By LAURAN NEERGAARD and MIKE STOBBE

It’s normal for parents, or anyone, to have questions about vaccinations — but what happens if your pediatrician urges a shot that’s under attack by the Trump administration?

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That’s getting more likely: The nation’s leading doctors groups are in an unprecedented standoff with federal health officials who have attacked long-used, lifesaving vaccines.

The revolt by pediatricians, obstetricians, family physicians, infectious disease experts and internists came to a head when an advisory panel handpicked by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urged an end to routine newborn vaccination against hepatitis B, a virus that can cause liver failure or liver cancer.

That vaccine saves lives, helped child infections plummet and has been given safely to tens of millions of children in the U.S. alone, say the American Academy of Pediatrics and other doctors groups that vowed Tuesday to keep recommending it.

But that’s not the only difference. That Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices now is examining possible changes to the entire childhood vaccination schedule, questioning certain ingredients and how many doses youngsters receive.

Pushing back, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued its own recommendations for youngsters. Other medical groups — plus some city and state public health departments that have banded together — also are issuing their own advice on certain vaccines, which largely mirrors pre-2025 federal guidance.

“We owe our patients a consistent message informed by evidence and lived experience, not messages biased by political imperative,” Dr. Ronald Nahass, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, told reporters Tuesday.

But Nahass acknowledged the inevitable consumer confusion, recounting a relative calling him last weekend for advice about hepatitis B vaccination for her new grandbaby.

“Most Americans don’t have a Cousin Ronnie to call. They are left alone with fear and mistrust,” he said, urging parents to talk with their doctors about vaccines.

New guidelines without new data concern doctors

Hepatitis B isn’t the only vaccine challenge. Kennedy’s health department recently changed a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage to contradict the longtime scientific conclusion that vaccines don’t cause autism. Federal agencies also moved to restrict COVID-19 vaccinations this fall, and are planning policy changes that could restrict future flu and coronavirus shots.

But when it comes to vaccine advice, “for decades, ACIP was the gold standard,” said Dr. Jake Scott, an infectious disease physician and Stanford University researcher.

The panel once routinely enlisted specialists in specific diseases for long deliberations of the latest science and safety data, resulting in recommendations typically adopted not only by the CDC but by the medical field at large, he said.

FILE – Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a news conference at the Hubert Humphrey Building Auditorium in Washington, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, file)

Last week’s meeting of Kennedy’s panel, which includes vaccine skeptics, marked a radical departure. CDC specialists weren’t allowed to present data on hepatitis B, the childhood vaccine schedule or questions about vaccine ingredients. Few of the committee members have public health experience, and some expressed confusion about the panel’s proposals.

At one point, a doctor called in to say the panel was misrepresenting her study’s findings. And the panel’s chairman wondered why one dose of yellow fever vaccine protected him during a trip to Africa when U.S. children get three doses of hepatitis B vaccine. The hepatitis B vaccine is designed to protect children for life from a virus they can encounter anywhere, not just on a trip abroad. And other scientists noted it was carefully studied for years to prove the three-dose course offers decades of immunity — evidence that a single dose simply doesn’t have.

“If they’ve got new data, I’m all for it — let’s see it and have a conversation,” said Dr. Kelly Gebo, an infectious disease specialist and public health dean at George Washington University, who watched for that. “I did not see any new data,” so she’s not changing her vaccine advice.

Committee members argued that most babies’ risk of hepatitis B infection is very low and that earlier research on infant shot safety was inadequate.

Especially unusual was a presentation from a lawyer who voiced doubt about studies that proved benefits of multiple childhood vaccines and promoted discredited research pointing to harms.

Dr. Robert Malone chairs a meeting of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in Atlanta on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025 to consider changes in hepatitis B vaccine recommendations for infants. (AP Photo/Ben Gray)

“I don’t think at any point in the committee’s history, there was a 90-minute uninterrupted presentation by someone who wasn’t a physician, a scientist, or a public health expert on the topic — let alone someone who, who makes his living in vaccine litigation,” said Jason Schwartz, a vaccine policy expert at Yale University.

By abandoning data and the consensus of front-line doctors, the ACIP is “actively burning down the credibility that made its recommendations so powerful,” added Stanford’s Scott. “Most parents will still follow their pediatricians, and AAP is holding the line here. But the mixed messages are precisely what erode confidence over time.”

Parents already have a choice — they need solid guidance

Trump administration health officials say it’s important to restore choice to parents and to avoid mandates. That’s how the panel’s hepatitis B recommendation was framed — that parents who really want it could get their children vaccinated later.

Parents already have a choice, said Dr. Aaron Milstone of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The government makes population-wide recommendations while families and their doctors tailor choices to each person’s health needs.

But many doctors don’t — or can’t — do their own lengthy scientific review of vaccines and thus had relied on the ACIP and CDC information, Yale’s Schwartz noted.

They “rely on trusted expert voices to help navigate what is, even in the best of times, a complicated landscape regarding the evidence for vaccines and how best to use them,” he said.

That’s a role that the pediatricians and other doctors groups, plus those multistate collaborations, aim to fill with their own guidelines — while acknowledging it will be a huge task.

For now, “ask your questions, bring your concerns and let us talk about them,” said Dr. Sarah Nosal, of the American Academy of Family Physicians, urging anyone with vaccine questions to have an open conversation with their doctor.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

By ISABEL DEBRE

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A passerby could hear the cacophony from miles away in the Argentine capital, the unmistakable sound of 2,397 dogs barking — and breaking the unofficial world record for the largest-ever gathering of golden retrievers.

Excitement pulsed through Bosques de Palermo, a sprawling park in Buenos Aires, as golden retriever-owners from all over Argentina transformed the park’s grassy expanse into a sea of bright yellow fur.

Dog owners of all ages, their clothes covered in dog hair and stained with slobber, plopped down on picnic blankets with their beloved goldens to take in the surreal sight of so many other, exceptionally similar-looking ones. Children squealed with delight and giddily petted every dog that pranced about.

Families posed for pet selfies under the blazing Southern Hemisphere’s summer sun.

Sipping Argentina’s traditional yerba mate drink, attendees swapped fun facts about their favorite breed — such as goldens’ famed ability to sniff out low blood sugar and cancer — and shared stories of their retrievers comforting them throughout all of life’s ups and downs.

“Since we were children, she’s been a constant presence in our family. We’ve had vacations with her. We’ve done everything together,” said Nicolás Orellana, a 26-year-old wearing a T-shirt with a photo of a golden retriever on it. His family said they drove an hour and a half from their hometown in Buenos Aires province for the event.

“It’s a type of dog that’s known to create a special bond,” he said, kneeling to pet his contented-looking 13-year-old dog Luna.

Around them, fellow golden retrievers sniffed each other furiously, some decked out in costumes ranging from Argentine soccer jerseys and national flags to tutus and Star Wars bandanas.

Through the tsunami of tail-wagging and treat-giving, 10 dog-loving volunteers clad in yellow vests roved with clipboards to register each golden retriever in attendance.

After hours of meticulous counting, the final number came in late Monday. With 2,397 golden retrievers recorded, the event’s organizer, Fausto Duperre, announced that Argentina had broken the informal world record set last year when an event in Vancouver drew 1,685 goldens.

“This is a historic event,” gushed Duperre, a 28-year-old Argentine actor who has become something of a golden retriever influencer on social media, where he regularly posts content about his 10-year-old golden named Oli.

“I’m truly grateful and happy, proud, excited and overjoyed all at once,” he added.

High hopes for a big group photo of the dogs alone on the field quickly faded as it became clear that no owner — nor dog — would withstand even a few moments of separation. Plus, there was the all-too-real fear of dogs getting lost among their thousands of furry counterparts. Owners yanked at leashes and wrangled with the most restive dogs to keep them close.

Some said they were expecting total chaos from Monday’s event but were surprised to report that it turned out to be easy and delightful — like the dogs themselves.

“I was afraid I would lose her, I was afraid she would fight, I was afraid another dog would attack her,” said Elena Deleo, 64, stroking her golden retriever Angie. “But no, they’re all affectionate, all gentle. … It’s just a very lovely experience.”

The reopening of a fire station in St. Paul marks the first time in 67 years a station has been added in the city.

Station 3, previously called Station 1, on West Seventh Street and Grand Avenue closed in 2010. Its return to work will mean faster response times in the area, Fire Chief Butch Inks said Tuesday at a ribbon cutting.

The station has “been part of this community for generations,” Inks said. “Fifteen years ago, Station 3 closed its doors as an active firehouse, and since then, this building has never stopped serving. … This firehouse strengthens one of the busiest business and entertainment corridors in the city.”

Built in 1965, overhauling the station cost $3 million. It brings the number of stations in St. Paul to 16 again after 15 years with 15 stations.

“This whole system has to work together, so to have a better service like we just planted right now on West Seventh means better service city wide,” said Mayor Melvin Carter.

Station for increased demand downtown

Mayor Melvin Carter, right, presents Fire Chief Butch Inks with a proclamation marking “Chief Barton ‘Butch’ Inks Day.” (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Inks is retiring at the end of this month. Carter honored him Tuesday with a proclamation designating Dec. 9, 2025, as Chief Barton “Butch” Inks Day.

Inks took his first call as a St. Paul firefighter 31 years ago from what is now Station 3.

“Since then, I’ve seen a great deal of change,” he said. “The most significant is the tremendous increase in demand placed on our first responders. Our firefighters, EMTs, paramedics and our administrative support staff are shouldering more than they ever have before, and still, this organization answers every call.”

The challenge is not only adding resources, but where to place them “because we were literally out of space” at stations, Inks said.

The reopened station will help address the need for fire services downtown, where Inks said the department’s data showed there has been the biggest increase in demand. There wasn’t room at the downtown station to house more emergency vehicles.

The fire department responds to all medical emergencies in St. Paul, which is 84 percent of their work, according to Assistant Fire Chief Jeramiah Melquist.

Station 3 officially opened last week and crews have been responding to about 20 calls a day, Inks said.

“The day we put them in service, they became one of the busiest companies in the city,” he added.

The station houses a fire engine and three ambulances: one for basic life-support and two for advanced life-support.

The department’s CARES team, which stands for Community Alternative Response Emergency Services, is a two-person EMT team that responds to nonviolent mental health crises and behavioral emergencies. They worked out of the department’s headquarters and now are located at Station 3.

Other uses since 2010 closure

St. Paul Fire Station 3 on West Seventh Street closed 15 years ago, but has been renovated and reopened. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Station 3, then called Station 1, closed in 2010. It and Station 10 on Randolph Avenue consolidated into a newly built Station 1, situated with the department’s headquarters, at Randolph Avenue and West Seventh Street.

Since then, the old Station 1 became Freedom House Station 51 — home to the EMS Academy, where people receive training to become EMTs. The EMS Academy is still in existence and is held in various locations.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the building was a drop-in shelter for the homeless.

Renovations to the fire station started in 2023 and it was supposed to open in November 2024 with a projected cost of $1.7 million, but the project was on hold for several reasons, including increased construction costs, Melquist said.

‘Home away from home’

Most St. Paul firefighters work 24-hour shifts and they’re encouraged to rest when they can between calls. Old stations, including Station 3 before the renovation, have communal sleeping areas with beds separated by curtains.

The remodeled Station 3 now has small, individual bedrooms and private showers. It’s more comfortable for everyone and better suited to a co-ed workforce as fire departments aim to recruit more women firefighters.

The station is “a home away from home,” said Deputy Fire Chief Jamie Smith.

St. Paul firefighters eat meals together in the stations, which all have kitchens, and they’re expected to work out in their station’s gym for at least an hour during each shift, as time allows. They need “to stay in shape because of the physical demands of the job, and it also has mental benefits,” Smith said.

Tuesday was the second ribbon cutting for the St. Paul Fire Department this year. They opened a new station in April in the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood. It replaced Station 7, which was across the way on Ross Avenue, and dated to 1930.

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As with Station 7, changes to Station 3 were made with firefighter safety in mind. Firefighters have a 9 percent higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer than the general U.S. population, the Firefighter Cancer Support Network says of national information.

Both stations now have “hot, warm and cold zones,” with designated places for firefighters to get out of their sooty turn-out gear, special washing machines, and places to store their gear away from the rest of the building.

The original Station 3 is where Hope Breakfast Bar is now, at Leech Street and Grand Avenue. A painting with photos of the faces of the original firefighters from Station 3, which opened in 1873, was digitally restored by Dave Thune, a former St. Paul City Council member who owns the St. Paul Gallery. It will hang inside the renovated Station 3.

An collage of St. Paul firefighters in front of the old Fire Station 3 building is on display at the newly renovated St. Paul Fire Station 3 on West Seventh Street. The collage, which features hand-painted cutouts of photos of firefighters, was retrieved from a dumpster. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

By JEFF AMY

ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge has permanently ordered Georgia’s prison system to keep providing some kinds of gender-affirming care for transgender prisoners, although the state plans to appeal.

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U.S. District Judge Victoria Marie Calvert last week ruled that a new state law denying hormone therapy to inmates violated their protection against cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. She ordered the state to keep providing hormones to inmates who had been receiving therapy and to allow others medically diagnosed as needing hormone therapy to begin receiving treatment.

“The court finds that there is no genuine dispute of fact that gender dysphoria is a serious medical need,” Calvert wrote in her order. “Plaintiffs, through their experts, have presented evidence that a blanket ban on hormone therapy constitutes grossly inadequate care for gender dysphoria and risks imminent injury.”

Calvert had already issued a preliminary order in September blocking the law before finalizing it.

It is the latest turn in legal battles over federal and state efforts to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which bathrooms they can use. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors. President Donald Trump’s administration in April sued Maine for not complying with the government’s push to ban transgender athletes in girls sports.

The Republican president also has sought to block federal spending on gender-affirming medical care for those under age 19 — instead promoting talk therapy only to treat young transgender people. And the Supreme Court has allowed him to kick transgender service members out of the military, even as court fights continue.

The Georgia case was brought on behalf of transgender inmates by the Center for Constitutional Rights after Georgia enacted a law in May banning the use of state money to pay for hormone therapy, gender-transition surgery or other methods to change the appearance of sexual characteristics.

“It is not a health care issue that should be the responsibility of the taxpayers,” said Sen. Randy Robertson, a Cataula Republican who sponsored Senate Bill 185.

Lawyers for the state have already filed a notice of appeal to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Attorney General Chris Carr, an elected Republican running for governor, has vowed to fight the lawsuit “all the way to the Supreme Court,” calling it ”absurd.”

The measure roiled the 2025 Georgia legislative session, with most House Democrats walking out of their chamber to boycott the final vote on the bill. But Gov. Brian Kemp signed it into law in May, and prison medical officials began making plans to gradually reduce and then end hormone therapy to inmates who were receiving it by October.

Georgia had begun providing hormone therapy in 2016 after a lawsuit by another inmate represented by the Center for Constitutional Rights. Prison officials counted more than 340 inmates who had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria in custody in mid-August, and said 107 inmates were receiving hormone therapy as of June 30.

The state presented studies to argue that denying or removing people from hormone therapy doesn’t meet the legal standard of “deliberate indifference,” but Calvert rejected their consideration. Calvert also rejected testimony from physicians in the prison system, saying they weren’t deciding that inmates had no medical need for hormone therapy but instead were just following the law’s directives. She said the counseling and monitoring promised by the state was inadequate.

“Defendants cannot deny medical care and then defeat an injunction by saying nothing bad has happened yet,” Calvert wrote.

Lawyers for the state argued Calvert was ignoring recent court decisions, including the Tennessee ban, as well as a recent 11th Circuit decision deciding that a Georgia county didn’t have to pay for a sheriff deputy’s gender-transition surgery.

“It is crystal clear the state legislatures have wide deference to enact laws regulating sex-change procedures like the cross-sex hormonal interventions at issue in this case,” lawyers for the state wrote in November.