Vaccines, Cholesterol, and Other News
Health & Veritas
Debate Over Medicare Advantage Value
Howard and Harlan debate selection bias, lack of outcome gains, and whether higher spending could fund innovation.
Howie and Harlan discuss the end of flu season, vaccine effectiveness, and the challenge of rebuilding public confidence in immunization. Also: new cholesterol guidelines that push earlier treatment, measles outbreaks and the erosion of herd immunity, a court ruling pausing changes to vaccine guidelines, signs of stabilization at the NIH, new evidence on football and brain injury, and a MedPAC report suggesting Medicare Advantage plans are overpaid.
Show notes:
Looking Back at the Flu Season
CDC 2024–2025 Influenza Season Summary
CDC: Influenza-Associated Pediatric Deaths
CDC Weekly US Influenza Surveillance Report
CDC: Interim Estimates of 2025–26 Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness
New Cholesterol Guidelines
2026 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia
"ACC/American Heart Association Issue Updated Guideline for Managing Lipids, Cholesterol"
Lipoprotein (a): Levels & Testing
"Major changes to cardiovascular guidelines suggest taking statins as young as 30"
"Statins: How They Work & Side Effects"
American Heart Association PREVENT Online Calculator
Measles Update
CDC: Measles Cases and Outbreaks
South Carolina Department of Public Health: 2025 Measles Outbreak
Utah Department of Health and Human Services: Utah measles outbreak response
CDC Measles Vaccine Recommendations
What's Happening at the NIH?
"NIH will spend its full budget this year, agency director promises House appropriators"
"NIH chief calms nerves on grants, hiring"
"WATCH: Dr. Jay Bhattacharya testifies at NIH oversight hearing before House panel"
Harlan Krumholz: "Grant Applications With a Result-Based Orientation"
New Mexico's Measles Success
CDC: Measles Outbreak—New Mexico, 2025
Football, Brain Health, and the Biology of Repetitive Hits
"Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Function in Former American Football Players"
ACIP Lawsuit
"Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)"
"Judge blocks RFK Jr. advisers' vaccine changes"
"Federal judge stalls health secretary RFK Jr.'s overhaul of vaccine policy"
"Federal Judge Puts Brakes on RFK Jr's Vaccine Agenda"
Medicare Advantage Under the Microscope
MedPAC: March 2026 Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy
"Congressional advisers call to rein in Medicare Advantage spending amid industry pressure"
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