MEDPAGE TODAY reported: Brain bleed risk more than doubled in infants who missed routine vitamin K shots. 

Key Takeaways

• The share of newborns who missed routine vitamin K shots rose to 6.8% in 2025.
• Infants who didn't receive vitamin K shots faced a 47% higher bleeding risk in their first 6 months of life.
• Newborns without vitamin K shots also had doubled intracranial hemorrhage and bleeding-related death risks.

Newborns who missed routine vitamin K shots had higher bleeding risks and more than double the risk of intracranial hemorrhage, a nationwide study of over 5 million infants showed.

Infants who did not receive prophylactic vitamin K shots, the share of which increased from 3.1% in 2017 to 6.8% in 2025, had a 47% higher bleeding risk by 6 months (288.0 vs 185.9 per 10,000; adjusted risk ratio [RR] 1.47, 95% CI 1.43-1.51), reported Heather Burris, MD, MPH, of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and colleagues in JAMA.

They also had more than twice the risks of intracranial bleeding (33.0 vs 13.2 per 10,000; adjusted RR 2.43, 95% CI 2.26-2.62) and death with concurrent bleeding during the birth hospitalization (2.9 vs 1.1 per 10,000; adjusted RR 2.69, 95% CI 2.09-3.47).

Diagnosed vitamin K deficiency tripled in infants and vitamin K deficiency bleeding more than quadrupled during this period, noted Elizabeth Wolf, MD, MPH, of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, and co-authors in a related JAMA Pediatrics research letter.

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Chicago Tribune reported today: Ahead of Tuesday’s electoral earthquake, voters repeatedly ranked rising healthcare costs among their top economic concerns. Unfortunately, the dramatic shift in the congressional landscape will not deliver relief anytime soon.

Yes, come January, Democrats will control the U.S. House and Senate. But the party’s gains in the upper chamber were insufficient to overcome a Republican filibuster or, as President Donald Trump told Fox News in the wake of his electoral wipeout, his “impervious” veto.

Individuals and employers burdened by high premiums and out-of-pocket costs need help now. State governments can lead the way, especially states such as Illinois where Democrats control the legislature and governor’s mansion.

States have always been our laboratories of democracy, to use Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis’ famous aphorism. Before passage of the Affordable Care Act, Massachusetts created the model, which Republican Gov. Mitt Romney signed into law.

Over the next two years, Illinois should pursue an agenda that lays the groundwork for the next major national reform. That agenda must accomplish three things:

• It must offer immediate relief to patients facing unaffordable medical bills.

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The Institute of Medicine of Chicago is proud to host its biennial Leadership Summit on December 16, 2026. It will be an informative and festive occasion.  Immediately following the Leadership Summit, IOMC invites you to the HOLIDAY PARTY! 

This biennial event, LEADERSHIP SUMMIT - Developing Solutions to Improve Public Health, brings together three distinguished speakers who will explore the most urgent issues shaping healthcare today—payer, provider, and government, locally and/or nationally. Each keynote will illuminate the state of healthcare, highlight persistent challenges, and share innovative strategies for advancing health equity from their perspective.  In a time marked by economic and policy uncertainty, our shared commitment to equity and collaboration has never been more vital. 

• Lakshmi Emory, MD, MPH, Regional Vice President of Health Services & Chief Medical Officer (FIDE, Medicaid, MDSP), Humana  

• Ngozi Ezike, MD, President and CEO of Sinai Chicago

• Garth N. Walker, MD, MPH, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Public Health

Through perspectives from payer, provider, and government leaders, we will explore the challenges facing their respective organizations and discuss strategies, initiatives, and solutions designed to advance health equity, improve health outcomes, and reduce healthcare disparities. Participants will gain insight into opportunities for cross-sector collaboration and the role of leadership in addressing persistent public health challenges.

Beyond inspiring speakers, attendees will enjoy dynamic networking sessions, engaging exhibits, and a festive atmosphere as we celebrate the close of 2026 and look ahead with optimism to the coming year.

More Information and to register here>2026 Leadership Summit

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Becker's Behavioral Health reported: ADHD diagnoses among US children climb to 13.8%: 4 things to know

The share of U.S. children and adolescents ages 5-17 who have ever received an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis rose from 9.9% in 2019 to 13.8% in 2025, according to CDC data published Oct. 29.

The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics released the findings as a QuickStats feature in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Nazik Elgaddal of the National Center for Health Statistics wrote the analysis, which draws on National Health Interview Survey data from 2019 through 2025. The estimates measure whether a child had ever received an ADHD diagnosis, not whether the condition is currently active or under treatment. The CDC also published a supplementary table with year-by-year figures by sex.

Here are four things to know:
1. The overall rate increased over six years. Lifetime ADHD diagnoses among school-age children grew from 9.9% in 2019 to 13.8% in 2025, a gain of 3.9 percentage points.
2. The gain amounts to a roughly 39% relative increase in the share of children who have received an ADHD diagnosis.
3. Diagnoses rose among both boys and girls. The share of boys with an ADHD diagnosis rose from 13.2% in 2019 to 17.5% in 2025, while the share among girls rose from 6.5% to 9.9%, the data show.
4. Boys are more likely to have been diagnosed. In 2025, 17.5% of boys had ever received an ADHD diagnosis, compared with 9.9% of girls.

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Cook County Health reported: Saturday vaccination clinics will offer flu and COVID-19 vaccines at locations throughout suburban Cook County at no cost. 

SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY, IL – Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) is launching “Spread Facts, Not Flu & COVID,” a new public awareness campaign encouraging suburban Cook County residents to protect themselves and their families from respiratory illness by getting vaccinated and getting trusted information.  

The campaign comes as flu season approaches and misinformation about vaccines continues to make it harder for people to know which health information they can trust. Consisting of Pace bus ads and digital ads on Meta, TikTok and Google Search, the campaign targets communities with lower vaccination rates that may face barriers to accessing vaccines and reliable health information.    

“Flu is not just a bad cold. It can cause serious illness, hospitalization and death, particularly among older adults, young children and people with certain health conditions,” said Dr. Kiran Joshi, chief operating officer of Cook County Department of Public Health. “Our message is simple: spread facts, not flu. Get your information from trusted medical and public health sources and take steps now to protect yourself and the people around you.” 

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NBC News: Nearly Half Of U.S. Teens 13 To 17 Say They Gambled In The Last Year, Survey Finds More than 40% of American teens ages 13 to 17 say they've gambled in the past year, according to a survey published Wednesday, raising red flags about the popularity of betting among minors. Researchers from Rutgers University's Center for Gambling Studies surveyed nearly 1,700 Americans between 13 and 27, and found that 52.5% of the respondents said they had gambled. Among those 17 and under — for whom gambling is illegal — the share was nearly 43%. (Li, 10/29)

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Health News Illinois reported: Lawmakers unveil state-backed tax plan to support independent pharmacies

Independent pharmacies would be able to access tax benefits under a state-backed plan unveiled Wednesday.

The proposal from Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, and Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, would allow eligible pharmacies and small businesses to access tax credits on payroll and on other business benefits like a sales tax exemption on qualifying building materials.

Businesses may also receive the benefits of Illinois's enterprise zone law without submitting an application for designation as a “high impact business.”

Eligible businesses would need to be independently owned, with no more than four stores and plan to make a qualifying capital investment of at least $500,000.

“We can use tax policy to help small independent businesses meet basic needs in underserved communities,” Guzzardi said in announcing the plan. “That's what (the bill) will do: help independent grocery stores and pharmacies provide affordable food and medicine in parts of our state that desperately need them."

The plan was announced with the backing of the state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois Retail Merchant Association.

Rob Karr, the association’s CEO, said it is crucial for lawmakers to support businesses that are “essential to the health and well-being of communities throughout Illinois.”

“(The bill) will help relieve some pressure by providing tax benefits to independent grocery stores and pharmacies in exchange for meaningful investments, including hiring and retaining employees, and improving property and storefronts,” he said.

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Press Release Number: CB26-TPS.63

OCT. 28, 2026 — The U.S. Census Bureau today released the Educational Attainment in the United States: 2025 table package, examining the education level of adults age 18 and older by age, sex, race, nativity, and other demographic and social characteristics.

The data are based on statistics from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement.  

Highlights

Age

• In 2025, among people between the ages of 18 and 24, 65% had completed high school, 19% had earned an associate’s degree or higher, and 16% had less than a high school education.
• In 2025, about 43% of people between the ages of 25 and 54 and 35% of people age 55 and older held a bachelor’s degree or higher.

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JAMA Network reported: Too many effective public health–oriented interventions reach less than half of the patients who are likely to benefit from them. Pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention, antiviral treatment of hepatitis C, colonoscopy after positive stool colorectal cancer screening result, and blood pressure control all fall into this category. Each is a breakthrough with a failure to follow through.¹

Cervical cancer is a quintessential example. Because of the near-perfect efficacy of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines and greater than 90% early-stage survival rate, eliminating cervical cancer is feasible. Australia is on track to eliminate cervical cancer by 2035. Yet cervical cancer incidence is rising among US women aged 30 to 44 years,² and more than a third of US adolescents are not up to date with HPV vaccines.³

Bridging the stubborn gap between what we know and what we do in public health and health care has typically required concerted campaigns and small armies of dedicated people for identification, engagement, and treatment. The world finally eradicated smallpox not when the first vaccine emerged in the 1790s, but 2 centuries later when it finally paired vaccines with highly coordinated monitoring and containment strategies.

Could generative artificial intelligence (AI) help with radically compressing the time frame from breakthrough to follow-through? Artificial intelligence offers the ability to automate case finding, augment outreach, and assist with patient navigation. If directed to support longitudinal human relationships, AI might meaningfully benefit the public’s health. 

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KFF Health News reported: This year, KFF Health News has chronicled how rising healthcare costs are upending the lives of Americans. Reporters have heard from more than 130 people across the U.S. who are trying to afford their premiums, copayments, prescriptions, and medical bills even as housing, energy, and food costs swell. People told us they are forgoing health insurance coverage, rationing their medications, cutting back on doctor visits, and putting off health procedures.

“We’re not talking about the uninsured or those who are low-income who are struggling now,” said Rebecca Kirch, executive vice president at the National Patient Advocate Foundation. “Now it’s become an all-of-us issue.”

While healthcare costs have largely grown faster than the overall economy for decades, they’ve escalated at a dizzying pace recently. In 2023 and 2024, health spending hit its highest growth rates in two decades excluding 2020’s covid-fueled surge.

The prices that hospitals, doctors, and other clinicians charge have increased, along with how much care people are getting. Overall health spending hit nearly $5.3 trillion in 2024, up from $3 trillion a decade earlier, according to federal data.

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