Alexander Tin

Today is my last day at CBS News. I’m so grateful for everyone who trusted me with their stories. Thank you for being generous with your time, helping us cover the news in a way that I hope was accurate and fair. To my colleagues at CBS, thank you for memories I will never forget. I’ve been lucky to have so many opportunities to grow as a journalist and colleague. What’s next for me: I’ll be moving overseas and won't have access to my work cell phone (202-381-7107) or email (TinA@CBSNews.com) anymore. But you’ll still be able to reach me on Signal (alexandertin.202).

Thank you

COVID cases likely rising in half of states, CDC estimates Many Southeast, Southern and West Coast states are likely seeing an increase in COVID cases.

The CDC now estimates that COVID-19 cases are likely growing in half of states, as this year's summer wave now looks to be getting underway

It comes as health authorities are tracking elevated trends of another respiratory germ, Parvovirus B19

www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-c...

HHS facing billion-dollar backlog of delayed grants after DOGE Delayed funds include grants for youth homelessness and domestic violence.

The backlog of delayed grants at HHS has swelled to more than a billion dollars, in wake of DOGE reviews that stalled process

Now we're told ACF is bringing some laid-off staff back temporarily, as officials try to rush awards out door in time

www.cbsnews.com/news/hhs-fac...

Ahead of the meeting, the CDC removed a review the agency previously posted on its website that debunked claims about how the preservative could cause autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders. "My understanding is that article was not authorized by the Office of the Secretary, and has been removed consequent. I'm sure that the Office of the Secretary will make note of your comment," panelist Dr. Robert Malone said. Malone was responding to a question from Phyllis Arthur of Bio, a trade group that represents vaccinemakers, who had called for the CDC's evidence review to be restored to the website.

Why did CDC take down its evidence review debunking fears thimerosal was causing autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders?

Dr. Robert Malone told ACIP today its publication had not been authorized by Secy Kennedy's office

w/ Sara Moniuszko

www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-...

CDC to hire former head of anti-vaccine group founded by RFK Jr. Lyn Redwood, who spread debunked claims about vaccines, will be in the CDC's Immunization Safety Office, multiple CDC officials tell CBS News.

The former president of Children's Health Defense, Lyn Redwood, isn't just presenting at tomorrow's ACIP about thimerosal

We're told that CDC is also going to hire Redwood to work in the agency's Immunization Safety Office

www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-vac...

Q3. How many of the 36 cases have been in older adults or in young children? Of the 36 cases, none were younger than 5 years old; 5 (14%) were ages 5-19 years; 30 (83%) were ages 20 years and older; and 1 (3%) had an unknown age. Q4. Have any of the cases been hospitalized? None of the measles cases hospitalized this year had documented evidence of receiving two doses of MMR vaccine. The MMR vaccine is the best way to protect against measles and its complications. Disease symptoms are generally milder in vaccinated people. People who are vaccinated are also less likely to spread the disease to other people. The decision to vaccinate is a personal one. People should consult with their healthcare provider to understand their options to get a vaccine and should be informed about the potential risks and benefits associated with vaccines.

The CDC tells us 36 cases (3%) of measles so far this year had been vaccinated with ≥2 doses before they were exposed

None of cases hospitalized and 83% ages 20 and older

In TX, we heard Monday all 2+ vaccinated cases in children were 8 and younger

www.cbsnews.com/news/measles...

Federal judge strikes down Trump cuts to NIH medical research grants linked to diversity, gender A federal judge struck down sweeping Trump administration orders that resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of National Institutes of Health research grants.

Yesterday's ruling striking down NIH cuts to research funding linked to topics like diversity, gender and vaccine hesitancy could be blocked

HHS tells us they are "exploring all legal options, including filing an appeal and moving to stay the order"

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CDC official overseeing COVID hospitalization data resigns after RFK Jr.'s vaccine orders Dr. Fiona Havers' resignation follows RFK Jr.'s orders to change the CDC's vaccine recommendations.

Dr. Fiona Havers, head of agency's RESP-NET hospitalization data, resigned from the CDC today

"I no longer have confidence that these data will be used objectively or evaluated with appropriate scientific rigor to make evidence-based vaccine policy decisions."

www.cbsnews.com/news/fiona-h...

CDC urges summer camps to check for measles immunity, as U.S. nears record The CDC's new "checklist" comes amid a deadly year of measles outbreaks that is now near record levels.

The CDC has released new measles guidance for summer camps, urging to check for measles immunity in campers and staff, stockpiling face masks

It comes as we're now less than a hundred cases from setting a record, marking worst year since 20th century

www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-urg...

We've updated our story with more details about Secy Kennedy's picks to be CDC's vaccine advisers

For example, GWU told us Dr Michael A Ross hasn't been a professor there since 2017. VCU says he was an "affiliate faculty member" until 2021

www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-...

CDC purges career officials from oversight of vaccine committee News of their removal comes after the firing of the CDC's outside vaccine advisers.

Beyond Secy Kennedy replacing members of CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices

We're told Dr. Melinda Wharton and other career agency officials are now purged from roles overseeing committee's vetting, agenda, and planning

www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-pur...

How Will HHS Ensure Balance of Views Being Represented When Filling All New Member Seats? We will be appointing scientists, public health experts, and doctors to ensure balanced membership in terms of the points of view represented and the functions to be performed so that all vaccine recommendations are made without bias

HHS had previously told members of Congress and stakeholders, in an "ACIP FAQ" that Secy Kennedy would

"be appointing scientists, public health experts, and doctors to ensure balanced membership in terms of the points of view represented"

tinalexander.github.io/notes/2025/0...

RFK Jr. taps allies and COVID vaccine critics among picks for CDC advisory panel. Here's who's on the list. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the previous roster of the CDC's vaccine advisers on Monday.

Here's our story on what we know about Secy Kennedy's new picks for CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices

It caps a monthslong search for replacements. We're told Kennedy and his aides started asking for suggestions early this year

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"Per the June 9, 2025 directive from the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this email serves as formal notice of your immediate termination as a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). We appreciate your prior service and commitment," read an email to one committee member from the CDC. "This is horrifying," a CDC official said of Kennedy's move.

This evening, a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices told us they received "formal notice of your immediate termination"

"This is horrifying," a CDC official said of Secy Kennedy's move

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FDA food inspector vacancies near 20% after Trump hiring freeze The Trump administration's cost-cutting efforts have encouraged departures and stalled hiring at the FDA.

Today FDA resumed hiring food investigators, after being stalled for months by White House freeze

We're told nearly 1 in 5 positions are now vacant in agency's food inspectorate

Last month, agency told HHS OIG that nearly 90 investigative positions empty

www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-foo...

Fungus in "agroterrorism" arrest already widely prevalent in U.S., researcher says Two Chinese researchers were charged with trying to smuggle strains of a fungus called Fusarium graminearum into the U.S.

Touting recent charges of Chinese researchers, FBI called Fusarium graminearum a "potential agroterrorism weapon"

A retired USDA ARS scientist who co-authored with them told us this fungus is already "extremely prevalent" in North America, likely originated here

www.cbsnews.com/news/fungus-...

CDC official overseeing COVID-19 vaccine recommendations resigns The resignation follows an order by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to change the agency's guidance.

A CDC official is resigning from role overseeing updates COVID-19 vaccine recommendations

In an email to others in group, she said she started in public health to help most vulnerable

"that is not something I am able to continue doing in this role"

www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-off...

Will norovirus surge early again this year? CDC urges tracking of new strain. The norovirus strain GII.17 may have disrupted the seasonal pattern of outbreaks.

Will norovirus surge early again this year?

CDC's Emerging Infectious Diseases journal is out with a new report on the rise of a new strain from this notorious stomach bug called GII.17, now dominant nationwide

www.cbsnews.com/news/norovir...

Source: emailed statement Attribution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Date: received May 30, 2025 From January 1 to May 26, 2025, CDC received 62 reports of travelers who were infectious with measles while traveling on an airplane. CDC initiated airplane contact investigations for 50 of these travelers because they traveled into the United States or between U.S. states and territories while infectious with measles. There has been only one situation during this period in which measles appeared to have been transmitted during air travel (i.e., a confirmed case of measles identified in an airplane passenger who was seated near a traveler with infectious measles on an airplane). Exposures at the airport itself are more difficult to track, and state, local, and territorial health departments lead these investigations.

The CDC has stepped up its warning about the risk of measles while traveling

It comes after at least 62 reports of travelers contagious with virus, including at least 1 situation determined to be spread within airplane

www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-mea...

A screenshot of a table that reads: "Ages 19 Years or Older Legend Recommended vaccination for adults who meet age requirement, lack documentation of vaccination, or lack evidence of immunity Recommended vaccination for adults with an additional risk factor or another indication Recommended vaccination based on shared clinical decision-making No Guidance/Not Applicable Vaccine Pregnancy Immuno-compromised (excluding HIV infection) HIV infection CD4 percentage and count Men who have sex with men Asplenia, complement deficiency Heart or lung disease Kidney failure, End-stage renal disease or on dialysis Chronic liver disease; alcoholisma Diabetes Health care Personnelb <15% or <200/mm3 ≥15% and ≥200/mm3 COVID-19 more info icon. See Notes"

For pregnant women, CDC now lists COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy as "No Guidance/Not Applicable"

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp...

A screenshot of text that reads: "Shared clinical decision-making Ages 6 month –17 years who are NOT moderately or severely immunocompromised. Shared clinical decision-making vaccinations are individually based and informed by a decision process between the health care provider and the patient or parent/guardian. Where the parent presents with a desire for their child to be vaccinated, children 6 months and older may receive COVID-19 vaccination, informed by the clinical judgment of a healthcare provider and personal preference and circumstances. https://www.cdc.gov/acip/vaccine-recommendations/shared-clinical-decision-making.html"

Following Secy Kennedy's announcement

The CDC has now updated its childhood immunization schedule, which now says

"children 6 months and older may receive COVID-19 vaccination"

www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-kid...

RFK Jr. says CDC will no longer recommend COVID vaccine for children and pregnant women Kennedy's move appears to shortcut the CDC's outside vaccine advisers, dropping COVID vaccines from the list recommended for children and pregnant women.

A reminder that CDC's COVID-19 vaccine recommendations are directly tied to:

- requirements for what health insurance is required to cover with no out-of-pocket costs
- liability protections expanding access to COVID shots in places like pharmacies

www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-...

U.S. reports cases of new COVID variant NB.1.8.1 behind surge in China Authorities in Hong Kong say COVID-19 levels are the worst in at least a year.

The CDC's airport screening program with Ginkgo Bioworks has now detected multiple cases of the new COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1, which has been linked to a recent surge in China

www.cbsnews.com/news/us-repo...

Multiple current and former federal health officials raised a number of issues with the report, which they said misstated several facts and left out several already well-documented drivers known to be causing chronic disease in children that health authorities are already working to address. Those efforts, they warned, such as work to avert lead poisoning in children, are now under-resourced in the wake of massive layoffs and further proposed budget cuts. "This document makes it seem like we don't know what makes people sick," one federal health official said in a message, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Two officials pointed out maternal health and preterm birth was left out of the report, which is known to lead to a number of health problems and can be prevented through steps like quitting smoking, avoiding alcohol and getting early prenatal care. Smoking, and the need for broader efforts to prevent youth use of nicotine products, was also not mentioned in the report.

Multiple current and former federal health officials we spoke to raised issues with the report

They said it misstated facts and left out some well-documented drivers of childhood disease, like preterm birth and reducing sodium

www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-...

RFK Jr. releases "MAHA" report on childhood chronic disease. Here's what to know. The "Make America Healthy Again" report outlines what it says are four leading drivers of childhood disease, but it is facing criticism from some health officials.

Here's our coverage on White House MAHA Commission's new report, highlighting 4 factors for childhood disease

Secy Kennedy called it "probably the strongest and most radical consensus by a government agency in history about the state of America's health"

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It is unclear whether Pfizer or Moderna disputed the order. They had "within 30 calendar days of the date of this letter" to try to rebut the demand. Spokespeople for Moderna and Pfizer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "Americans deserve radical transparency around the safety and efficacy of COVID vaccines and the FDA is delivering on their promise to do just that. Spikevax and Comirnaty should take steps to ensure that individuals are aware of COVID vaccine-related adverse events resulting in myocarditis and pericarditis," Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, told CBS News in an email. Nixon did not explain why the letters were posted more than a month after they were written. They appeared on the FDA's website hours ahead of a hearing organized by the Republican-led Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on "how health officials downplayed and hid myocarditis and other adverse events associated with the COVID-19 vaccines."

The FDA is ordering Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna to expand warnings about myocarditis/pericarditis from their shots

HHS told us:

"Americans deserve radical transparency around the safety and efficacy of COVID vaccines and the FDA is delivering"

www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-cov...

RFK Jr. tells farmers, GOP not to worry about his report targeting pesticides Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to release a report Thursday on how pesticides and other issues may be linked to childhood chronic diseases.

Asked today by Sen Hyde Smith about Thursday's MAHA report, Secy Kennedy sought to reassure farmers on what it will say about pesticides

"The drafts that I've seen, there is not a single word in them that should worry the American farmer"

www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-...

Vinay Prasad, FDA [13:32:01] And there's another lesson there, which is that change in medicine isn't always easy. You know, there are lots of advances in medicine that aren't always easy. And I think there's going to be some people out there who are concerned about various aspects of our framework, but ultimately I do think this is a step forward. And a lot of these questions will be answered by next calendar year when we start to get the interim results of some of these studies back, and we will have more information to tell the American people and the results of these studies could surprise everybody. We don't know what the-- that's the whole point of running a study. You don't know what you're going to get.

The FDA will continue approving COVID-19 vaccine updates, based on immunogenicity, for seniors and other with an underlying condition

Dr Vinay Prasad said he thinks interim results on new placebo studies for others could be out "by next calendar year"

www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-v...

Biden's "Cancer Moonshot" hit by Trump's cuts to research at Harvard and Columbia The Trump administration's cuts to medical research grants have disrupted awards once backed by former President Joe Biden's "Cancer Moonshot" initiative​.

Steep cuts to federal research grants have now disrupted millions in awards once backed by former President Joe Biden's "Cancer Moonshot" initiative, after funding was frozen to Harvard and Columbia

www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-c...

RFK Jr. told Congress no working scientists were fired, but these top NIH brain scientists are still facing job cuts "As far as I know, we have not fired any working scientists," RFK Jr. had told Congress.

Some of NIH's top brain researchers got layoff notices last month

While they were asked to keep working in labs for now, their layoffs were never rescinded

"As far as I know, we have not fired any working scientists," Secy Kennedy had told Congress

www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-...