The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced two measles-associated deaths in the state, marking the first cases of the disease resulting in fatality in Pennsylvania in more than three decades. Both individuals were unvaccinated. These deaths represent the first measles fatalities in the nation during this year, compared to three deaths from the disease across the country in the prior year.
A survey conducted by the Business Group on Health, which gathered responses from 127 large employers—half of which employed at least 25,000 workers—revealed that health care expenses grew more substantially than these companies had anticipated between 2023 and 2025. Looking ahead to 2026 and 2027, projected cost growth is expected to reach 8.5% and 9.2% respectively, before employers implement any modifications to their benefit structures. Ellen Kelsay, chief executive of the Business Group on Health, characterized the unpredictability of health care costs as symptomatic of systemic problems within the broader American health care system.
Research from Oxford University has identified potential associations between the newer shingles vaccine and reduced risks for both dementia and cardiovascular disease. The study employed a natural experiment design, analyzing health records of individuals vaccinated before and after approval of the newer formulation. Study co-author Maxime Taquet expressed interest in results from randomized controlled trials currently underway, noting that if findings hold, the vaccine could prevent hundreds of thousands of cardiovascular events in the United States while potentially becoming the first vaccine to protect both heart and brain health.
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