By Gerry Smith, Michelle Amponsah, Bloomberg News

After Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became the nation’s top health official in February, pediatrician Jeff Couchman started getting a lot of questions from worried parents.

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“They’d ask: ‘Are vaccines going to be available? Can we give my kid every possible shot today just to make sure?’” said Couchman, who practices at Mesquite Pediatrics in Tucson, Arizona.

So, for the first time, Couchman and his colleagues have started offering vaccines on an accelerated schedule. They’re giving a second dose of the MMR vaccine to prevent measles, mumps and rubella as early as 15 months of age, though it’s not typically recommended until age 4. And they’re offering shots to prevent HPV, a common sexually transmitted infection that can cause cancer, starting at age 9, two years earlier than the government suggests.

There are risks to giving shots too early. Government vaccine advisers developed the schedule for childhood shots by looking at the results of clinical studies and scrutinizing how the human immune system changes from infancy to adulthood, among other factors. For some vaccines, like the ones Couchman is doling out ahead of schedule, doctors know adjusting the timing by a few months or even years makes little difference. But for others, deviating from the schedule means the shot won’t be fully effective, or could pose other problems that haven’t yet been discovered.

Pediatricians across the U.S. interviewed by Bloomberg said they’re now working with parents to carefully weigh those risks against the threat posed by Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy’s leadership. Their key concern is that after Kennedy fired some of the government’s top vaccine experts and appointed replacements who have promoted dubious theories about the safety and efficacy of shots, the U.S. may ultimately stop calling for their use. That could lead to higher costs for patients or shortages.

“I’m worried that any moment now vaccines will not be recommended anymore,” said Eli Fels-McDowell in Lexington, Kentucky, who recently got her daughter a second dose of the MMR vaccine earlier than usual, at age 3, and a COVID vaccine after Kennedy said it was no longer recommended for healthy kids. “We’re trying to limbo under the bar really quickly.”

It’s hard to get precise numbers on how many vaccines are given early. It’s not tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or by several state health departments contacted by Bloomberg News. But interviews with pediatricians and parents across the country reveal an emerging trend: a surge of requests for childhood vaccines before they are typically given, citing Kennedy as a reason why.

On a weekend in March, Mesquite held a special clinic for parents who wanted earlier vaccines for their kids. About 45 families showed up, a significant number for a relatively small pediatrician, Couchman said. Overall, his practice has given early second doses of the measles vaccine to about 227 children between 1 and 4, or about 70% of patients in that age range.

In Marin County, just north of San Francisco, pediatrician Nelson Branco said about 20% of families that he sees are requesting an early dose of MMR vaccine. In Charleston, South Carolina, pediatrician Eliza Varadi has seen a rise of requests from parents to give the HPV vaccine to their 7- and 8-year-olds because they’re worried it will no longer be approved or covered by insurance — something she’d never seen before February. And in Florida, pediatricians have been getting parental requests for early shots “more and more,” said Rana Alissa, president of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“Parents are coming in confused about so many things,” Alissa said. “They are mentioning RFK by name.”

Last month, an influential seven-person vaccine advisory panel handpicked by Kennedy said it would form a committee to review childhood vaccines. If the group reverses course and opts to no longer back the well-established childhood shot schedule, it will affect access to those vaccines.

The panel, known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, helps guide which shots insurance companies fully cover and whether manufacturers are shielded from legal liability over side effects. It also helps determine whether vaccines are available for free through the Vaccines for Children program, a taxpayer-backed initiative to ensure every child has access to lifesaving shots. About half of U.S. kids are eligible for the program.

There are reasons to believe Kennedy’s panel will stray from medical precedent. The panel also voted last month against recommending flu shots with a preservative long considered by scientists to be safe, but falsely believed by so-called anti-vaxxers to cause autism. Kennedy has also suggested kids now get too many shots and raised doubts about their safety, falsely claiming the measles vaccines causes deaths each year.

The committee’s moves were a clear sign that some childhood vaccines are in jeopardy, said Sean O’Leary, chair of the infectious disease committee at the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“Based on what we saw, it’s absolutely well-founded for parents to worry that vaccines will get taken away,” he said.

Giving a vaccine early can still fall within government guidelines. The CDC recommends a child get the second MMR vaccine dose between age 4 and 6, but says it can be sooner if it’s at least 28 days after the first. While the HPV vaccine series is recommended at 11 or 12, the CDC says it can be started at age 9.

Still, deviating too far from the schedule can make pediatricians uncomfortable. In some cases, giving a shot well before the recommended age poses unknown risks.

“When you deviate from that schedule, then you’re kind of in unstudied territory,” said Branco, the Marin County pediatrician.

There are potential downsides to giving children shots too soon. Researchers have found infants are born with maternal antibodies that may prevent the measles vaccine from working long-term if they get it before they turn 1. A first measles vaccine dose before that age should only be done in special circumstances, like before traveling to a place with an outbreak, and shouldn’t count toward the normal two-dose schedule, pediatricians say.

In such cases, parents would be giving a child an extra dose of a vaccine that has potential rare side effects like allergic reaction, febrile seizure and a blood-clotting issue that can cause bruising and bleeding.

Some parents still believe it’s better to accept those risks than to possibly leave their children unvaccinated.

In February, Bridget Butler, a 40-year-old mother of three, asked her pediatrician about vaccinating her youngest son early during the measles outbreak. Butler, who lives in North Carolina, said she grew concerned as measles ripped through West Texas and cases cropped up in nearby states.

But Kennedy’s recent move to fire government vaccine advisers has also worried her. Her son turns 1 in August, when he’s due for his first dose of the MMR vaccine. She’s concerned that her insurance won’t cover shots if the U.S. government no longer recommends them and is weighing whether to get him the shot ahead of schedule.

“It’s a hot mess,” Butler said.

©2025 Bloomberg News. Visit at bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

I’ve been a personal finance writer for nearly a decade. I’ve interviewed dozens of financial advisors in that time, but I’m a little ashamed to admit that I’d never actually talked to one about my own finances.

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That changed recently, when my husband — who works in finance too — accepted a new job offer. It felt like the right moment to take a step back from focusing on other people’s money and focus on ours for a change.

I set up our very first meeting with a certified financial planner, and learned a lot from the experience. If you’re curious about what it’s like to talk to an advisor, maybe you’ll learn something, too.

Finding a CFP was surprisingly easy

The first step was to seek out an advisor. There are many types of financial advisors, but I knew I wanted to meet with a certified financial planner.

CFPs go through a rigorous certification process, handle a broad range of topics and have a fiduciary duty to act in their clients’ best interest.

I went through XY Planning Network, a financial planning network I often use to find expert sources for articles. Instead of submitting a media request through the website like I normally do, I clicked on the “find an advisor” search button.

There are more than 2,000 advisors in the network. The thought of sifting through a lot of profiles seemed extremely daunting. But in reality, it wasn’t bad at all.

The whole process from start to finish took less than 10 minutes.

Personalizing the search

I started by entering our location into the search bar. While many CFPs work virtually with clients throughout the country, I was looking for one who lives in the Bay Area, like us, and would be well-versed in the local industries and the housing market.

Then, I set filters to narrow the results based on advisor specialties.

I chose a few key categories that describe my husband and me: married couples, parents, Gen Y/Millennials and HENRY (high earners, not rich yet).

Scheduling the meeting

My husband and I clicked on a few profiles that appeared on the first results page. We checked out the advisors’ websites and ended up picking the CFP whose site we felt looked the most professional and inviting. The clean design, dusty rose colors and her smiling photo gave the site a calming vibe.

We appreciated that the CFP’s fees were clearly laid out and easy to find. We also found her FAQs helpful.

We clicked on the website’s “book appointment” button to schedule a free introductory meeting. We chose a date and time on the calendar and entered a few details. Easy peasy.

Ahead of the consultation, the CFP emailed us a virtual meeting link and agenda: we’d chat about our financial goals, challenges and what kind of support we might need.

The meeting was very casual

The first meeting was simply about getting to know each other. We didn’t need to come prepared with tax returns, account balances or anything like that.

The CFP kicked off the conversation with a quick introduction. She discussed her educational background, experience and what she aims to help people accomplish.

We talked about how my husband is about to start a new job, and shared our main goals: saving for our kids’ education and buying a home in the future. We explained that while we feel good about our finances, we’re curious about what we could be doing better.

The CFP told us what we could expect if we decided to keep working with her. In addition to reviewing numbers, we’d discuss our goals, values and feelings around money. She said she’d look at our current and projected income, expenses and net worth. She also talked about the planning software she uses to map out different scenarios.

But there was no pressure to move forward with planning services. We felt comfortable and supported throughout the 30-minute call.

Advisors aren’t just for rich people

Professionally, I’ve talked to enough CFPs to know that advisors work with people in different life and wealth stages. But I always figured the more money someone had, the more useful an advisor would be. After all, some advisors only work with people who have $1 million or more in assets.

My husband and I are high earners, but not wealthy. So it was reassuring to hear the CFP in our meeting say she believes everyone could benefit from a financial advisor. We wouldn’t have to meet an asset requirement to work with her.

Still, our CFP acknowledged that working with a financial advisor is “a luxury expense,” and some people would rather not spend the money on one.

She said a good sign someone might need an advisor is if they’re checking their bank account daily or constantly transferring money between accounts to make sure there’s enough to cover a bill. An advisor can also be worthwhile if you just don’t have the energy to stay on top of your finances, she added.

In our meeting, we dived deeper into the different topics that advisors can help with, including reviewing employee benefits packages, planning for college or retirement, investment advice and estate planning.

I have a lot more thinking to do

The CFP said she’d check back in with us in a few weeks. In the meantime, my husband and I will have to sort out what we want to do next.

Should we hire this CFP? Should we schedule introductory meetings with other CFPs? Do we want to pay for planning services at all right now?

Whatever we decide, I’m glad we had this experience. Meeting with an advisor helped me realize that even though we have financial goals, we haven’t been checking our progress toward them as often as we should.

It was a good reminder that we’ve had our finances on autopilot for a long time. We need to take a closer look at our income, expenses and investments.

One thing I’m confident in: this won’t be the last time I work with a financial advisor.

Lauren Schwahn writes for NerdWallet. Email: lschwahn@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @lauren_schwahn.

The article What I Learned From My First Meeting With a Financial Advisor originally appeared on NerdWallet.

By JON GAMBRELL

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — In just days, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have begun a new, more violent campaign of attacks targeting ships in the Red Sea, sinking two of them and killing some of their crew.

The assaults represent the latest chapter of the rebels’ campaign against shipping over the Israel-Hamas war. They also come as Yemen’s nearly decadelong war drags on in the Arab world’s poorest country, without any sign of stopping.

Here’s what to know about the Houthis, Yemen and their ongoing attacks.

Rebels involved in years of fighting

The Houthis are members of Islam’s minority Shiite Zaydi sect, which ruled Yemen for 1,000 years until 1962. They battled Yemen’s central government for years before sweeping down from their northern stronghold in Yemen and seizing the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. That launched a grinding war still technically being waged in the country today. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 to try to restore Yemen’s exiled, internationally recognized government to power.

Years of bloody, inconclusive fighting against the Saudi-led coalition settled into a stalemated proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, causing widespread hunger and misery in Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country. The war has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more.

A ceasefire that technically ended in October 2022 is still largely being honored. Saudi Arabia and the rebels have done some prisoner swaps, and a Houthi delegation was invited to high-level peace talks in Riyadh in September 2023 as part of a wider détente the kingdom has reached with Iran. While they reported “positive results,” there is still no permanent peace.

Houthis supported by Tehran while raising own profile

Iran long has backed the Houthis. Tehran routinely denies arming the rebels, despite physical evidence, numerous seizures and experts tying the weapons back to Iran. That’s likely because Tehran wants to avoid sanctions for violating a United Nations arms embargo on the Houthis.

The Houthis now form the strongest group within Iran’s self-described “Axis of Resistance.” Others like Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Palestinian group Hamas have been decimated by Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas that sparked Israel’s war of attrition in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union.

Iran also is reeling after Israel launched a 12-day war against the country and the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear sites.

The Houthis also have seen their regional profile raise as they have attacked Israel, as many in the Arab world remain incensed by the suffering Palestinians in the Gaza Strip face.

Houthis attack ships over Israel-Hamas war

The Houthis have been launching missile and drone attacks against commercial and military ships in the region in what the group’s leadership has described as an effort to end Israel’s offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Between November 2023 and December 2024, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two and killing four sailors. Their campaign has greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $1 trillion of goods move through it annually.

The last Houthi attack, targeting U.S. warships escorting commercial ships, happened in early December. A ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war began in January and held until March. The U.S. then launched a broad assault against the rebels that ended weeks later when Trump said the rebels pledged to stop attacking ships.

Since then, the Houthis have continued occasional missile attacks targeting Israel, but they hadn’t attacked ships until this past weekend. Shipping through the Red Sea, while still lower than normal, had increased in recent weeks.

New attacks raise level of violence and complexity

The attacks on the two ships, the Magic Seas and the Eternity C, represent a new level of violence being employed by the Houthis.

Experts have referred to the assaults as being complex in nature, involving armed rebels first racing out to the vessels in the Red Sea, firing small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. They then have used anti-ship missiles and both aerial and sea drones loaded with explosives to attack the ships.

This coordinated attack sank two vessels in just a matter of days, doubling the number of ships they have sunk. There also is a growing fear the attack on the Eternity C may have been the rebels’ deadliest at sea as crew members remain missing.

The attacks also signal that Israeli and American airstrikes have not stripped the rebels of their ability to launch attacks.

Commercial ships have few defense options

For the Houthis, attacking commercial ships remains far easier than targeting warships as those vessels don’t have air defense systems. Instead, some carry a few armed guards able to shoot at attackers or approaching drones. Downing a drone remains difficult and shooting down a missile is impossible with their weaponry.

Armed guards also typically are more trained for dealing with piracy and will spray fire hoses at approaching small boats or ring a bridge with cyclone wire to stop attackers from climbing aboard. The Houthis, however, have experience doing helicopter-borne assaults and likely could overwhelm a private security detail, which often is just a three-member team aboard a commercial vessel.

Resumed attacks have international and domestic motives

To hear it from the Houthis, the new attack campaign “represents a qualitative shift in the course of the open battle in support of Gaza.” Their SABA news agency said Israel commits “daily massacres against civilians in Gaza and relies on sea lanes to finance its aggression and maintain its siege.”

“This stance, which is not content with condemnation or statements, is also advancing with direct military action, in a clear effort to support the Palestinians on various fronts,” the rebels said.

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However, the rebels stopped their attacks in late December as Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire. The Houthis formally suspended their attacks, though they said ships or companies calling on Israeli ports would remain possible targets.

The rebels also may have reconstituted their forces following the grinding American airstrikes that targeted them. They have not acknowledged their materiel losses from the attacks, though the U.S. has said it dropped more than 2,000 munitions on more than 1,000 targets.

There likely is an international and domestic consideration, as well. Abroad, a new possible ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war — as well as the future of talks between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran’s battered nuclear program — remain in the balance. The Houthis in the past have been a cudgel used by Tehran, though experts debate just how much influence Tehran wields in picking targets for the rebels.

At home, the Houthis have faced growing discontent over their rule as Yemen’s economy is in tatters and they have waged a campaign of detaining of U.N. officials and aid workers. Resuming their attacks can provide the Houthis something to show those at home to bolster their control.

By YURI KAGEYAMA

TOKYO (AP) — Tsukudani, a sweet, Japanese side dish often served with hot rice, originated in the samurai era in a tiny neighborhood called Tsukuda in the old part of Tokyo. Adding “ni” at the end of a word in Japanese means that’s where it’s cooked.

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Professional tsukudani is sold packaged at some Asian food stores and, of course, in modern-day Tsukuda.

A Tokyo correspondent for The Associated Press is sharing her basic tsukudani recipe.

Tsukudani involves simmering bite-sized bits of meat or vegetables in a dark, sweet sauce in a pot over low heat. The ideal flavor emerges after about an hour, enough time for all the juice to infuse the food. And be sure to keep watching your pot.

Serve tsukudani with hot rice or sake, or use it as filling for rice balls.

Easy tsukudani, from AP’s Yuri Kageyama

Start to finish: One hour

Servings: 5

Ingredients:

½ cup of clams, tuna, seaweed, shrimp, meat or other food item to make into tsukudani

¼ cup sliced ginger

2 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon mirin, or sweet rice wine

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sake, or rice wine

2 teaspoons roasted sesame seeds

Directions:

Chop the clams, tuna, seaweed, shrimp or meat into small pieces about the size of a pea. Slice the ginger into thin pieces. Pour the ingredients into a large pot and cook over low heat for about an hour until the juice disappears. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.