Read AMA Morning Rounds®’ most popular stories in medicine and public health from the week of Dec. 15, 2025–Dec. 19, 2025.
U.S. on track to lose status as nation where measles has been eliminated
The Hill (12/13, Choi) reported measles outbreaks are spreading throughout the U.S., which will probably “lose its status as a country where the disease is eliminated.” A nation “loses its distinction as a country where measles has been eliminated when it sees at least 12 months of sustained transmission.” According to the CDC, “there have been 47 reported outbreaks in the country this year,” including an outbreak in West Texas that “saw more than 700 confirmed cases since January and the deaths of two children.”
You may also be interested in: What doctors wish patients knew about measles.
Not everyone sees a mortality benefit from reducing saturated fats, research indicates
MedPage Today (12/15, Lou) reports, in a meta-analysis of randomized trials, investigators found that “across 17 studies, reduced saturated fat intake did not significantly tip outcomes towards harm or benefit for endpoints including all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke, with the evidence providing low to moderate certainty that reduced saturated fats leaned towards benefit.” The data indicated that “for people at low baseline cardiovascular risk, in particular, there was virtually no clinically relevant 5-year benefit from eating fewer saturated fats,” while “some cardiovascular benefits emerged only in high-risk people.” The findings were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Hepatitis B vaccine policy shifts as CDC permits delayed dosing for some infants
Reuters (12/16, Sunny) reports the CDC “on Tuesday adopted its advisers’ recommendation allowing parents, in consultation with a health care provider, to decide whether infants born to hepatitis B-negative mothers should get the vaccine, including the birth dose, ending the long-standing policy that all U.S. newborns receive it.” For “infants not receiving the birth dose, the agency now recommends that the initial dose be administered no earlier than two months of age.”
The Washington Post (12/16, Sun) reports that two weeks ago, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to recommend “that parents of infants born to mothers who test negative for hepatitis B could, in consultation with their health care provider, delay the initial dose to at least 2 months of age.” However, “the CDC did not adopt another recommendation by the committee that drew intense objections from pediatricians. The panel voted to recommend parents and health care providers consider blood tests to check levels of protective antibodies to decide whether a child needs additional doses of the three-dose hepatitis B vaccine.” The CDC “is ‘reviewing’ that recommendation.”
Editor’s note: Read the AMA's statement from AMA trustee Sandra Fryhofer, MD on CDC’s hepatitis B birth dose decision.
Investigation finds DTaP vaccination rates falling across U.S. as states report increases in whooping cough
NBC News (12/17, Edwards, Thompson, Kane, Murphy, Fattah) reports an “NBC News/Stanford University investigation has found that DTaP vaccination rates are plummeting across the country.” Thirty-five states plus “Washington, D.C., provided data to NBC News on DTaP vaccination rates, including 31 that provided specific data on how many kindergarteners got the first four doses of the vaccine.” Nearly “70% of the counties and jurisdictions in those 31 states were below the 95% target rate recommended for community protection, NBC News found,” and “in states that provided data back to 2019, more than 75% of counties and jurisdictions showed declining rates in DTaP vaccination.” This “comes as several states are reporting significant increases in whooping cough.”
You may also be interested in: What doctors wish patients knew about whooping cough.
Nicotine is toxic to heart, blood vessels regardless of how it is consumed, report says
HealthDay (12/18, Thompson) reports, “It’s beside the point to debate whether vaping or nicotine pouches can be more healthy than smoking a cigarette, a major new report argues.” HealthDay says “nicotine is toxic to the heart and blood vessels regardless of how it’s consumed, according to an expert consensus report.” One researcher said, “Across cigarettes, vapes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches, we consistently see increased blood pressure, damage to blood vessels and a higher risk of heart disease. ... No product that delivers nicotine is safe for the heart.” The findings were published in the European Heart Journal.
You may also be interested in: What doctors wish patients knew about e-cigarettes.
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