines for preventable diseases.

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He wrote in a February 13 internal memo that although patients should continue speaking with their providers about the risks and benefits of vaccination, the health department will stop promoting mass vaccination. The memo was issued on the same day Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in as secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services. While his hiring has not been announced by HHS, but his new role has been confirmed. It was first reported by health newsletter Inside Medicine.

Who Are Part Of The CDC?

As of now the CDC does not have a permanent director. Kennedy ousted Dr Susan Monarez from the role in August. Jim O'Neill, who is serving as the deputy HHS secretary said this month that the agency has had "mission creep" and needs to focus on its original mandate.

“We want to … take the people we have and put them to their best use. And secondly, we are always recruiting. We are eager to hire wonderful scientists and data engineers and AI engineers and researchers and drug reviewers across the department, including CDC. If you are talented, you care about health or human services – please come work with us.”

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What More Do We Know About Ralph Abraham?

The news of his appointment comes days after the CDC changed its guidelines on vaccines on its website. The CDC website now links vaccines with autism and states that "vaccines do not cause autism is not an evidence-based claim".

While Abraham has not outrightly been anti-vaccine, he had asked the health staff to not promote it for preventable diseases or infection and has long echoed Kennedy's 'Make America Healthy Again' (MAHA) rhetoric. He had questioned trust in the pharmaceutical industry and public health institutions.

“The solution to increased spending and declining outcomes in our country is unlikely to come in the form of a pill or a shot,” Abraham said in a February statement. “Much of the solution will likely come down to the usual hard work of improving diet, increasing exercise, and making better lifestyle choices.”

Changes In CDC

Apart from the guidelines being changes on autism and vaccine link, in August, Kennedy dismissed all members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the body whose recommendations form the basis of state immunization mandates.

Just days later, eight new members were named—though one withdrew amid ethics concerns. Unlike their predecessors, this panel includes only one epidemiologist and one infectious disease specialist, with no virologists or immunologists. Many appointees lack peer-reviewed vaccine research altogether, and those who do have published, on average, 78% fewer vaccine-related papers than former members.

Barbie. A name too familiar for everyone growing up, now Mattel Studio has launched its first autistic Barbie. This is after Greta Gerwig's 2023 blockbuster movie that introduced the concept of diverse characters of Barbie, that Mattel launched its first Barbie with type 1 diabetes. The studio is definite about creating a diverse range of Barbie character, as an animated Barbie film too is in the development.

Why Is The Launch Of Autistic Barbie Important?

Autistic Barbie is the latest addition to Barbie's Fashionistas range, which is designed so more children can "see themselves in Barbie". The Barbie is created in collaboration with the US charity the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. The Barbie is designed to represent the ways autistic children may have experienced, including the way they communicate.

Barbie With Autism: What Are Her Features?

The Barbie's eyes gaze slightly to one side, which could represent how some autistic people avoid direct eye contact. The Barbie also comes with completely bendable elbows and wrists, which enables her repetitive physical movements such as stimming and hand-flapping that help people with autism to process sensory information, or even express excitement.

She also holds a pink fidget spinner on her finger, which helps her reduce her stress, wears noise-cancelling headphones, also in pink, to reduce sensory overload, and carries a pink tablet with symbol-based augmentative and alternative communication buttons on its screen that helps with her everyday communication.

Barbies earlier came in one-size-fit-all, often lacking the diversity and representation, this Barbie, however, wears a loose-fitting purple pinstripe A-line dress. This has minimized fabric to skin contact, and her shoes have flat soles that promotes stability and ease of movements.

Read: Hundreds Of US Children Have Type 1 Diabetes, Now Their Barbie Has It Too

Barbie's Representation Matters

The first Barbie came in 1959, and until 2019, there were no dolls with disabilities. Now, there are Barbies with diabetes, blind dolls, and Barbies with wheelchairs, Down syndrome, prosthetic limb, vitiligo, and hearing aids. There is also a Ken doll with a prosthetic leg, and another one who uses a wheelchair with a ramp, and one with hearing aids.

Jamie Cygielman, the global head of dolls at Mattel while announcing the autistic Barbie said, "Barbie has always strived to reflect the world kids see and the possibilities they imagine, and we’re proud to introduce our first autistic Barbie as part of that ongoing work. The doll helps to expand what inclusion looks like in the toy aisle and beyond because every child deserves to see themselves in Barbie."

She also added: “We engaged with the autistic community throughout the design process, always mindful that autism is experienced differently by every individual and is not always visible. The elements of this doll reflect how some people on the spectrum may experience and express the world, and we hope that by partnering with influential voices within the community, Barbie can continue to showcase a broader range of authentic experiences.”

What Is Autism?

As per the American Psychiatric Association, ASD is a complex developmental condition involving persistent challenges with social communication, restricted interests and repetitive behavior. While autism is considered a lifelong condition, the need for services and supports because of these challenges varies among individuals with autism.

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated one in 36 children have been identified with ASD.

The Department of Health (DOH) reported 411 measles infections in Philippines' Northern Mindanao in 2025, which was a 11% increase from 371 cases in 2024. Health officials are now warning people that the situation may get worse in 2026, as rate of unvaccinated children in the region also rise.

In 2025, 75% of the patients were unvaccinated.

In order to prevent outbreaks, DOH-Northern Mindanao and local health offices said that they will be deploying teams to administer Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccines to children and people aged six to 59.

“There are (measles) outbreaks in various parts of the country because of low (immunization) coverage and that includes our region,” said Germaine Labadan, head of the DOH-X Family Health Cluster.

In 2025, only 56.7% of Northern Mindanao's eligible population received MR shots, which led to a herd immunity well below the target of 95%.

Cagayan de Oro, a highly urbanized city, recorded the region’s highest measles-rubella (MR) coverage at 87.21%, while Bukidnon lagged at 49.71%. Coverage in other areas remained low, with Misamis Oriental at 51.87%, Misamis Occidental at 52.05%, Iligan at 52.55%, and Camiguin at 53.73%.

As part of this year’s Measles-Rubella Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR-SIA), children will be given booster MR vaccines along with Vitamin A supplements. The 21-day campaign will run from January 19 to February 13.

“This is open to all eligible, regardless of the immunization status of the child because the vaccine serves as a booster,” Labadan said. This also includes children who completed the first and second doses. “Parents may present the immunization booklet, but it is not necessary because all will be given a new one,” she said.

What Is Measles?

Measles, also known as rubeola, is a highly contagious viral illness that typically causes fever, cough, a runny nose, red and watery eyes, and a distinctive red, blotchy rash that usually begins on the face and spreads downward. The virus spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes and can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia or brain inflammation. Despite its severity, measles is preventable through a safe and effective vaccine, as per the Mayo Clinic.

How Contagious Is Measles?

Measles is among the most contagious diseases in the world. The virus spreads through airborne droplets that can linger in the air or on surfaces for hours. Up to 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed to measles will become infected. A single infected person can pass the virus to an estimated 12 to 18 others through close contact or shared spaces. People can transmit the virus days before symptoms become obvious and continue spreading it after the rash appears, according to the World Health Organization.

How Long Is Someone Contagious With Measles?

Someone infected with measles can spread the virus from four days before the rash develops to four days after it appears. The virus spreads so efficiently that about 90% of people who are unvaccinated or have never had measles will become infected after being exposed.

In November, Canada lost its measles elimination status following a significant outbreak, according to the Pan American Health Organization, which works closely with the World Health Organization.

“It’s important to say that all the other 34 countries in the region, they keep their certification as measles-free,” said PAHO/WHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa at the time, as per NPR News.

U.S. health officials have also warned that genetic links between outbreaks in different states suggest continued spread.

“The trajectory that we’re looking at now is that we do anticipate more cases well into January,” Bell said. “What that means for us nationally in terms of how they are defining our designation in this country as having eliminated measles is unclear.”

Nipah virus case detected in India's West Bengal, where two nurses are suspected of being infected by the virus. The case has come 24 kilometers away from West Bengal's capital, Kolkata, in North 24 Parganas' Barasat, where the patients are on a life support at a private hospital.

The blood samples collected from the nurses, one male and one female, were sent to the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory, ICMR, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kalyani, which is around 50 kilometers north of Kolkata in Nadia. Another report has been sent to Swasthya Bhawan, the state health department headquarters. The two nurses one from Nadia's Kalyani and another from East Burdwan's Katwa, work at the same hospital where the have been admitted.

Reports say that the nurses went home to Katwa around 10 days back, from where they may have caught the illness. The female nurse was initially admitted to a hospital in Katwa, later moved to Burdwan Medical College. Her condition kept worsening, this is when she was admitted in Barasat's private hospital, she is currently in the ICU. The male nurse is also on the ventilator support. Both patients are kept in isolation.

Update On The Nipah Virus Spread By West Bengal's Health Authorities

The sources from Swasthya Bhawan said that officials were handling the situation with extreme alarm as Nipah virus has a high rate of mortality and could spread rapidly. The Telegraph reported that top health officials form Union health ministry, including Union health secretary are in touch with Bengal chief secretary Nandini Chakravarty and state health secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam.

The health department has now begun contract tracing in Nadia, East Burdwan, and North 24 Parganas.

Chakravarty also asked people to not panic and remain alert, while avoiding to spread misinformation and follow hygiene practices. The State government has also launched three helpline numbers — 03323330180, 9874708858, 9836046212 — for public queries.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda also wrote to West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, assuring full support from Centre. Banerjee too visited the hospital late on Sunday night.

What Is Nipah Virus?

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness that is transmitted to people from animals, and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly from person to person.

In infected people, it causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis. The virus can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers.

Although Nipah virus has caused only a few known outbreaks in Asia, it infects a wide range of animals and causes severe disease and death in people.

During the first recognized outbreak in Malaysia, which also affected Singapore, most human infections resulted from direct contact with sick pigs or their contaminated tissues. Transmission is thought to have occurred via unprotected exposure to secretions from the pigs, or unprotected contact with the tissue of a sick animal.

In subsequent outbreaks in Bangladesh and India, consumption of fruits or fruit products (such as raw date palm juice) contaminated with urine or saliva from infected fruit bats was the most likely source of infection.

Human-to-human transmission of Nipah virus has also been reported among family and care givers of infected patients.

Nipah Virus Symptoms

• Fever
• Headache
• Breathing difficulties
• Cough and sore throat
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Muscle pain and severe weakness