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Reports this week that China is experiencing a surge in respiratory infections in young children triggered flashbacks of the start of the Covid-19 pandemic among infectious disease watchers. But a rapidly organized meeting Thursday between the World Health Organization and health officials in China assuaged much of that concern. (Branswell, 11/24)

China's government has provided evidence that a cluster of respiratory infections that has sent scores of kids to hospitals in northern China is not from a "novel pathogen," according to World Health Organization officials. Earlier this week, WHO released a statement saying it made an official request to China for detailed information — including laboratory results — about an increase in reported clusters of respiratory illness in children. (Reed, 11/24)

Maria Van Kerkhove, acting director of the WHO's department of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said the increase appeared to be driven by a rise in the number of children contracting pathogens that two years of COVID restrictions have kept them away from. "We asked about comparisons prior to the pandemic. And the waves that they’re seeing now, the peak is not as high as what they saw in 2018-2019," Van Kerkhove told health news outlet STAT in an interview on Friday. (Silver, 11/27)

As families gather for the Thanksgiving holiday, North America is seeing the beginnings of increased flu activity. However, in Florida, children’s vaccine levels are lagging behind the rest of the nation. The Sunshine State's pediatric vaccine levels (ages 6 months to 17 years) are about 22%, lagging behind the national average of 56% for children overall, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Pedersen, 11/24)

The maker of a popular over-the-counter cold and flu medicine this week launched a new campaign to help counter inappropriate antibiotic use. The "Flip the Scrip" campaign from Reckitt, maker of Mucinex, aims to educate consumers about antibiotic misuse and the role it plays in promoting antibiotic resistance. The company will provide posters, educational materials, educational videos, and audio public service announcements to urgent care clinics and primary care centers that explain why products like Mucinex, rather than antibiotics, are the best option for treating cold and flu symptoms. (Dall, 11/22)

Large outbreaks of diseases that primarily kill children are spreading around the world, a grim legacy of disruptions to health systems during the Covid-19 pandemic that have left more than 60 million children without a single dose of standard childhood vaccines. By midway through this year, 47 countries were reporting serious measles outbreaks, compared with 16 countries in June 2020. Nigeria is currently facing the largest diphtheria outbreak in its history, with more than 17,000 suspected cases and nearly 600 deaths so far. Twelve countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, are reporting circulating polio virus. (Nolen, 11/25)