Public Health Updates as of 3/25/2026

To keep the community updated on public health developments, the Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) will provide regular updates on its website and in a dedicated space in the city’s daily email. Look for a recap of important public health information every other week.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Vaccine Guidelines Invalidated (3/16/26)

A U.S. District Court for the District of MA ruling blocked several RFK, Jr. appointees to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and invalidated votes that ACIP had taken to reduce the number of recommended childhood vaccinations. Judge Brian Murphy wrote that the government had disregarded scientific methods and procedural requirements. CPHD’s Medical Director, Dr. Linda Shipton, an infectious disease specialist, noted the importance of evidence-based decision making in healthcare and called the ruling “a win for public health, families, and communities.”

State Health Department Will Monitor Alpha-gal Syndrome (AGS) (3/19/26)

AGS, a tick bite allergy also known as the “red meat allergy”, is an emerging public health concern in Massachusetts. MA DPH announced that alpha-gal syndrome is now reportable by healthcare providers and labs. The reported data will allow DPH to measure the impact of AGS disease on public health and raise awareness among healthcare providers to improve diagnosis and management. Learn more about DPH’s announcement and about alpha-gal syndrome in CPHD’s article.

Cambridge Public Health Department Leadership (3/19/26)

Tracy Rose-Tynes, MS, RN, who most recently served as the Senior Director of Clinical Services at the Cambridge Public Health Department prior to her retirement after a 32-year tenure, has returned to assume the role of Interim Chief Public Health Officer for the City of Cambridge. Read her welcome letter.

World Tuberculosis Day (3/24/26)

World Tuberculosis Day is commemorated annually on March 24, the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced the discovery of the bacterium that causes TB.

• Globally, TB is the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent.
• TB cases have been increasing both nationally and in Massachusetts.
• Cambridge saw cases above the five-year average in 2025, with 8 reported cases among residents, compared with an average of 5 from 2020 to 2024. Residents can explore more communicable disease data in the 2025 Communicable Disease Report.
• CHA’s TB clinic is part of the Cambridge Public Health Department and partners with the MA Department of Public Health to provide comprehensive TB care.  We are the second largest provider of TB services in the Commonwealth.

RSV antibody immunizations extended due to ongoing RSV activity (3/24/26)

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) issued a clinical advisory to health care providers recommending that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) monoclonal antibody immunizations continue to be administered to eligible infants through April 30, 2026, in response to ongoing RSV activity across the state and throughout the region. Read more on DPH’s clinical advisory.