Vaccinate Oklahoma

01/15/2026

"The new childhood immunization schedule shifts six vaccines from being universally recommended to being based on shared clinical decision-making. This means the agency recommends families and providers discuss individual risks and health circumstances before deciding whether a child should get an immunization."

An Oklahoma vaccine advocacy group argues this move doesn’t reflect scientific evidence and could have consequences for families.

01/15/2026

"The $1.6m study, funded under the purview of Robert F Kennedy Jr, longtime vaccine skeptic and secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , drew outrage and criticism over ethical questions about withholding vaccines proven to prevent hepatitis B in a country with a very high burden of the disease."

$1.6m project drew outrage over ethical questions about withholding vaccines proven to prevent disease

01/09/2026

"Outpatient visits for respiratory or “flu-like” illness are at their highest in nearly 30 years, and nine children have died of flu this season, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC)."

https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/34114/CDC-9-children-have-died-of-flu-this-season

Outpatient visits for respiratory or “flu-like” illness are at their highest in nearly 30 years.

01/02/2026

Not the way we wanted to kick off 2026...

As of yesterday, nine children have died from the flu this season. The CDC estimates there have been approximately 3,100 total flu deaths, over 81,000 hospitalizations, and 7.5 million infections nationwide.

Hospitalizations have nearly doubled in just one week, jumping from 9,944 to 19,053 between December 13 and December 20. NY is reporting its highest number of flu cases ever recorded in a single week. CO is seeing record hospitalizations, reaching levels they didn't hit until late January last season.

For context: last year was the deadliest non-pandemic flu season for U.S. children on record, with 280 pediatric deaths by season's end. We're on a faster, steeper trajectory this year.

What you need to know:
-It is NOT too late to get the flu shot
-Anyone over 6 months old can get vaccinated, including pregnant women
-The flu shot cannot give you the flu
-This year's vaccine isn't a perfect match; the dominant strain (H3N2 subclade K) emerged after the vaccine was finalized. BUT even a mismatched vaccine still provides meaningful protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death. It lessens severity and duration, meaning you'll be less sick for a shorter time.
-Even people with egg allergies can get the flu shot
-For people with needle phobia, there's a nasal spray option (FluMist). Talk to your clinician about eligibility (generally healthy people ages 2-49, with some exclusions).
-If you've never had the flu shot and never had the flu: congrats, you got lucky. This is a brutal season, and you don't want to test that luck now.
-It takes about 2 weeks to build protection after vaccination, so the sooner the better
-You can get your COVID-19 and flu shots at the same time; same arm or different arms, doesn't matter

If you get sick:
-There are FDA-approved antiviral treatments (like Tamiflu/oseltamivir) that can shorten your illness and reduce severity, but they work best when started within 48 hours of symptom onset. Don't wait.
-Some states have test-to-treat programs at pharmacies where you can test positive and get a prescription on the spot without a trip to the ER. Call your pharmacy to ask.
-If you're high-risk, contact your doctor early about antivirals.
-Hydration and sleep are your best friends!

Other ways to protect yourself and others:
-Mask with an N95 or equivalent
-Improve ventilation when gathering indoors
-Test before gatherings, especially if you're seeing vulnerable loved ones

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/flu-treatments-cases-spike-us/story?id=128804398

12/10/2025

A new study in JAMA shows that vitamin K shot refusal has nearly doubled since 2017. About 200,000 babies born between 2017-2024 didn't receive this simple, life-saving intervention.

Just yesterday, a pediatric ER physician shared a case with me. A 16-day-old girl brought in for seizures. Bulging fontanelle. A brain scan showing massive bleeding into the ventricles and brain tissue. Her parents had declined the vitamin K shot at birth. Despite emergency vitamin K administration and neurosurgery to evacuate the bleeding, she didn't survive. (Some details have been changed to protect the family's privacy.)

This is not fearmongering. This is reality.

The vitamin K shot is not a vaccine. It's a vitamin supplement - the same vitamin K found in spinach and kale. It simply gives babies a nutrient they critically lack at birth.

Babies are born with dangerously low vitamin K levels. Very little crosses the placenta during pregnancy, and breast milk contains almost none. This isn't a flaw in breastfeeding; it's just biology.

No, mom can't fix this through diet or supplements. I know this feels counterintuitive, but even when breastfeeding mothers eat tons of leafy greens or take vitamin K supplements, it barely changes the amount in their breast milk. Our bodies just don't transfer it efficiently that way.

Without enough vitamin K, babies can't clot their blood properly. This can lead to bleeding anywhere in the body - but bleeding in the brain is what we really worry about. It can happen suddenly, without warning, anytime in the first six months of life.

Babies who don't receive the shot are 81 times more likely to develop late-onset bleeding. And late-onset vitamin K deficiency bleeding has a mortality rate of 20-50%.

The reason most of us have never seen this is precisely because the shot works. It's been standard practice since 1961. We've prevented this tragedy so effectively that people have forgotten it exists.

What about oral vitamin K drops? I get why this sounds appealing - drops instead of a shot. But there are real problems. First, newborns' digestive systems are immature and absorption is unpredictable - some babies absorb it well, others don't, and you have no way of knowing which category your baby falls into. Second, babies can spit up the drops or not swallow the full dose. Third - oral vitamin K requires multiple doses over several weeks or months. Miss even one dose and protection drops significantly. Studies from Europe found that while oral vitamin K might help prevent early bleeding, it's far less effective at preventing late-onset bleeding, which is the most deadly kind.

I understand the instinct to question everything when it comes to your newborn. That protective instinct is good. But this particular intervention - one shot, one time, of a vitamin - has been protecting babies for over 60 years.

The consequences of refusing it are rare. But when they happen, they're catastrophic.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-health/parents-refusing-vitamin-k-shots-newborns-study-finds-rcna247580
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2842444

12/10/2025

"During the northern hemisphere (NH) 2024–2025 influenza season, A(H3N2) variants emerged with multiple parallel substitutions affecting cluster transition sites 135, 145, 158 and/or 189, with implications for the 2025–2026 season."

Background: All of the major antigenic changes in influenza A(H3N2) viruses since 1968 have involved mutations at just nine amino acid positions, called cluster transition sites, surrounding the receptor binding region of the hemagglutinin surface protein. During the northern hemisphere (NH) 2024–...

12/08/2025

"The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices appointed by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has voted to abandon universal hepatitis B vaccination for newborns."

Vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted today to abandon universal hepatitis B vaccination for newborns, instead recommending individual decision-making in consultation with a health care provider for mothers who test negative for the virus.

11/21/2025

Winter is coming. Vaccines are in the news. What does your family need to stay safe this season? Here’s a quick guide to who needs which vaccines – pair with hand washing, fresh air, fruits and vegetables, and movement to keep your family feeling good this respiratory season.

Flu 🍂
• Recommended for everyone 6+ months each season.
• Some children getting a flu vaccine for the first time may need 2 doses—check with your pediatrician.

COVID-19* 🧵
• Babies & children under 2
• Adults 65+
• Pregnant people
• Ages 2–64 with conditions that raise their risk

* Talk to your provider or pharmacist to see what’s recommended/accessible for your family

RSV 🧺
• Adults 75+ and 50–74 at higher risk: one-time RSV vaccine
• Pregnant people at 32–36 weeks during RSV season
• Infants may get a monoclonal antibody if mom wasn’t vaccinated in pregnancy

🫶 Make your list, book your appointments, and share this with a friend.


https://vaccinateyourfamily.org/respiratory-season/

11/21/2025

Decades of rigorous and scientifically sound research have proven that vaccines do not cause autism. CDC’s sudden decision to change language on its website reversing that finding is reckless and harmful.

Our statement with HIVMA, APIC, SHEA and SIDP: https://bit.ly/3XEc0KH

11/21/2025

10/09/2025

"RFK Jr. promised to restore 'gold standard science' to the HHS. How's that going for him? Let's see if his decision earlier this year regarding funding to GAVI was informed by 'gold standard science'."

RFK Jr. promised to restore "gold standard science" to the HHS. How's that going for him? Let's see if his decision earlier this year regarding funding to GA...