Vaccine News & Notes — January 2024

January 2024: Vaccines and Infectious Diseases in the News

As the new year gets underway, we are again reminded that infectious diseases do not take a break. Influenza, COVID-19 and RSV are circulating nationally, and measles cases have been identified in the Philadelphia area (and likely in other areas of the country as well). Misinformation related to the safety of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines also continues to spread. If you are looking for details about any of these topics, please visit our new webpage where we have gathered information about each to make it easy for you to get the latest information.

Visit the webpage to find out about flu, COVID-19, RSV, measles and the latest misinformation about the mRNA vaccines.

Reminder! Can you please help us spread the word?

Our annual essay contest for students has undergone a schedule change to better align with the school year. As such, our 2024 Maurice R. Hilleman Essay Contest is now accepting entries. Students in grades 6 to 12 in the United States and Canada can win cash prizes and be invited to attend our virtual celebratory event in the spring. Will you please help us spread the word to any students that you know?

Find these resources on our Hilleman Film website for science and history enthusiasts:

• Contest rules and details
• Contest flyer in English
• Contest flyer in French

January is “Cervical Health Awareness” month

As part of “Cervical Health Awareness” month, individuals are encouraged to get their recommended exams and vaccinations, including the human papillomavirus, or HPV, vaccine if they are in the appropriate age group. HPV is the only known cause of cervical cancer.

Importantly, most people are first infected with HPV shortly after they become sexually active. Likewise, the vaccine only works to prevent types of HPV to which a person was not previously exposed. So, the sooner a person is vaccinated, the better the vaccine can work to prevent a future diagnosis.

Find out more about vaccination, screenings (including eligibility for low- or no-cost screenings) and more from these resources:

• National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Screening Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Cervical Cancer: Do you know how to protect yourself from cervical cancer? CDC
• January is Cervical Health Awareness Month, National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC)
• January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

Do you have our mobile app, “Vaccines on the Go?”

Did you know that the Vaccine Education Center (VEC) offers a free mobile app for Android and iOS phones? The app has information on each vaccine and the disease it prevents. It links to many of our videos and other resources, and you can email us your vaccine-related questions right from the app.

Find out more or download the app today.