Read AMA Morning Rounds®’ most popular stories in medicine and public health from the week of Sept. 1, 2025–Sept. 5, 2025.
Florida moves to end all vaccine mandates, including for schoolchildren
The Washington Post (9/3, A1, Ovalle, Rozsa) reports that on Wednesday, Florida’s surgeon general “announced plans to end all state vaccine mandates, including for children to attend schools, which would make it the first state to completely withdraw from a practice credited with boosting vaccination rates and controlling the spread of infectious diseases.” Gov. Ron DeSantis “said his administration can unilaterally end some vaccine mandates but that ‘the rest would require changes from the legislature.’”
The AP (9/3, Anderson) reports State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo did not disclose a “timeline for the changes,” nor did he “specify any particular vaccines,” as he repeated several times that the effort would end “all of them.”
Editor's Note: Learn why the AMA strongly opposes Florida’s plan to end all vaccine mandates.
Azelastine nasal spray may help prevent COVID-19 infections, study suggests
NBC News (9/2, Cox) reports study results released Tuesday suggest that “an over-the-counter nasal spray which has been used for years as a safe and effective treatment for seasonal allergies could potentially prevent COVID infections.” A growing number of studies have shown that “the antihistamine azelastine works as an antiviral against a range of respiratory infections, including influenza, RSV and the virus that causes COVID.” In the current study, “participants were given COVID rapid tests twice a week over the course of nearly two months. By the end, the incidence of COVID infections in the azelastine group was 2.2%, significantly lower than the 6.7% infection rate in the placebo group.” Researchers concluded, “Our findings suggest azelastine could serve as a scalable, over-the-counter prophylactic against COVID, especially when community transmission is elevated or in high-risk settings such as crowded indoor events or travelling.” The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
CDC tracking 15 likely rabies outbreaks in U.S.
NBC News (8/31, Kopf, Carroll, Thompson) said CDC data show that “six deaths from rabies have been reported over the last 12 months in the U.S., the highest number in years.” Notably, “wild animals in more than a dozen places across the U.S. have experienced a rise in the deadly disease, at least partly driven by shrinking natural habitats and better surveillance.” Dr. Ryan Wallace, who leads the CDC’s Rabies Team, said, “We are currently tracking 15 different likely outbreaks.” Wallace added, “There are parts of the United States where it does seem like we’re getting more calls and more reports,” highlighting an increase in rabid foxes in the West and rabid bats across the country. He said, “Whether those numbers are truly significant increases, we can only tell at the end of the year. But right now, at peak rabies season, it does seem like activity is higher.”
Inflammation comparable to high LDL cholesterol as a heart disease risk factor in healthy women
NBC News (8/30, Carroll) reported a study presented Friday at the European Society of Cardiology Congress “revealed that inflammation was comparable to high LDL cholesterol as a heart disease risk factor” in women who otherwise seem like they are healthy. The study’s lead author, Dr. Paul Ridker, a preventive cardiologist at Mass General Brigham and Women’s Heart and Vascular Institute and a professor of medicine at the Harvard University Medical School, said, “Half of all heart attacks and strokes occur in people who do not have any major risk factors.” The new findings “indicate that inflammation should be included in heart disease screenings, Ridker said.” The study was also published in the European Heart Journal.
You may also be interested in: What doctors wish patients knew about high cholesterol.
Polling shows most Americans support childhood vaccine mandates
The AP (9/4, Sanders, Thomson-DeVeaux) reports recent polling indicates that “most Americans say kids should be vaccinated to attend school,” but U.S. adults are also “less likely to think these immunizations are important than they were several decades ago.” According to the AP, “about 8 in 10 U.S. adults in a Harvard/SSRS poll from March said parents should be required to have children vaccinated against preventable diseases like measles, mumps, and rubella to attend school ... And about 7 in 10 U.S. adults in a New York Times/Ipsos poll said healthy children should be required to be vaccinated because of the risk to others.” In contrast, a “2024 Gallup poll found a narrower split, though, with about half of U.S. adults saying the government should require all parents to have their children vaccinated against contagious diseases such as measles.”
Meanwhile, The Hill (9/4, Fields) reports a new “Washington Post-KFF poll [PDF] found that 81% of parents support requirements for measles and polio vaccines, while 18% do not. One percent of participants skipped the question.
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