CDC projects that the variant JN.1 comprises an estimated 21% of COVID cases in the United States as of December 8, 2023. JN.1 has an additional spike protein mutation that could potentially make it harder for the body to fight off an infection. However, the CDC has said that there’s been no indication that it causes more severe disease than other circulating variants. But for the 92% percent of Americans who have not received the latest vaccine, their body isn’t able to fend off more severe...

A CDC study published in JAMA Pediatrics shows that infants younger than 6 months born to people who were vaccinated during their pregnancy were protected from flu-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Infants are at higher risk of being hospitalized compared to other children but cannot get a flu shot until they turn 6 months. The study underscores the importance of pregnant people getting vaccinated since both pregnant people and their infants are at higher risk of...

Greetings Colleagues: The planning committee for the 2024 National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference is now accepting proposals to present at next year’s conference. The conference will be held May 13-15, 2024 and will be hosted by University of Georgia, Clemson University, and North Carolina State University Extension Services in Greenville, SC. Interested individuals may submit proposals for concurrent sessions of 60 or 20 minutes in length as well as poster presentations that will...