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Welcome to The Census, your biweekly roundup of what matters in behavioral health care.

Today, we’re breaking down:

• The latest in the concerning anti-vaccine push

• All your latest news headlines in under two minutes

Let’s dive in.

- Claire

P.S. I’ve had to update this piece more times than I can count. Needless to say, it’s an evolving story, so expect updates in the coming days (and weeks, and months… sigh).

What we’re watching this week 

💉 Vaccination rates are dropping amid increased “concerns of safety”

According to the World Health Organization, vaccines have saved at least 154M lives over the past fifty years. Despite this, rates are backsliding.

This summer, the anti-vax movement picked up steam:

• First, HHS Secretary RFK Jr. removed all 17 members of the vaccine committee at the CDC.

• A few months later, $500M in federal research for mRNA vaccines was cancelled.

• Now this week, President Trump announced that vaccines and Tylenol are the “cause of autism,” while also not sharing any evidence.

(I wasn’t lying, this summer has been a lot).

Despite these claims and decisions, historical data shows routine vaccination is behind the near eradication of some of our most infectious diseases. 

But now, we’re backsliding to scarily low inoculation rates:

• Since 2019, 77% of U.S. counties have reported a decline in childhood vaccination.

• Vaccination exemptions are rising, with 53% of counties seeing rates more than double.

• 67% of counties have a less than 95% immunization rate for the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, well below the threshold for herd immunity.

This push against vaccination isn’t just a major problem for acute care providers,

It’s bad for behavioral health specialists, too.

As more misinformation swirls about the “risks” of vaccination causing autism,

We need to be ready to see (and support) patients who blame childhood immunization for their diagnoses.

Now, let’s get your news headlines. 

Catch up quick

This week’s top stories

Latest news

🏫 President Trump announced “official” connection between Tylenol & autism, also called childhood vaccine schedule “disgraceful.”

‼️ The FDA approved leucovorin, a form of folate or vitamin B9, for the treatment of autism, despite a lack of scientific evidence.

🧑‍⚖️ Ex-CDC head Susan Monarez testified to Senate that RFK Jr. told her to “never” express concerns to Congress, limiting access to critical information.

💊 The maker of Tylenol spoke out about claims of connection to autism, branding statements as “dangerous.”

🦠 The first AI-created virus is alive, made to hunt and kill E. coli with a genome designed by artificial intelligence.

🤖 Start-up Akido Labs opened clinics in South California, where patients have appointments and receive treatment plans completely from AI.

👀 After shelving their own weight loss drug, Pfizer spent $7B+ to acquire Metsera Inc., betting big on weight loss drug market.

😔 Nitazenes, a synthetic opioid 20x more potent than fentanyl, have become a factor in increased overdoses.

😞 Substance exposures, even if accidental, found to be linked to increased risk of self-harm in preteens.

🫄 Possible link between gestational diabetes and brain health of parent and baby found, potentially impacting diagnosis rates of ADHD and ASD.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒 Young adults are concerned about the mental health of their parents, as Gen X & Y display increased signs of anxiety and depression.

🏠 The CDC will no longer allow staff to work from home, including employees with disabilities and temporary health issues.

👾 Robin the Robot, made to act like a child and provide comfort in hospital, is a huge hit with pediatric patients and care providers.

Looking for a behavioral health marketing conference to add to your calendar?

Join us in October at the Mental Health Marketing Conference — we can’t wait to see you there!

Funding rounds & investor moves

💸 Seven Starling raised $8M in funding to expand maternal mental health platform, addressing fertility, pregnancy loss, and postpartum care.

🤝 Lemonaid Health, the telehealth branch of 23andMe, was acquired by Bambu Ventures in $10M deal.

💰 Imagine Pediatrics, which provides virtual and at-home medical and behavioural health services, secured $67M in series B round.

Studies & opinion pieces

🍎 Stigma against men with eating disorders impacts access to care, plays a role in help-seeking behaviours (study).

💟 Mental health coaches offer increased support for patients in recovery, but also raise concerns for safety and efficacy (opinion).

🦵Early-age hypotonia found as potential sign of ASD, could be used as a practical screening indicator (study).

🛍️ Mental health is a primary concern for Gen Z, is a strong potential marketing strategy for brands looking to connect (opinion).

That’s it for this week! I’ll catch ya next time with more headlines.

- Claire :)

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