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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · 2d

Even small drops in vaccination rates can open the door to outbreaks.

In my Q&A with The Conversation, I explain why school vaccine requirements matter, how we monitor vaccine safety, and what’s behind recent dips in coverage.

theconversation.com/even-small-d...

#VaccinesWork #PublicHealth

Even small drops in vaccination rates for US children can lead to disease outbreaks

Most states require childhood vaccinations for measles, mumps, tetanus, rubella, chickenpox and whooping cough.

theconversation.com

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The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 3d

Even small drops in vaccination rates can fuel measles outbreaks, says pediatrician @drhigginsmd.bsky.social.

His message to parents: stay up to date and talk to your doctor to get more information – not social media.

buff.ly/kTcrQWq
#vaccineswork 🩺 🧪

Even small drops in vaccination rates for US children can lead to disease outbreaks

Most states require childhood vaccinations for measles, mumps, tetanus, rubella, chickenpox and whooping cough.

buff.ly

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · 4d

Today, HHS declared “informed consent is back” for vaccines.

It never left.

Doctors, nurses, and other professionals do this every day.

Real informed consent means clear, reliable info—not hyped risks or downplayed benefits. Anything else is misinformed consent.

www.npr.org/2025/10/06/n...

The CDC says people must consult a health professional before COVID shot

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention accepted a controversial recommendation from outside vaccine advisers to tighten guidelines for the COVID vaccine.

www.npr.org

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · 8d

🚨 Delays in HHS leadership approving COVID-19 vaccines for the Vaccines For Children program mean millions of kids can’t get them. VFC covers ~half of U.S. children, including medically complex kids at highest risk.

#ChildHealth #VaccineAccess

www.statnews.com/2025/09/30/c...

Low-income children lack access to Covid vaccines because of approval delay

Two weeks after vaccine advisers approved new Covid recs, Kennedy still hasn’t given his approval, leaving states unable to order updated shots for low-income kids.

www.statnews.com

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · 10d

📰 The hepatitis B vaccine has nearly eliminated childhood infections and prevents liver cancer. So why is it under attack? I break it down in this week’s Community Immunity.

Read 👉 communityimmunity.substack.com/p/the-fight-...

#VaccinesWork #HepatitisB #PublicHealth #SciComm

The Fight Over the Hepatitis B Vaccine

A vaccine that prevents liver cancer is suddenly under attack

communityimmunity.substack.com

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · 15d

I joined Why Should I Trust You? to talk about White House headlines linking Tylenol, vaccines & autism. Honest, real conversation with host Brinda Adhikari, co-hosts & a mom of an autistic child expecting another baby.

🎧 Listen: open.spotify.com/episode/7MZR...

@whyshoulditrustyou.bsky.social

The President's Announcement On Tylenol & Autism: Discussing It w A Pregnant Mother & A Pediatrician

open.spotify.com

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · 18d

📰 New in Community Immunity!

Last week’s ACIP meeting ran into a stubborn reality: most Americans—Democrats, Republicans, even President Trump—like vaccines. That may have tempered rumored sweeping moves to limit access.

communityimmunity.substack.com/p/running-in...

Running Into a Brick Wall of Public Support

Inside a chaotic CDC vaccine meeting and how Americans’ enduring support stopped sweeping vaccine rollbacks.

communityimmunity.substack.com

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Your Local Epidemiologist @ylepidemiologist.bsky.social · 22d

11/ The Covid vaccine is only one of the vaccines ACIP will discuss this week. This resource breaks it all down👉 evicollective.org/acip-prebunk-brief-2025-09-25

Love,
@drhigginsmd.bsky.social
Annicka Evans, PhD
@sciencewhizliz.bsky.social
@unbiasedscipod.bsky.social
@ylepidemiologist.bsky.social

RSVP 4 — The Evidence Collective

evicollective.org

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · 23d

www.cpr.org/2025/09/17/c...

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Your Local Epidemiologist @ylepidemiologist.bsky.social · 23d

12/ HBV is only one of the vaccines ACIP is voting on this week. This resource breaks it all down👉 evicollective.org/acip-prebunk-brief-2025-09-25

Love,
@drhigginsmd.bsky.social
Annicka Evans, PhD
@sciencewhizliz.bsky.social
@unbiasedscipod.bsky.social
@ylepidemiologist.bsky.social

RSVP 4 — The Evidence Collective

evicollective.org

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Your Local Epidemiologist @ylepidemiologist.bsky.social · 24d

12/ MMRV is only one of the vaccines ACIP is voting on this week. This resource breaks it all down👉 evicollective.org/acip-prebunk-brief-2025-09-25

Love,
@drhigginsmd.bsky.social
Annicka Evans, PhD
@sciencewhizliz.bsky.social
@unbiasedscipod.bsky.social
@ylepidemiologist.bsky.social

RSVP 4 — The Evidence Collective

evicollective.org

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CU Anschutz School of Medicine @cumedicalschool.bsky.social · 25d

Changes at the federal level have caused confusion around annual COVID vaccinations, but Colorado has taken actions to try to maintain access to the shots. @drhigginsmd.bsky.social helps to answer some common questions: https://coloradosun.com/2025/09/08/covid-vaccine-what-to-know-fda-kennedy/

Can you get a COVID vaccine this year in Colorado? Here’s what to know.

Can you get a COVID vaccine in 2025? Here are answers to all your questions about how to get a COVID vaccine in Colorado and who is eligible.

coloradosun.com

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · 27d

This is an important first step. More work lies ahead to ensure every Coloradan can continue to access and feel confident in vaccines.

Colorado will not sit on the sidelines while the ability to choose vital protection is taken away.

#vaccineaccess #colorado #chooseprevention

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · 27d

This week, the Colorado Division of Insurance reinforced those protections by issuing Emergency Regulation 25-E-04, which requires state-regulated health plans to cover COVID-19 vaccines as a preventive service with no cost-sharing.

doi.colorado.gov/sites/doi/fi...

doi.colorado.gov

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · 27d

📣Colorado continues taking action to protect the ability to choose vaccination as essential prevention.

As I told NPR this week, our state has been proactive—passing two bills last spring to safeguard vaccine access even as federal guidance shifts.🧵

NPR coverage: www.npr.org/sections/sho...

Wary of RFK Jr., Colorado started revamping its vaccine policies last spring

While Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., dismantles the federal institutions that set vaccine policy, states like Colorado are changing laws and regulations in an effort to preserve access to va...

www.npr.org

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · 28d

📰 In my latest Community Immunity newsletter, I break down what VAERS is and how its data are often misinterpreted or misused.

Timely reading as VAERS reports are expected to take center stage at next week’s ACIP meeting.

Read here: open.substack.com/pub/communit...

The Vaccine Brief: Lions, Tigers, and VAERS, oh my!

VAERS, Vaccines, and Next Week’s ACIP Meeting: What You Need to Know

open.substack.com

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · 29d

Too many people still have to fight for the chance to choose COVID-19 vaccination.

I told The Washington Post that while I encourage parents and patients to advocate for themselves, no one should have to keep pushing for routine vaccines—or have access depend on their ZIP code.

wapo.st/4poiGto

How to get a coronavirus vaccine and who’s eligible amid limited access

Here’s what to know about navigating pharmacies, doctors, insurance companies and the government when trying to get updated coronavirus vaccines.

wapo.st

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · Sep 8

Can you get a COVID vaccine in Colorado this year? It’s complicated.

I spoke with the Colorado Sun about what’s happening and why vaccine access is so uncertain. Reporter John Ingold breaks it down for Coloradans.

coloradosun.com/2025/09/08/c...

@coloradosun.com

#VaccineAccess #ColoradoHealth

Can you get a COVID vaccine this year in Colorado? Here’s what to know.

Can you get a COVID vaccine in 2025? Here are answers to all your questions about how to get a COVID vaccine in Colorado and who is eligible.

coloradosun.com

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · Sep 5

New data from a The Washington Post–KFF parent survey: 81% of U.S. parents support public schools requiring measles and polio vaccines—including 82% of Florida parents and 73% of MAGA Republicans! There is ipartisan support for vaccines!

#VaccinesWork #HealthyKids

thehill.com/policy/healt...

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · Sep 5

Republican pollsters confirmed what the evidence has shown for years: Strong bipartisan support for routine vaccines!

Conflating COVID-19 skepticism with attitudes toward all vaccines is misleading and dangerous.

#USAnotRFK #VaccinesSaveLives #BipartisanSupport

www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...

Ahead of Kennedy hearing, GOP saw poll showing Trump voters support vaccines

The poll, conducted by veteran Republican pollsters, found that a majority of Trump voters believe vaccines save lives and support immunizations against measles and hepatitis B.

www.nbcnews.com

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · Sep 4

The FDA is questioning the long-standing, evidence-based practice of giving seasonal vaccines—like flu and COVID shots—at the same visit. It risks undermining decades of science showing that administering multiple vaccines together is safe and effective.

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · Sep 3

In my latest Community Immunity newsletter, I explain why pediatricians, parents, & the public overwhelmingly support vaccine requirements—and what’s at stake if they’re removed.

#Vaccines #PublicHealth #SafeSchools

communityimmunity.substack.com/p/floridas-p...

Florida’s Push to End School Vaccine Requirements—and Why Pediatricians and Parents Oppose It

Vaccines and public health—clear science and meaningful conversations for health professionals, science communicators, policymakers, and anyone who wants to stay informed.

communityimmunity.substack.com

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · Sep 3

📊 Annenberg survey: 73% of adults still favor MMR school vaccine requirements (86% Dems, 62% GOP, 72% independents).
👉 www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/most-america...

Most Americans Favor School Vaccination Requirements, but Support Is Rising for Opt-Out Options | The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania

Most U.S. adults support school vaccination requirements and policies requiring children to be vaccinated against preventable diseases.

www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · Sep 3

📊 Texas A&M study: 90% of Americans support K-12 requriements for measles, polio, chickenpox, DTaP.
👉 stories.tamu.edu/news/2023/11...

New Research Finds Most Americans Strongly Support Vaccination Requirements For K-12 Students

A Texas A&M professor has conducted the first comprehensive study on the topic, surveying more than 16,000 Americans.

stories.tamu.edu

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · Sep 3

📊 Harvard/de Beaumont poll: 79% of Americans—and 72% of parents—support routine vaccine requirements. 👉 debeaumont.org/news/2025/po...

Poll: 79% of Americans Support Routine Childhood Vaccine Requirements

Across party lines, most say parents should be required to vaccinate kids against preventable diseases to attend school. Opponents’ top concern: parental choice.

debeaumont.org

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · Sep 3

📊 CDC survey: 77% of parents back school vaccine requirements.
👉 www.cdc.gov/schoolvaxvie...

Parental attitudes and behaviors toward school and daycare vaccination requirements

Online report, Parental attitudes and behaviors toward school and daycare vaccination requirements

www.cdc.gov

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · Sep 3

And survey after survey shows parents and the public overwhelmingly support common-sense requirements for routine vaccines in schools...

📊 KFF poll: 83% of U.S. adults support requirements, incl. 76% of parents.
👉 www.kff.org/health-infor...

Poll: Trust in Public Health Agencies and Vaccines Falls Amid Republican Skepticism | KFF

As President Trump begins his second term, the public’s trust in health information from key health agencies has fallen over the past 18 months, continuing a decline that began during the COVID-19 pan...

www.kff.org

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · Sep 3

This policy choice doesn’t expand freedoms—it strips families of the freedom to send their children to safe, healthy learning environments. It undermines community immunity and jeopardizes the progress we have made in protecting children.

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · Sep 3

Removing these protections opens the door for outbreaks of measles, polio, whooping cough, and other dangerous illnesses—that we have fought tirelessly to remove from classrooms and childcare centers.

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David Higgins @drhigginsmd.bsky.social · Sep 3

🚨 WHAT!? Florida just announced plans to END all school + childcare vaccine requirements.

This is reckless, dangerous, and let’s be clear: Parents and the public overwhelmingly support school vaccine requirements… 🧵

amp.miamiherald.com/news/politic...

DeSantis and Ladapo to ‘end all vaccine mandates in Florida law’

Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced the move in Hillsborough County on Wednesday.

amp.miamiherald.com

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