Wisconsin

As doctors try to reinforce need for vaccines, RFK Jr., continues to spread doubts

Published

6 months ago

July 21, 2025

Press Room

As doctors try to reinforce need for vaccines, RFK Jr., continues to spread doubts

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has vaccines in the news again.

The U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary has a history of spreading doubt and misinformation around vaccines.

He wrapped up June by making false statements that pediatricians encourage vaccinations to make profits. Then he stunned the global health community by criticizing a worldwide health alliance as careless based on one old, flawed study.

A week ago, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians and American Public Health Association sued Kennedy over recent changes to federal COVID-19 vaccination recommendations.

So what are the facts?

For children born between 1994 and 2023, the CDC estimates that vaccines prevented 1.1 million deaths and resulted in $540 billion in direct savings.

Here’s what else you should know.

What doctors and public health officials are saying

Why should we vaccinate children? According to Margaret Hennessy, a physician representing the Wisconsin chapter of the American Academy of Pediatricians, the easiest way to say it is that “disease is bad.”

“Many of the illnesses we vaccinate against cause premature death, especially in young children,” said Hennessy. Those that don’t kill can cause permanent health problems like blindness.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services website on childhood vaccination says that “vaccines are among the best way to protect the health of our children,” citing frequent deaths from measles, whooping cough and Haemophilus influenzae before these vaccines were widely available.

In addition to providing protection for individuals, the DHS website says that widespread vaccination means that diseases have less opportunity to spread. When enough people are vaccinated to reach “herd immunity,” overall case numbers drop, protecting everyone.

The latest on Wisconsin vaccination data

One measure of vaccination rates is the percentage of children who have completed every dose of a seven-vaccine series by the time they reach 24 months old. These include at least 4 doses of DTaP, 3 doses of poliovirus, 1 dose of MMR, 3 doses of Hib, 3 doses of HepB, 1 dose of varicella (chickenpox) and 4 doses of PCV vaccines.

While these numbers are not perfect measures because they don’t count booster shots that are important through childhood and adulthood, they can give a rough estimate of vaccination trends.

In 2024, only 68.8% of Wisconsin children had completed this seven-vaccine series by 24 months of age. However, this can vary across the state. Individual county vaccination rates ranged from 31% to 81%, with Milwaukee County sitting slightly below the statewide average at 65.5%.

The most recent data from the CDC, covering children born in 2016, reported that 69.7% of children across the country had completed the vaccine series on time.

According to the CDC, vaccinating children by this age is important for providing the best protection against diseases.

What do schools require?

Immunization requirements for child care and school entry in Wisconsin differ slightly from the seven-vaccine series. They have slightly different dose requirements and don’t require vaccines only recommended for toddlers.

The Wisconsin DHS added a requirement for the 2024-25 school year for the Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY) by seventh grade, and a booster by 12th grade. Meningococcal disease is a rare, but serious disease that can be fatal in 10% to 15% of people who get it.

“Now is the time parents should be making appointments to get their children in for the vaccines they need for back to school,” said Schauer.

More information on school requirements can be found on the Wisconsin DHS website. You can also talk to your doctor or reach out to local or tribal health departments.

Why do doubts persist?

Misinformation is one factor driving vaccine hesitancy. The effects are showing up in low vaccination rates here in Wisconsin, and the situation around the world is even more dire.

However, “vaccines are rigorously tested and thoroughly reviewed for safety and effectiveness before they are licensed,” Stephanie Schauer, Wisconsin Immunization Program Manager for DHS, said in an email to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Once licensed, they continue to be monitored for safety.”

“It’s not just that we say that you should vaccinate your children, but it’s that we do it ourselves. I don’t know any colleagues who don’t vaccinate their children,” said Hennessy.

Beyond childhood vaccines, the Wisconsin Medical Society joined other medical organizations in June to protect access to vaccines for influenza, RSV and COVID-19. The organizations said in a letter that vaccines “remain among the best tools to protect the public against these illnesses and their potentially serious complications.”

Why success can be damaging

One major barrier to vaccinations actually may be their efficacy. Because many young parents grew up at a time when diseases like measles were not common, there can be a tendency to not recognize their seriousness.

Additionally, Hennessy said, physical access to vaccine providers can be a barrier. Finding time to visit a doctor, especially in rural areas when people might have to travel far, can prevent people from accessing vaccines.

To check if you or your children are up to date on vaccinations, you can look up vaccination records on the Wisconsin Immunization Registry maintained by the Wisconsin DHS. More details about vaccinations for children and adults can be found on the Immunize Wisconsin website.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin DHS reaffirms childhood vaccine recommendations after CDC changes

Published

12 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin DHS reaffirms childhood vaccine recommendations after CDC changes

article

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Health Services on Thursday reaffirmed its recommended childhood vaccine schedule after recent changes at the federal level.

Wisconsin vaccine guidance

Local perspective:

On Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control announced changes to its childhood vaccine schedule. The DHS said those modifications further stray “from alignment with America’s leading medical associations and organizations.”

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At this time, the DHS said it is not making changes to its vaccine recommendations – including no changes to Wisconsin’s school or child care vaccine recommendations.

The DHS said it continues to endorse the American Academy of Pediatrics schedule and has issued guidance to Wisconsin health care providers reaffirming that recommendation.

What they’re saying:

“The CDC’s new recommendations were based on a brief review of other countries’ practices and not based on data or evidence regarding disease risks to children in the United States,” DHS Secretary Kirsten Johnson said in a statement. “This upends our longstanding, evidence-based approach of protecting our children from the viruses that pose a risk in our country.

“Copying another country’s schedule without its health and social infrastructure will not produce the same health outcomes. It creates chaos and confusion and risks the health of Wisconsin’s youngest and most vulnerable citizens.”

Big picture view:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the CDC will continue to recommend that all children are immunized against 10 diseases for which there is international consensus, as well as chickenpox.

The updated schedule is in contrast to the CDC child and adolescent schedule at the end of 2024, which recommended 17 immunizations for all children. On the new schedule, vaccines – such as those for hepatitis A and B, meningitis, rotavirus and seasonal flu – are now more restricted. They are recommended only for those at high risk or after consultation with a health care provider.

What they’re saying:

“President Trump directed us to examine how other developed nations protect their children and to take action if they are doing better,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said. “After an exhaustive review of the evidence, we are aligning the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent. This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health.”

The Source: The Wisconsin DHS released information about its childhood vaccine recommendations. Information about the CDC changes is from LiveNOW from FOX with contributions from The Associated Press.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin man accused of killing parents to fund Trump assassination plot set to enter plea deal

Published

24 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin man accused of killing parents to fund Trump assassination plot set to enter plea deal

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man accused of killing his parents and stealing their money to fund a plan to assassinate President Donald Trump is set to enter a plea deal resolving the case Thursday.

Nikita Casap, 18, is expected to agree to the deal during a morning hearing in Waukesha County Circuit Court in suburban Milwaukee. He goes into the hearing facing multiple charges, including two homicide counts, two counts of hiding a corpse and theft, with a trial scheduled to begin March 2.

Online court records did not list the terms of the plea agreement. Harm Venhuizen, a spokesperson for the state public defender’s office, which is representing Casap, said state Supreme Court ethics rules prevent the office from commenting on cases. The Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office did not respond to questions about the deal.

According to a criminal complaint, investigators believe Casap shot his mother, Tatiana Casap, and his stepfather, Donald Mayer, at their home in the village of Waukesha on or around Feb. 11.

He lived with the decomposing bodies for weeks before fleeing across the country in his stepfather’s SUV with $14,000 in cash, jewelry, passports, his stepfather’s gun and the family dog, according to the complaint. He was eventually arrested during a traffic stop in Kansas on Feb. 28.

Federal authorities have accused Casap of planning his parents’ murders, buying a drone and explosives and sharing his plans with others, including a Russian speaker. They said in a federal search warrant that he wrote a manifest calling for Trump’s assassination and was in touch with others about his plan to kill Trump and overthrow the U.S. government.

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“The killing of his parents appeared to be an effort to obtain the financial means and autonomy necessary to carrying out his plan,” that warrant said.

Detectives found several messages on Casap’s cellphone from January 2025 in which Casap asks how long he will have to hide before he is moved to Ukraine. An unknown individual responded in Russian, the complaint said, but the document doesn’t say what that person told Casap. In another message Casap asks: “So while in Ukraine, I’ll be able to live a normal life? Even if it’s found out I did it?”

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin bill stirs issue of parental voice, trans youth autonomy

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin bill stirs issue of parental voice, trans youth autonomy

A Republican-authored bill would require Wisconsin school boards to adopt a policy that would inform a parent or guardian if a student requests to be called by names and pronouns not aligned with their gender assigned at birth.

The bill would require legal documentation, parental approval and a principal to approve changes to a student’s name and pronouns. The bill makes exceptions for nicknames or students going by their middle names.

Although the bill has no chance of being signed into law by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, it reflects the continuing political energy of two issues: parental authority in schools, and the treatment of trans youths.

Notably, hundreds of trans-related bills were introduced at multiple levels of government across the country in the last year.

The lawmakers who introduced the bill, Rep. Barbara Dittrich (R-Oconomowoc) and state Sen. Andre Jacque (R-Franken), said it is about parental rights and transparency. At a Capitol public hearing Jan. 6, Jacque cited a ruling from October 2023 in which a Waukesha judge sided with parents who sued the Kettle Moraine School District after staff at the middle school used a child’s chosen name and pronouns. The parents did not support their child’s transition.

But the Senate Committee on Education hearing grew heated as LGBTQ+ youth, parents of transgender children, Democratic lawmakers and other advocates called the bill unnecessary and potentially violence-inducing. They said it makes life worse for a vulnerable population that makes up less than 1% of Wisconsin pupils.

Jacque argued that without the bill, educators can make decisions about children’s health and well-being in secrecy.

“Hiding from us important things that are going on in their lives is not only disrespectful to parents, it is harmful to our children and deliberately sabotaging the ability for vital communication to take place,” Jacque said.

Sen. Sarah Keyeski (D-Lodi) questioned why the Legislature should be involved when school boards already have the ability to approve such policies.

“I think it’s interesting how much you lean on local control for certain things, but then all of a sudden, you want government control,” she said.

Abigail Swetz, executive director of Fair Wisconsin, said such a bill would prevent educators from “engaging in the best practice” for using names and pronouns. Swetz, a former middle school teacher who advised a Gender and Sexuality Alliance club, said she’s seen firsthand the positive impact of affirming trans and nonbinary students.

“The mental health struggles that trans youth face are not a self-fulfilling prophecy. They’re entirely pressured outcomes, and bills like SB120 add to that pressure,” Swetz said.

Jenna Gormal, the public policy director at End Abuse Wisconsin, said forcing students to come out to parents before they’re ready reinforces power and control while stripping students of their autonomy.

Alison Selje, who uses they/them pronouns, spoke of the seismic shift in their well-being and academic performance when someone used their correct pronouns. Selje was a student at Madison West High School at the time. The Madison Metropolitan School District has a policy – which has survived a court challenge – protecting the use of names and pronouns of trans students.

“I remember the first time I heard someone use the right pronoun for me. This was during the pandemic so I was still wearing a mask, but underneath it, I was smiling ear to ear,” Selje said. “The use of my pronouns was a confidence boost, but it was also a lifesaver.”

Support for the bill came from two women representing Moms for Liberty. Laura Ackman and Amber Infusimo shared stories of parents finding out about their children’s new gender identity through school playbills and yearbooks.

“This bill rightly affirms schools shouldn’t be making significant decisions without parental knowledge or involvement,” Ackman said. “It does not prevent kindness, respect or compassion.”

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