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.

ICYMI: The Common Health Coalition Annual Meeting is slated for December 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. Coalition members can register here. 

Weekly Health Insights

Childhood Vaccine Schedule: ACIP is convening a new work group to reexamine the childhood immunization schedule. Proposals to eliminate aluminum-based adjuvants would impact many routine vaccines, including Tdap, hepatitis A and B, and Hib. And splitting multivalent vaccines - like MMR - into separate shots could require more frequent vaccinations and appointments. 

Measles: Measles cases in the U.S. have reached 1,575, driven by a growing outbreak along the Utah–Arizona border. Wastewater testing in Utah suggests the virus is circulating more widely than case counts indicate.

CDC workforce: Late last week, approximately 1,300 CDC employees were abruptly fired in a sweeping reduction-in-force (RIF)—only for about 700 to be told they were dismissed in error. Rescinded RIFs included the editors of MMWR, members of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, and the incident commander for the measles response, among others. 

Ultraprocessed Foods: Last Wednesday, California passed the Real Food, Healthy Kids Act, creating the first legal definition of ultraprocessed foods and banning those high in added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats or containing artificial additives from K–12 schools by 2035.

Vax News: Check out the Common Health Coalition’s Vaccine Resources page for additional explainers and toolkits related to immunization policy. Follow us on Instagram @commonhealthcoalition for more for more up-to-the-minute health content.

Colleague Corner

Washington State has developed one of the country’s most comprehensive models for integrating community health workers (CHWs) across the state's health and social care settings. Its CHW-powered Community Care Hubs link hospitals, public health agencies, and community-based organizations to coordinate care and connect residents to housing, food, and behavioral health services. 

“No resource directory will ever have as much information as someone who lives in the community and puts the pieces together.”

– Maria Courogen, Executive Director, Center for Access to Whole Person Care, Washington State Department of Health

Data Watch

A JAMA analysis of 2022 data found that emergency Medicaid spending for undocumented immigrants averaged just 0.4% of total state Medicaid expenditures, suggesting cuts would have minimal fiscal impact but could limit access to essential care.

Figure. Emergency Medicaid as a Share of Total Medicaid Spending Across States

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