Journal of Health Economics and Outcomes Research

I am hearing that RFK Jr.’s minions are going to go after HPV vaccines. I’ve got problems with these people and now you’re going to hear about them, first from a personal perspective and then from a professional one.

It all boils down to this: WE HAVE A SAFE VACCINE THAT PREVENTS CANCER.

Universal self-collection of cervical samples may hike #HPV screening rates

Offering self-collection to all women can improve health equity and speed the global elimination of cervical cancer, the authors say.

www.cidrap.umn.edu/h...

New study in JHEOR assesses the cost-effectiveness of the TYRX antibacterial envelope in preventing cardiac implantable electronic device infections in Spain, showing it is cost-effective or cost-saving across device types. #HEOR #InfectionControl #Spain #MedicalDevices jheor.org/article/154974

New study evaluating real-world Medicare data shows reduced healthcare utilization after pimavanserin initiation in newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve Parkinson’s disease psychosis patients. jheor.org/article/154805 #Parkinsons #pimavanserin #HEOR

Controversial US study on hepatitis B vaccines in Africa is cancelled $1.6m project drew outrage over ethical questions about withholding vaccines proven to prevent disease

Remember that exploitative and unethical clinical trial of HepB vaccine in Guinea-Bissau that RFK Jr. funded?

It’s been cancelled.

How Medical Costs for People with Dementia Are Changing Over Time and Across the U.S. - January 15, 2026 - USC Schaeffer Explore medical spending for Medicare beneficiaries with dementia in this interactive from the U.S. Cost of Dementia project. - January 15, 2026

📊 This new interactive from USC Schaeffer lets researchers and policymakers explore how medical spending for Medicare beneficiaries with #dementia has changed across time, states, demographics and care settings.

Explore the data here ⤵️

Q&A with economist W. Kip Viscusi As a major federal agency reportedly moves away from monetizing the health benefits of regulations, the economist who developed those metrics weighs in.

As the EPA reportedly plans to move away from putting dollar figures on the costs of premature deaths toward industry costs, the economist who developed those metrics weighs in.

Hospitals prep for rising ER visits as ACA subsidy lapse leaves patients with ‘impossible choices’ www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/hosp...

Trump administration sends letter wiping out addiction, mental health grants The Trump administration sent hundreds of letters Tuesday terminating federal grants supporting mental health and drug addiction services.

Last night with no warning, RFK Jr. cancelled up to $2 billion in funding for mental health and substance abuse research and programs administered through SAMHSA.

He and his minions did so because “they no longer believe the defunded programs align with the Trump administration's priorities”.

Medical schools must prepare tomorrow’s doctors for yesterday’s diseases Medical schools must now prepare tomorrow’s doctors for yesterday’s diseases.

That we're in a place, at a time, when someone has to write this headline, this article — it's almost unfathomable. Please do read @krutikakuppalli.bsky.social's take. www.statnews.com/2026/01/12/m...

States, health organizations reject new CDC vaccine guidance

A growing number of states are pushing back against sweeping changes to the US childhood vaccine schedule.

www.cidrap.umn.edu/p...

Maternal #flu, #Tdap vaccination cuts risk of infant hospitalization, ED visits 70% to 89%, researchers estimate

But vaccine uptake was suboptimal, particularly for the flu vaccine.

www.cidrap.umn.edu/d...

Chart that shows total US vaccine recommendations declining from 18 to 11 while most nations in the world range from 13 to 18.

New from @helenbranswell.bsky.social with a chart by me: the United States is now a global outlier when it comes to vaccines

www.statnews.com/2026/01/09/c...

Will Progress on Protecting Young Kids From RSV Be Reversed? Kennedy's vax changes come as new products were making a dent in RSV hospitalizations

Infectious disease experts are dismayed that the monoclonal antibody against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for infants, widely considered a crucial advance in public health, has been downgraded on the childhood immunization schedule.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/pediatrics/rsv/119322?trw=no

JAMA Insights article: Strategies for Communicating With Parents About Vaccines by Sean T. O'Leary, MD, MPH@1,2. Published online April 9, 2025. Includes author affiliations and article information.

Questions about vaccine safety or ingredients may emerge during routine pediatric visits.

Clinicians can address these concerns by explaining vaccine safety monitoring and proactively offering reliable information.

ja.ma/3NzRSri

Estimated Burden of COVID-19 Illnesses, Medical Visits, Hospitalizations, and Deaths This cross-sectional study estimates the age group-specific burden of COVID-19–associated illnesses, outpatient visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in the US from October 2022 to September 2024.

COVID19 data from a new paper:

October 2022-September 2023
-43.6 million cases
-10.0 million outpatient visits
-1.1 million hospitalizations, and -101,300 deaths

October 2023-September 2024
-33.0 million cases
-7.7 million outpatient visits, -879,100 hospitalizations, and -100,800 deaths.

A Study Is Retracted, Renewing Concerns About the Weedkiller Roundup

A Study Is Retracted, Renewing Concerns About the Weedkiller Roundup www.nytimes.com/2026/01/02/c...

DOJ Sent Letters to Medical Journals. Then What Happened? Worrying probe into publications' partisanship may have lost steam

In April, medical journals received letters from DOJ probing whether they are "partisans in various scientific debates."

But since then, the publications haven't heard anything from DOJ, several of the journals confirmed.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/washington-watch/washington-watch/119233?trw=no

In a study using real-world data, Black patients with #mCSPC treated with #apalutamide achieved earlier and higher deep PSA responses than those receiving #abiraterone acetate, suggesting improved outcomes in an understudied population. jheor.org/article/151273 #HEOR #prostatecancer

Hummingbird pollinating a flower while drinking nectar.

JHEOR extends its deepest appreciation to the peer reviewers who invested their time and expertise into providing feedback on the scores of manuscripts we received in 2025. #peerreview #HEOR

Interested in reviewing? Learn more at jheor.org/pages/157-fo...

Economic Burden of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Colombia: A Nationwide Cost-of-Illness Study

New study highlights first national estimate of the economic burden of #RSV infection in #Colombia, highlighting high costs in infants and older adults and supporting targeted prevention and policy planning. #HEOR #prevention #economics

Economic Burden of Alopecia Areata in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from a Societal Perspective: A Cost-of-Illness Analysis

New study estimates the substantial economic burden of #alopecia areata in Saudi Arabia, showing high societal costs driven mainly by productivity loss, especially in severe and refractory disease. #HEOR jheor.org/article/151864

Economic Evaluation of a Novel MicroRNA-Based Assay to Determine Risk of Late Genitourinary Radiation Toxicity in Patients With Prostate Cancer

In a real-world study of Black patients with metastatic prostate cancer, #apalutamide produced earlier and deeper PSA responses than #abiraterone acetate, highlighting potential clinical benefits in an understudied population. jheor.org/article/146844 #HEOR #ProstateCancer #BlackPatients

Early Assessment of the Environmental Impact of Pentaspline Pulsed Field Ablation and Cryoablation in the Treatment of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

New study modeled and compared the carbon emissions of atrial fibrillation ablation techniques, showing pulsed field ablation produces substantially lower CO₂ emissions than cryoablation or radiofrequency ablation. #HEOR #AtrialFibrillation #CO2emissions

Recently approved RSV prevention therapies may be next FDA target

A representative from Sanofi told Reuters that the safety of Beyfortus has been repeatedly shown in over 50 studies.

www.cidrap.umn.edu/r...

Photo:Jon Works/Flickr cc

Gold medals to Boston, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Portland, San Antonio, and St. Louis.

JAMA viewpoint on "New Guidance on Responsible Use of AI" by Sofia Palmieri et al. Published December 3, 2025. Includes summary table of TJC/CHAI guidelines: AI policies, patient privacy, data security, quality monitoring, risk assessment.

💬 Viewpoint: The Joint Commission and Coalition for Health AI have issued guidance on responsible #AI use in health care, but without a unified evaluation system, US hospitals face liability and efficiency challenges as AI adoption expands.

ja.ma/4ro7Moj

Global #whooping cough resurgence after COVID lull may point to need for better vaccines

Despite sustained high vaccine coverage, outbreaks continue to occur every 3 to 5 years in some countries.

www.cidrap.umn.edu/p...

Standard-of-Care Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis Lags for Minority Groups Shockingly low rates of DMARD use compared with white patients in federal data

Use of DMARDs for RA was markedly lower among all major racial-ethnic minority groups in the U.S. compared with white patients, analysis of federal survey data indicated, even after adjusting for income, education, & other factors. @uressien.bsky.social
www.medpagetoday.com/rheumatology...

New study examines whether QALY-based severity measures align with Japan’s HTA policies, identifying mismatches and potential for improved decision-making. #HEOR #Japan #HTA #HealthTechnologyAssessment #QALYs