A KFF-Washington Post survey of parents of children younger than 18 found that 90% of respondents believe MMR vaccines are important, and 88% said the same of polio immunizations; however, 56% said flu vaccines are important and 43% said that about COVID-19 vaccines. The survey found that 16% of parents had skipped or delayed at least one vaccine other than for COVID-19 or flu.

A study involving more than 2.3 million children in Sweden, published in The Lancet Regional Health--Europe, identifies risk factors for severe outcomes of respiratory syncytial virus infections. Factors include winter birth, being small for gestational age, multiple births, preterm birth and having young siblings.

A study in the journal Pediatrics revealed significant variability in medical clearance testing in pediatric hospital emergency departments for children and adolescents presenting with mental health concerns. Fifty-seven percent of encounters involved at least one test, such as drug, pregnancy, serum chemistry and heart tests, despite 2022 American Academy of Pediatrics guidance against routine testing unless clinically indicated. The researchers estimated that medical clearance testing cost the 35 hospitals in the study a total of $25 million annually.

Pediatric hospitalists play a crucial role in antimicrobial stewardship to combat antimicrobial resistance, with 30% to 50% of antibiotics in hospitals being inappropriately prescribed, according to experts. Pediatric-specific data and strategies are needed for effective stewardship, such as using pediatric-specific antibiograms and engaging stakeholders like pharmacists and infection prevention teams.

A study in JAMA Network Open found that childhood loneliness was associated with a higher risk of dementia and cognitive decline later in life. The study, based on data from 13,592 participants in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, found that those who experienced loneliness as children had faster cognitive decline and a higher risk of dementia compared with those who did not report being lonely as children.

A study involving 448,819 children found that premature infants had more hospitalizations and outpatient visits, and higher rates of various health disorders, by age 5 when compared with those born at full term. Premature infants also needed more outpatient prescriptions. The findings were published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Data in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that influenza hospitalizations in the US reached record levels during the 2024-25 season, with rates 1.8 times to 2.8 times greater when compared with median cumulative rates since the 2010 to 2011 season. Hospitalization rates were lowest for children and teens ages 5 to 17 and highest for adults 75 and older.

A Washington Post-KFF poll found that 1 in 6 parents in the US have skipped or delayed childhood vaccines, often due to fears about side effects and distrust of federal health agencies, with hesitance highest among younger, white, very religious, Republican and homeschooling families. While most parents still support immunization, experts warn that declining confidence, fueled in part by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine skepticism, could lead to outbreaks of diseases like measles and polio.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has named five new members to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, almost doubling the size of the panel. The appointments come as the panel prepares to discuss and vote this week on vaccines for COVID-19, hepatitis B and a combination vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella. Kennedy had previously replaced all 17 members of the panel with eight new members, some of whom have been critics of vaccines or the US response to COVID-19.

The Trump administration's Make Our Children Healthy Again strategy emphasizes healthier school meals, including limiting artificial dyes and ultra-processed foods. Diane Pratt-Heavner of the School Nutrition Association said any new rules must be practical, since schools depend on pre-prepared foods that meet federal standards, and they often lack the capacity to make all meals from scratch.