Submitted by Tracy Gilsvik
Lake County Public Health Supervisor
As usual, December came with a rush to meet end-of-the-year deadlines, a flurry of holiday shopping and festivities, and even a few flurries in the air. We all want to keep our families healthy and able to participate in the gatherings and activities the season brings. But this last December was unusually busy for those who work in public health to prevent illness, for several reasons.
First, it appears that our annual cold & flu season has taken off like a rocket this year! Our unofficial start to this season is around the beginning of October; just enough time for kids to settle back into the school year and for most of us to move towards indoor activities.
By late November, we saw temps drop and winter-weather arrive just in time for Thanksgiving. Possibly as a result of those holiday gatherings, Minnesota saw an increase in early December positive lab tests and hospitalizations for the “big 3” respiratory viruses: Influenza, COVID-19 and RSV1 . These diseases disproportionately hit the very young (0-4 years) and older (65+) age groups, causing the majority of hospitalizations. These respiratory viruses can continue to circulate at higher numbers well into March or April, and the best way to prevent serious illness is with your annual flu and COVID-19 vaccinations. It’s not too late!
The flu vaccine helps protect against severe disease for 3 different strains and could provide some cross-protection for strains that aren’t included in the flu vaccine. This year’s COVID-19 vaccine also helps protect against circulating strains. One dose of RSV vaccine2 is recommended for all adults ages 75 or older, adults ages 50-74 at increased risk for severe RSV disease, and pregnant women between 32- 37 weeks gestation. There is also a special RSV prevention vaccine for infants entering their first RSV season. Contact your local clinic or pharmacy to schedule a vaccine appointment. Also, it’s best to stay home and away from others if you’re feeling sick (fever, chills, new onset of a cough, extreme fatigue, etc.) and wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water or use a hand sanitizer if hand washing is not an option.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted, on December 5, 2025, to eliminate the universal Hepatitis B vaccine recommendation for infants. For historical context, the US has been recommending a universal Hep B vaccine dose since the early 1990’s for several reasons. 1) Babies are especially vulnerable to contracting Hep B if exposed with about a 90% infection rate. 2) Between 12-18% of US pregnant women are never tested for hepatitis B and only about 35% of women who test positive get recommended care. 3) The birth dose is highly effective at preventing hepatitis B infection and studies have shown it is safe. 4) Hep B infections started to decline in the US when universal birth dose was recommended, showing the vaccine was working. ACIP voted 8-3 to recommend that every baby whose mother tests positive for hepatitis B receive the vaccination, and that all parents talk to their child’s doctor about whether to give the hepatitis B vaccine to infants, even if the mother tests negative. The vaccine is safe, effective at preventing infection, and provides a lifetime of protection. The hepatitis B vaccine will continue to be covered under health insurance plans and the Vaccines for Children programs. The Hep B birth-dose vaccine is already administered with parental consent in the US. This move away from recommending it universally may lead to more challenges in access to the Hep B vaccine and other vaccines in the future. Delaying the administration of the vaccine, even by two months, could lead to an increase in infections and even deaths from hepatitis B.
On December 11, 2025, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) endorsed “the evidence-based guidance of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) that supports the administration of a birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine for all infants […]because the [ACIP] recommendation is not based on science”4.
One of the cornerstones of public health is to prevent, which means “to keep something from happening or arising” (Oxford Languages definition). Vaccines work to prevent serious illness, hospitalization, and even death. They introduce your immune system to a weakened or dead particle from a bacteria or virus, teaching your body to build up the antibodies needed to resist and manage the disease on its own if you’re ever exposed to it in the future.
1. MDH: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/respiratory/stats/index.html
2. CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/vaccines/index.html
3. Your Local Epidemiologist: https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/what-to-expect-fromthis-weeks-us?r=172ywy&utm_ medium=ios&triedRedirect=true
4. MDH: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MNMDH/bulletins/3ff6fbe
