Hello from the Common Health Coalition! The 2-4-2 Digest is a weekly snapshot for health leaders - 4 key insights in 2 minutes or with 2 swipes on your phone. 

Weekly Health Insights

Vaccine Recommendations: The American Academy of Pediatrics released its updated immunization schedule today, and other specialty societies’ evidence-based recommendations are expected in the coming weeks. Additionally, the Vaccine Integrity Project will meet today at 2pm ET to review the latest evidence on Covid-19, flu, and RSV vaccine effectiveness and safety (livestream). 

BP Clinical Guidelines: Updated American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology recommendations affirm a target below 120/80 mmHg for adults, citing evidence that well-controlled blood pressure can reduce dementia risk by 15%. The guidelines also call for earlier intervention if lifestyle changes fail, expanded use of combination therapy, and greater attention to BP during pregnancy.

Back-to-School: As students return, states and districts are launching new initiatives, from Illinois’ first-in-the-nation mandate for annual student mental health screenings to digital wellness campaigns, phone restrictions, and absenteeism reduction. These policies aim to improve youth mental health, online safety, and school engagement.

Congenital Syphilis: New York State has confirmed three infant deaths linked to congenital syphilis—part of a growing state and national trend that saw over 3,800 cases in 2023, the highest since 1994. The rise highlights gaps in prenatal screening and treatment compounded by shortages of penicillin‐G benzathine, the singular effective treatment in pregnancy.

Vax News: We will regularly update resources for understanding potential changes to vaccine access (See our Provider, Payer, and State Toolkits).

Colleague Corner

In a recent STAT First Opinion, former CDC Director William Foege reflects on the challenges facing public health under political pressure. He underscores the enduring principles of the field:

“First, try to get the science right…Second, add art to create ‘creative common sense at its best.’ And third, add the moral compass...When that is done, we have the ability to strive for ‘moral common sense at its best.’”

– Dr. William Foege, MD, former Director, CDC; founder, Task Force for Global Health; executive director, Carter Center

Data Watch

A new JAMA analysis finds U.S. infants and children are nearly twice as likely to die as those in other high-income nations, with excess deaths driven by prematurity, sudden unexpected infant death, firearms, and motor vehicle crashes.

Figure 1. All-Cause Mortality Rates per 100 000 in the US vs OECD18 for <1-Year-Old Infants and 1- to 19-Year-Old Individuals, 2007-2022

Measles reports: In the U.S., there have been 1,367 confirmed measles cases. This week, Texas health officials declared the end of one of the nation’s largest recent outbreaks after 42 days without a new case in West Texas. For ongoing updates, visit our Resources page. Read the latest deep-dive here.

If you find the digest useful, please share it and

encourage colleagues to consider joining the Coalition.