As a public health professional and state representative, I’m alarmed by recent shifts in federal vaccination policies from the US Department of Health and Human Services. These changes threaten to undermine decades of progress in protecting New Hampshire families from preventable diseases.
Vaccines remain one of the most powerful tools we have against serious illnesses, from seasonal flu to emerging infectious threats. Historically, federal agencies like the CDC have provided clear, science-based guidance and helped ensure vaccines are affordable and accessible to all Americans.
But recent moves signal a retreat from this commitment. The decision to abandon universal COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for adults is just the latest example of how federal leadership is stepping back when we need it most. Without straightforward guidance, confusion grows, and with it, vaccine hesitancy and misinformation flourish.
This shift disproportionately harms the most vulnerable Granite Staters: Those in rural areas, low-income families, and elderly residents who already face barriers to health care. Worse, the change threatens to increase out-of-pocket costs by removing insurance coverage guarantees tied to universal recommendations. This is a direct threat to equal access and public health.
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New Hampshire has fought hard to maintain vaccination rates, investing in outreach and community clinics. But state-level efforts can’t fully compensate for federal retreat. When Washington cuts funding, muddles messaging, and abdicates responsibility, it’s our communities that pay the price.
Vaccination is not a partisan issue. It is about protecting lives, reducing strain on our health care system, and safeguarding the future of our children and elders.
I call on our federal leaders to restore strong, science-driven vaccine policies, fully fund public health programs, and ensure vaccines remain affordable and accessible to all Granite Staters. The health of our communities depends on clear leadership and unwavering commitment.
Jennifer Mandelbaum is a public health expert representing Rockingham 21 in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.
“Our family wants to know what happened, who did this and why,” said the family of the victim.
A new photo has been released of the victim in a nearly 30-year-long unsolved murder case, in the hope of finding any new potential witnesses in the cold case, New Hampshire officials said.
“Our family wants to know what happened, who did this and why,” the family of Rosalie Miller said in a press release. “We miss her and want to give her peace.”
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Miller was last seen on December 8, 1996 at her apartment in Manchester. At the time of her disappearance, Miller had plans on meeting friends in the Auburn, New Hampshire area, officials said.
Her body was found on January 20, 1997 in a partially wooded spot on a residential lot along the Londonderry Turnpike in Auburn, officials said in the release.
The autopsy report declared Miller’s death a homicide by asphyxiation due to ligature strangulation, N.H. officials wrote.
As part of a new effort to garner public help with the case, an “uncirculated” photo of Miller, 36, is being distributed “in hopes it may jog the memory of someone who saw or spoke with her in the winter of 1996,” Attorney General John M. Formella and New Hampshire State Police Colonel Mark B. Hall announced on behalf of the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit in a joint press release.
Investigators are especially hoping to talk to anyone who was in contact with Miller in December of 1996 or anyone “who may have seen her in the vicinity of the Londonderry Turnpike in Auburn during that time,” officials said in the release.
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The newly released photo of Rosalie Miller, 36, who was strangled to death nearly 30 years ago. – Attorney General John M. Formella and New Hampshire State Police Colonel Mark B. Hall
“We are releasing this new photograph today because we believe someone out there has information, perhaps a detail they thought was insignificant at the time, that could be the key to solving this case and bringing justice for Rosalie and those who loved her,” Senior Assistant Attorney General R. Christopher Knowles, New Hampshire Cold Case Unit Chief said in the release.
The New Hampshire Cold Case Unit encourages anyone with any amount of information to contact the group at [email protected] or (603) 271-2663.
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A Massachusetts man was flown to the hospital after he was struck by a car when he stepped out of his vehicle in the breakdown lane of Interstate 93 in Londonderry, New Hampshire, on Saturday morning.
State police say 40-year-old Felix Matos Medina, of Lawrence, had stopped on the right side of I-93 south at Exit 5 just before 11 a.m. to investigate a possible mechanical issue. He was struck shortly after he stepped out of his vehicle by a Chevrolet Malibu and sustained serious injuries.
Medina was taken by medical helicopter to Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Mass., police said. There was no immediate update on his condition.
I-93 southbound was closed near Exit 5 for about 30 minutes to facilitate the medical helicopter’s landing. One lane remained closed for several hours to accommodate crash reconstruction and on-scene investigation.
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The driver who struck Medina, identified as David Jodoin, stopped at the scene and is cooperating with investigators, according to police. No charges have been filed at this time, but all aspects of the crash remain under investigation at this time.
Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Trooper Evan Puopolo at 603-451-9784.
State police are also reminding all New Hampshire drivers that Sherrill’s Law requires motorists approaching a stopped vehicle displaying warning signals to slow down and give plenty of space. Drivers are also required to move out of partially or wholly blocked lanes when it’s safe to do so.
