The Vaccine Intelligence Report: July 22-28

The Vaccine Intelligence Report—brought to you by Vaccinate Your Family—provides clear, fact-based updates on vaccine policy, research, and public health each week. This report is part of Viral Truths, a resource designed to cut through the noise, offering concise information to help navigate the evolving immunization landscape.

THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

  • CDC nominee Dr. Erica Schwartz gained bipartisan support ahead of a rescheduled Senate committee vote, while ASPR nominee Sean Kaufman continues to face scrutiny over his vaccine-related statements and policy positions
  • The AAP vaccine policy lawsuit moved closer to a First Circuit decision as outside groups backed the plaintiffs, while the district court paused proceedings, leaving the preliminary injunction in place
  • State lawmakers introduced more than 400 vaccine-related bills this year, including 209 aimed at weakening vaccine requirements, immunization information systems, or public confidence in vaccines
  • The U.S. has reported its highest annual measles case count since 1991, with 2,321 cases recorded through July 24 and continued spread across multiple states
  • The Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak continues to grow rapidly in the DRC, while Uganda declared its outbreak over, and the first Bundibugyo-specific vaccine entered human trials
  • New research suggests RSV immunization may also reduce the risk of invasive pneumococcal disease and adds to evidence supporting the safety of Covid vaccination during pregnancy

NEED TO KNOW

CDC Nominee Gains Bipartisan Support After Senate Delays Votes on Health Appointments

  • The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) postponed votes last week on Dr. Erica Schwartz’s nomination to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Sean Kaufman’s nomination to serve as Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). Both nominations are now scheduled for committee consideration on Thursday (Jul. 30).
  • Schwartz, a former Deputy Surgeon General, appears positioned to advance after securing support from HELP Chair Senator Dr. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA).
    • During Schwartz’s confirmation hearing, Cassidy repeatedly questioned whether she would maintain scientific independence and resist pressure from Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Following additional discussions with Schwartz, Cassidy said he was confident that she “knows what she is doing and will stand against those who do not.”
    • Kaine also announced that he would support Schwartz after receiving additional commitments regarding the CDC’s response to measles and the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak. Schwartz reportedly pledged to publicly promote measles vaccination during outbreaks.
  • Kaufman’s path remains less certain following bipartisan scrutiny of his previous vaccine-related statements and his support for the Administration’s cancellation of federal messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine projects.
    • Cassidy said that statements contributing to confusion about immunization remain a concern, and a committee spokesperson confirmed that discussions with the Administration regarding Kaufman’s nomination are ongoing.
  • If either nominee clears the committee, they will still require confirmation by the full Senate before taking office.
  • Following Schwartz’s hearing, Cassidy cited a modification to the CDC’s “Autism and Vaccines” webpage as a “sign of good faith” when announcing that he would support her nomination. However, the page’s central claims questioning the scientific consensus on vaccines and autism remain unchanged and contradicts well-established scientific evidence that vaccines do not cause autism.

AAP Vaccine Policy Lawsuit Advances in Appeals Court as District Case Pauses

  • Recent filings have moved the vaccine policy lawsuit brought by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and its co-plaintiffs closer to a key decision by the First Circuit Court of Appeals decision, while proceedings in the lower Massachusetts District Court have been temporarily paused.
    • The government’s appeal is limited to the court’s stay of the 13 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) appointments. The portions of the preliminary ruling that paused the January 2026 childhood immunization schedule changes, and ACIP’s prior votes remain in effect regardless of the appeal.
    • In the government’s reply brief (filed Jul. 21), it argued that the plaintiffs lack standing to challenge the ACIP appointments and that the appointments are not final agency actions subject to judicial review. The government has requested an oral argument, but the court has not yet announced whether it will hold a hearing or when it will rule.
  • Several groups, including Democratic-led states, public health organizations, and legal scholars, have recently filed amicus briefs in support of the plaintiffs, urging the appeals court to uphold the district court’s preliminary ruling.
    • The Governors Public Health Alliance—a coalition of 15 governors representing roughly one-third of the U.S. population—argued in its brief that changes to ACIP have created significant operational and financial consequences for states.
    • States have historically incorporated ACIP recommendations into insurance coverage, school immunization policies, pharmacist scope of practice, vaccination programs, and outbreak preparedness.
    • Without a reliable national standard, states have had to dedicate additional resources to developing independent guidance, coordinating regional policies, preserving vaccine access, and addressing public confusion, according to the governors.
  • Meanwhile, a separate dispute has developed in the district court over whether HHS and the CDC provided complete records documenting how six challenged vaccine policy decisions were made.
    • The plaintiffs filed a motion (Jul. 17) seeking additional documents related to ACIP’s restructuring, changes to the childhood immunization schedule, and recommendations concerning Covid, hepatitis B, and thimerosal-containing influenza (flu) vaccines. They argue that the existing records omit information about who influenced the decisions, what evidence was considered, and how ACIP members, agendas, and recommendations were developed.
    • Following a hearing (Jul. 23), U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy paused the district court proceedings until September 3 to allow time for the First Circuit to rule. The pause delays consideration of the records dispute but does not lift the preliminary injunction, which remains in effect unless modified by the appeals court.
  • The First Circuit’s decision could determine whether Kennedy may reinstate the challenged ACIP appointees while the broader lawsuit continues. However, the remaining challenges to vaccine recommendations and the process used to develop them will still need to be resolved in the district court.

STATE POLICY

State Legislatures Weighed Hundreds of Vaccine Bills During 2026 Sessions 

  • A New York Times analysis found that state lawmakers introduced more than 400 vaccine-related bills during 2026 legislative sessions, including 209 measures across 34 states aimed at weakening immunization policies or public trust in vaccines.
  • Although just nine of those measures became law, the analysis found that many others advanced farther than similar proposals in previous years, with bills loosening school vaccine requirements, expanding protections for unvaccinated individuals, targeting mRNA vaccines, promoting claims about vaccine risks, and altering state immunization information systems passing one or both legislative chambers.
  • Several states also introduced bills to strengthen vaccine access, with a dozen enacting laws to preserve childhood immunization recommendations following recent federal changes to vaccine policy.
  • Both vaccine advocates and opponents said they expect many of the unsuccessful proposals to return during next year’s legislative sessions.

OUTBREAK OUTLOOK

News on respiratory virus season, measles, pertussis, and other vaccine-preventable and infectious disease outbreaks.

U.S. Sees Most Measles Cases Since 1991 as Spread Continues Across the Country 

  • As of July 24, the U.S. has reported 2,321 measles cases in 2026—surpassing the CDC’s reported 2025 total of 2,289 cases in less than seven months. This represents an increase of 45 cases since last week.
    • 2026 has become the worst year for measles since 1991, the year Vaccinate Your Family (formerly Every Child By Two) was founded in response to that outbreak.
    • Seven states—Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Virginia—account for the majority of U.S. cases.
  • This week, several states reported new or continued measles activity:
    • Arizona has reported 16 measles cases this month, bringing its 2026 total to 120 as of July 22.
    • Delaware officials declared a measles outbreak this week (Jul. 22) after two additional cases were reported, bringing the state’s 2026 total to four.
    • Maryland officials reported three new measles cases last week (Jul. 22), bringing the state to 12 total cases in 2026.
    • Pennsylvania’s 2026 total has risen to 142 cases as of July 27—an increase of 31 cases in the seven days prior.
    • Washington officials reported six new measles cases last week (Jul. 24), bringing the state’s 2026 total to 53.

Ebola Outbreak Continues to Spread as Trials Begin for First Bundibugyo Vaccine 

  • The Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to grow rapidly, with 3,262 confirmed cases and 1,437 related deaths reported through July 26.
    • This is an increase of 62 new confirmed cases and 32 deaths in one day.
  • Uganda officially declared its outbreak over on July 28 after completing 42 days without a new case. The country reported 20 confirmed cases and two deaths during the outbreak.
  • The world’s first Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine has entered phase 1 of human clinical trials.
    • The vaccine, developed by the Oxford Vaccine Group, is known as ChAdOx1 BDBV and uses the same delivery system as the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine.
    • Researchers will test the vaccine on 50 healthy adults aged 18–55 years to assess the safety of the vaccine candidate and whether an immune response is generated.
  • A new study found that vaccines originally designed for the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus produce an antibody response to the Bundibugyo strain—potentially offering some protection against the current outbreak.

New Studies Highlight Benefits of RSV Immunization and the Safety of Maternal Covid Vaccination 

  • A new study published in The Lancet found that nirsevimab—a monoclonal antibody (mAb) approved to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants—may also reduce the risk of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD).
    • Researchers analyzed data from the French National Health Data System and found that newborns given nirsevimab were 36% less likely to be hospitalized for an invasive form of pneumococcal disease within six months after immunization.
    • These preliminary findings build on prior research that found that the immunization reduces the risk of RSV-related intensive care admission by 80%.
  • A separate study from the Journal of Pediatric Health Care found no increased risk of adverse infant outcomes following Covid vaccination during pregnancy.
    • CDC researchers analyzed data from the Covid-19 Vaccine Pregnancy Registry and found no differences across 13 measurable infant outcomes when comparing infants born before the pandemic with those born to individuals vaccinated during pregnancy.
    • These findings add to a growing body of evidence supporting the safety of Covid vaccination during pregnancy.

REALITY CHECK

These fact checks respond to several recent claims made by different groups and individuals.

CLAIM: A healthy lifestyle is the best way to protect yourself from infectious diseases, making vaccination less important for people who eat well, exercise, and take care of their health.

  • REALITY: Healthy habits can support the immune system and help the body function well, but they do not provide the disease-specific protection created by vaccination. Vaccines train the immune system to recognize and respond to specific viruses and bacteria before they cause serious illness.
    • Nutritious food, regular exercise, adequate sleep, good hygiene, and other healthy practices can support normal immune function and may reduce some infection risks. However, they do not create immunity to highly contagious and potentially serious diseases such as measles, flu, pertussis (whooping cough), and meningococcal disease.
  • Many vaccines are recommended based on age—not whether someone is unhealthy. Some people need additional vaccines because of medical conditions, travel, pregnancy, or other risk factors, but being young, active, or generally healthy is not a substitute for staying up to date on routinely recommended vaccines.
    • These benefits are not limited to people with underlying health conditions. Young and otherwise healthy individuals can still become seriously ill from vaccine-preventable diseases.
    • During the 2024-2025 flu season, the CDC reported 297 pediatric flu deaths—the highest number since pediatric flu deaths became nationally reportable. Nearly half of deaths occurred in previously healthy children, and 89% of vaccine-eligible children who died were not fully vaccinated.
    • A CDC-led study of children hospitalized with Covid from 2022–2024 found that 40% had no documented underlying condition, and fewer than 4% of vaccine-eligible hospitalized children were up to date on Covid vaccination.
    • Other routine vaccines tell the same story. Before routine chickenpox (varicella) vaccination began in the U.S., the disease caused more than 4 million illnesses, 10,500–13,500 hospitalizations, and 100–150 deaths each year—despite often being dismissed as a mild childhood illness. Since vaccination began, chickenpox cases have fallen by 97%, showing how vaccination protects children from complications that healthy habits alone cannot prevent.
  • At the population level, the impact is substantial. Routine childhood vaccination among children born from 1994–2023 is estimated to prevent approximately 508 million illnesses, 32 million hospitalizations, and more than 1.1 million deaths over their lifetimes.
  • Healthy choices and vaccination work together; they do not replace each other. A healthy lifestyle can support overall well-being, but vaccination is a proven way to provide disease-specific protection against severe illness and death.

WHAT TO WATCH

Military Branches May Further Expand Flu Vaccination Requirements

  • The Navy has reinstated flu vaccine requirements for deployed sailors, recruits, officer candidates, Navy Reserve sailors in certain jobs, healthcare personnel, and certain childcare employees. Covered personnel must receive the 2026-2027 flu vaccine by January 15, unless they are a granted a medical or administrative exemption.
    • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth repealed annual flu vaccination requirements for military servicemembers in April. The move was followed by a flu outbreak at Lackland Air Force Base, which resulted in nearly 300 cases and one death.
  • The Navy policy goes beyond the requirement recently reinstated for new recruits across military boot camps. Other branches may follow by expanding requirements to additional high-risk or operationally critical groups.

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