Hello from the Common Health Coalition! The 2-4-2 Digest is a weekly snapshot for health leaders that highlights four key things to know and can be read in less than two minutes or with two swipes on your phone.

Join us on Thursday June 26 at 12pm ET for a briefing on a special report examining the impacts of public health funding reductions on the health care sector, with a focus on implications for respiratory virus season. Register here: The Health Care Costs of Public Health Cuts

Weekly Health Insights

Vaccine Guidance: While the FDA has approved Moderna’s new mRNA RSV vaccine for high risk adults 18-59, the next step in the process – a CDC recommendation for use of the vaccine – is still pending.

Environmental Health: The EPA has delayed reporting deadlines for unpublished safety data on 16 high-priority toxic chemicals, including PFAS linked to cancer and developmental harm, until May 2026. In response, several states are advancing stricter testing, liability, and cleanup rules.

Addressing Social Needs: North Carolina’s Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP), one of the first large-scale efforts to integrate non-medical services into Medicaid, is set to end on July 1st absent state funding. Preliminary data show cost savings from reduced ER visits as well as fewer health-related social needs.

Heat: Persistent above‑average temperatures are expected across much of the U.S. this summer. Models like Arizona’s Heat Relief Network, Minnesota’s Heat Vulnerability Tool, and Washington’s Northwest Healthcare Response Network Extreme Heat Tip Sheet may help state and local leaders plan heat response strategies, outreach to high-risk populations, and coordination of cooling resources.

Colleague Corner

In a recent JAMA Viewpoint, former ACIP members highlight the committee’s historic role in grounding U.S. vaccine policy in transparent, evidence-based recommendations that guide access and coverage for millions of Americans. They express concern that the recent removal of the full ACIP membership and staff could disrupt continuity and public trust in the immunization system.

“In this age of government efficiency, the US public needs to know that the routine vaccination of approximately 117 million children from 1994-2023 likely prevented around 508 million lifetime cases of illness, 32 million hospitalizations, and 1,129, 000 deaths, at a net savings of $540 billion in direct costs and $2.7 trillion in societal costs.” 

– Asturias, Brewer, Brooks et al.

Datawatch

A recent JAMA Health Forum study estimates that U.S. adults without a college degree experienced 26% higher mortality in 2023 than expected based on pre-2010 trends, contributing to approximately 480,000 excess deaths that year. COVID and circulatory diseases were among the leading causes.

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Measles reports: In the U.S., there have been 1,197 confirmed measles cases in 35 jurisdictions. To continue following Measles updates, visit our Resources page for the latest Measles Briefs from Yale School of Public Health (under Situational Awareness Briefs). Read the latest deep-dive here. Also, keep children safe during summer camps using this checklist from the CDC.

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