IZ Express

Issue 1887: August 12, 2026

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Immunize.org Website and Clinical Resources 
 
Featured Resources
 
Notable Publications
 
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Top Stories
Immunize.org updates its patient handout, “Vaccinations Needed During Pregnancy”

Immunize.org updated its handout for parents, Vaccinations Needed During Pregnancy. This 1-page document describes the vaccines recommended during pregnancy. Changes include the addition of PCV21 and MenABCWY vaccines and updated language consistent with recommendations of CDC (as of early 2025) and the 2026 schedule published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).



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FDA licenses mRNA influenza vaccine (mFlusiva, Moderna)

On August 5, FDA licensed a new mRNA influenza vaccine (mFlusiva, Moderna) to prevent influenza disease in people 50 years of age and older. 

In clinical trials during the single influenza season studied, mFlusiva showed superior efficacy compared to a standard dose influenza vaccine in people age 50 years and older. It showed superior immunogenicity (laboratory evidence of stronger immune response) compared to a high-dose influenza vaccine in people age 65 years and older. The vaccine clinical trials demonstrated no safety signals of concern, consistent with standard egg-based influenza vaccine. Recipients of mFlusiva reported a higher rate of side effects after vaccination, compared to standard egg-based influenza vaccine, with most being mild or moderate and resolving within 2 days.

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) expressed support for FDA's decision. Portions of its press release appear below.

IDSA statement on FDA licensing of mRNA influenza vaccine (8/6/26)

The Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a new mRNA flu vaccine is welcome news and provides another important option to help protect people from a virus that sends hundreds of thousands of Americans to the hospital each year and claims thousands of lives.

The approval highlights the tremendous potential of mRNA vaccine technology. Unlike conventional manufacturing, the mRNA platform allows for streamlined development and rapid responses to emerging mutations in viruses. 

Next steps

Ordinarily, the ACIP would vote on recommendations for a vaccine’s use soon after FDA licensure. At this time, no ACIP meeting is planned, due to court orders issued as part of ongoing litigation against the Department of Health and Human Services. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and IDSA plan to issue influenza vaccination recommendations for the 2026–27 season in early September. The mRNA influenza vaccine may be incorporated in those recommendations.

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2026 e-book edition of The Vaccine Handbook: A Practical Guide for Clinicians, a.k.a. "The Purple Book," by Gary Marshall, available free to download or to purchase hard copy

The Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS) released the 13th edition of The Vaccine Handbook: A Practical Guide for Clinicians by Gary Marshall as an e-book and in hard copy. It is widely known as "The Purple Book." A section of the publisher's description appears below.

The Vaccine Handbook: A Practical Guide for Clinicians (“The Purple Book”) is a uniquely comprehensive source of practical, up-to-date information for vaccine providers, educators, and advocates. It draws together the latest vaccine science and guidance into a concise, user-friendly resource for the private office, public health clinical, academic medical center, hospital, and classroom. . . . 



Download the e-book now, free of charge, courtesy of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS).  

Paper copies of the 13th edition of the The Vaccine Handbook are available for purchase ($59.95) through the publisher, Professional Communications, Inc. (West Islip, NY). Quantity discounts are available.  

Measles 2026: 2,465 confirmed measles cases in 45 states and DC; cost of 2025 measles response for 100 confirmed cases in New Mexico estimated at $5.4 million

CDC reported, as of August 6, 2026:

  • 94 new measles cases in the previous week, reaching 2,465 confirmed measles cases for 2026 (2,289 cases in all of 2025)
  • 45 states, New York City, and the District of Columbia reported measles cases in 2026
  • 38 new outbreaks in 2026
Indiana and West Virginia reported their first cases of 2026.

According to an analysis published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the total economic cost of New Mexico's 2025 measles outbreak was $5.4 million; $53,522 per person infected. See the article in the Notable Publications section below for details.

The U.S. Disease Tracker website is a new collaboration among Johns Hopkins University, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). It displays state and county-level data on measles, invasive meningococcal disease, and pertussis. Specific numbers from CDC and individual state websites differ slightly because the frequency and timing of federal and state updates vary. The chart below displays the nationwide case counts since September 2025.



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HepB birth dose policies protect babies. Immunize.org’s Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll recognizes 597 institutions, including three new honorees. 

HepB vaccination during infancy is extremely effective, protecting about 98% of healthy, term infants. Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) during the first year of life results in chronic, lifelong infection for about 9 in 10 babies. One in four infants who go on to develop chronic hepatitis B will die prematurely from consequences of infection, including liver failure or cancer. Vaccination and use of hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) for infants born to both HBV test-positive mothers and mothers of unknown status reduces the risk of HBV transmission by 94%; vaccination alone, given on the day of birth, reduces the risk by 75%.

To ensure every child is protected, the HepB birth dose was first recommended for all U.S.-born infants in 2005. In 2016, ACIP specified that the vaccine should be given within the first 24 hours of life to better protect any newborn with an unrecognized HBV exposure. In 2013, Immunize.org started recognizing birthing institutions that established policies and practices so that at least 90% of their newborns received HepB before going home. These policies and practices represent a crucial safety net to protect newborns from the lifelong consequences of early HBV infection.

Immunize.org is pleased to welcome one new institution into its Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll, which now recognizes 597 honorees. The new birthing institutions appear below with their reported HepB birth dose coverage rate in parentheses. 

  • Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, Downers Grove, IL (91%) 
  • Central DuPage Hospital, Winfield, IL (96%) 
  • Temple University Health System, Philadelphia, PA (93%) 
Please join us in recognizing this honoree with sustained excellence that qualifies for an additional year: 

  • NYC Health + Hospitals Queens, Jamaica, NY (99%) (6 years)

The Honor Roll includes birthing institutions from 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and U.S. military hospitals overseas.  

The Honor Roll is a key part of Immunize.org’s initiative urging the nation’s hospitals to Give Birth to the End of Hep B. Hospitals and birthing centers are recognized for attaining high coverage for hepatitis B vaccine at birth and meeting additional criteria. The How to Apply web page provides information on the criteria for inclusion in the Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Role and the application form.

Please visit the Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll web page that lists these institutions and celebrates their vigorous efforts to protect infants from perinatal hepatitis B transmission.

Related Immunize.org Resources

“Should a Newborn Who Got an RSV Antibody in April Get Another at the Start of the Next Season?" New in the Ask the Experts Video Series on YouTube.

This week, our newest video in the Ask the Experts Video Series is titled Should a Newborn Who Got an RSV Antibody in April Get Another at the Start of the Next Season? The video explains that infants who are effectively protected from RSV once during their first RSV season do not need to be re-immunized, while only certain high-risk children are recommended to receive protection during a second RSV season.

The 2-minute video is available on our YouTube channel, along with our full collection of quick video answers to popular Ask the Experts questions.



Like, follow, and share Immunize.org’s social media accounts and encourage colleagues and others interested in vaccination to do likewise.

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Vaccines in the news

These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.

Immunize.org Website and Clinical Resources
Spotlight on the website: Vaccine Confidence & Addressing Concerns

This week, we spotlight clinical resources for improving confidence in and addressing concerns about vaccinations. These provide medical professionals with background information and practical resources on various topics that can be shared with patients and parents. Located under the Clinical Resources menu, the Vaccine Confidence & Addressing Concerns section contains both an overview page and a list of topics.

Each of the topics covered includes related resources available from Immunize.org and our affiliated websites (VaccineInformation.org and LetsGetRealAboutVaccines.org). Each topic also links to content from key partners.    

The overview page lists topics covering issues including safety, scheduling, religious concerns, and more than 100 personal accounts of people who have been affected by vaccine-preventable diseases. This page also provides links to educational materials from other trusted organizations.

There are 13 topic areas, each with a page listing the available resources. These vary by topic but include clinical resources for providers and vaccine recipients, webinars and videos, and links to Immunize.org pages, official government websites, and trusted partner organizations.  

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Summary: these updated Immunize.org educational materials for clinicians were released during June and July

IZ Express regularly provides readers with information about Immunize.org’s new and updated educational materials for healthcare professionals and their patients. All Immunize.org materials are free to distribute.   
   
If you missed them, the following materials were posted in recent weeks.    

Clinical Resources for healthcare professionals:     

Clinical Resources for patients:   

Webinar & Videos:      

State Immunization Requirement, Exemptions, and Websites updates: 

New! Getting Started for the New Vaccinator website section:

Featured Resources
It’s National Immunization Awareness Month! Use Immunize Kansas Coalition’s resources to share positive messages about childhood vaccination.

To observe National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), the Immunize Kansas Coalition developed sample social media posts to encourage parents, pregnant patients, and college students to stay up to date on recommended vaccines. The messages emphasize that vaccination helps protect people from serious diseases and supports healthy learning, play, and development. The posts also reinforce back-to-school vaccination as an important step in keeping children healthy throughout the school year. Immunize Kansas Coalition encourages partners to share these messages using the hashtags #NIAM, #NIAM2026, #ivax2protect, and #ImmunityCommunity.

   

During NIAM, encourage your patients to catch up on well-care exams and recommended vaccines. Research shows that healthcare providers remain the most trusted source of vaccine information for parents and patients.

NFID releases podcast with Kathleen Neuzil, MD, MPH, director of polio eradication efforts at the Gates Foundation

On August 5, NFID posted a podcast in its Infectious IDeas series titled Building a Legacy of Health Equity. Kathleen M. Neuzil, MD, MPH, director of polio eradication efforts at the Gates Foundation and recipient of the 2026 NFID John P. Utz Leadership Award, joins NFID CEO Rebecca Alvania, PhD, and NFID Medical Director Robert H. Hopkins, Jr., MD, to discuss global immunization policy, disease surveillance, and the effort to eradicate polio.

During the episode, Neuzil reflects on the people who shaped her career, advances in vaccine science, the funding and communication challenges facing public health today, and why health equity must be central to any eradication effort. She also shares why she remains optimistic that the next generation can build a healthier, more equitable future.

Help Immunize.org reach more vaccinators through your social media networks. Follow us and share our posts on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!

Immunize.org offers a social media program to highlight our educational resources for a broad audience of vaccinators. Our social media channels now feature our most popular printable resources and Ask the Experts questions, as well as announcements important to frontline vaccinators. Please view and share our newest feature, the Ask the Experts Video Series.

         

Like, follow, and share Immunize.org’s social media accounts and encourage colleagues and others interested in vaccination to do likewise:

Immunize.org lifetime immunization record cards available for patient-held records

Immunize.org offers wallet-sized Lifetime Immunization Record Cards, printed on rip-proof, smudge-proof, waterproof paper designed to last a lifetime. Sold in boxes of 250.

To purchase record cards, please visit the Immunize.org​ Shop.

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Notable Publications
“Association Between First MMR Vaccination Before Age 2 Years and Childhood Autism in a U.S. EHR Cohort of 2.5 Million Children” published in Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal

In its July 28 issue, Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal published Association Between First MMR Vaccination Before Age 2 Years and Childhood Autism in a U.S. EHR Cohort of 2.5 Million Children. This study adds to the body of evidence that continues to show no relationship between vaccination and autism. The conclusions section appears below.

In this large US cohort, age-anchored landmark analyses show no association between MMR vaccination before 24 months and childhood autism. The concordant near-null findings for both MMR and a negative control exposure support that the observed results are unlikely to be explained by residual confounding. These findings highlight the importance of age-specific analytic approaches in evaluating vaccine safety using observational data.

Related Links

“Economic Impact of the 2025 New Mexico Measles Outbreak: Highlighting the Cost of Efforts to Prevent Future Outbreaks” published in Annals of Internal Medicine

In its August 4 issue, Annals of Internal Medicine published Economic Impact of the 2025 New Mexico Measles Outbreak: Highlighting the Cost of Efforts to Prevent Future Outbreaks. The results and conclusions sections appear below.

The overall societal cost was estimated at $5.4 million ($53 522 per case, or $1817 per contact). The largest component of the public health response to the outbreak (about $3.2 million) was costs from vaccination-related activities (about $2.1 million). . . . 

These estimates offer important insights for decision making by policymakers and public health stakeholders regarding budgets for and expansion of vaccination coverage during an outbreak and strengthening outbreak preparedness. This study also highlights the societal value of protecting communities from vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, which can be effectively prevented through high vaccination coverage.  

“Symptoms Associated with Respiratory Pathogens in Young Children: 2019–2025” published in Pediatrics

In its July 27 issue, Pediatrics published Symptoms Associated with Respiratory Pathogens in Young Children: 2019–2025. Influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 are all common respiratory pathogens in this age group and are all preventable through vaccination. Portions of the abstract appear below.

Acute respiratory illnesses (ARI) are common in early life and cause a range of respiratory symptoms. We describe symptomology profiles and medical outcomes attributable to respiratory tract infection episodes. . . .

Weekly mid-turbinate nasal swabs and biweekly symptom surveys were collected from November 2019 to August 2025 from a longitudinal birth cohort of healthy US infants and children in Cincinnati, Ohio. . . . Pathogen-specific infections were linked to . . . symptom surveys. . . . 

We captured 15 898 ARIs from 1223 unique children. Compared with older children, infants were more likely to experience respiratory distress/dyspnea with influenza A . . . , respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) A . . . , RSV B . . . , human metapneumovirus . . . , and SARS-CoV-2 . . . (all P < 0.01) but not influenza B . . . or parainfluenza . . . . Hospital and emergency department medical attention was similarly associated. Influenza A had greater odds of fever . . . and anorexia . . . compared with influenza B. Asymptomatic infections were frequent. Over three-quarters of symptomatic episodes were treated at home. Vomiting and/or diarrhea occurred during one-quarter of RSV and one-third of influenza infection episodes. . . . 

Our results highlight extraordinary variability in respiratory tract infection symptoms and outcomes in a US cohort of healthy children.  

Global News
"WHO Position Paper on COVID-19 Vaccines—July 2026" published in Weekly Epidemiological Record

WHO published a revised position paper on COVID-19 vaccines in the July 31 issue of its Weekly Epidemiological Record. This is the latest in a series of regularly updated WHO position papers on vaccines that have global public health impact in large-scale vaccination programs, primarily in low- and middle-income countries.

WHO recommends that countries consider routine COVID-19 vaccination based on local COVID-19 epidemiology, population characteristics (including the prevalence of groups at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease), access to COVID-19 vaccines, cost-effectiveness, acceptability, and programmatic feasibility. Portions of the Overview appear below.

The paper presents WHO’s current policy recommendations for the use of COVID-19 vaccines across different population groups and settings, addressing vaccine schedules, product choice, coadministration, implementation considerations, and monitoring. 

It also identifies evidence gaps and research priorities and provides guidance to support national immunization policies and vaccination programmes as countries integrate COVID-19 vaccination into long-term disease management strategies.



Related Links

Upcoming Events
Today and tomorrow! Register for Immunize.org Website Office Hours. Join a 30-minute discussion about our Official Guidance: States web section on August 12 at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or August 13 at 12:00 p.m. (ET). Recorded sessions archived.

To learn simple tips and tricks for using our websites efficiently, please register for our next set of Website Office Hours on Wednesday, August 12, at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or Thursday, August 13, at 12:00 p.m. (ET). The same content will be covered in both sessions. 
 
We will open each 30-minute session with a short, live demonstration on navigating our Official Guidance: States web section, which includes maps and tables for each state’s vaccination requirements and exemptions. You can submit questions when you register or live on Zoom during the session.

Register today for Immunize.org Website Office Hours (content is the same for both):  

The archive of previous Website Office Hours content is posted at Immunize.org’s "Webinars & Videos" page. Shorter, demonstration-only recordings of previous Website Office Hours are also available in our Website Training Videos series.

Mark your calendar for future Immunize.org Website Office Hours. 

For more upcoming events, visit our Calendar of Events.

About IZ Express

IZ Express is supported in part by Grant No. NH23IP922654 from CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Its contents are solely the responsibility of Immunize.org and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC.

IZ Express Disclaimer
ISSN 2771-8085

Editorial Information

  • Editor-in-Chief
    Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH
  • Managing Editor
    John D. Grabenstein, RPh, PhD
  • Associate Editor
    Sharon G. Humiston, MD, MPH
  • Writer/Publication Coordinator
    Taryn Chapman, MS
    Courtnay Londo, MA
  • Style and Copy Editor
    Marian Deegan, JD
  • Web Edition Managers
    Arkady Shakhnovich
    Jermaine Royes
  • Technical Reviewer
    Kayla Ohlde

This page was updated on .

Our Affiliated Sites

For the Public: VaccineInformation.org
For Coalitions: ImmunizationCoalitions.org
Let's Get Real
Information about pediatric vaccines for parents and providers.
65+ Flu Defense
Protect vulnerable, older adult patients from influenza.
Give2MenACWY.org
Improve protection from meningococcal serogroups ACWY.
NAIIS
Home of the National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit.