Pinned straw:
Wonder if something caused this...
"AMERICA IS IN the throes of its worst flu season in at least seven years. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that some 29m Americans have been infected since October—20% more than at the same point last year. For the first time since 2020, the flu is leading to more hospitalisations and deaths than covid-19."
And this isn't helping and cumulatively might be considered a headwind.
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Since the beginning of 2025, the United States has experienced notable shifts in vaccination program participation, influenced by policy changes, leadership decisions, and public sentiment.
Policy and Leadership Changes
In January 2025, President Donald Trump appointed Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Under Kennedy's leadership, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made significant alterations, including terminating a campaign promoting seasonal flu vaccinations and canceling a major vaccination conference. These actions occurred during one of the most severe flu seasons in decades.
Additionally, the HHS postponed a meeting of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee, citing the need for more public input. These decisions have raised concerns among public health experts about the future direction of vaccination programs in the country.
Vaccination Coverage and Public Response
As of February 8, 2025, CDC data indicates that 23.1% of adults and 12.1% of children have received the updated 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine. These figures suggest a cautious public response to vaccination efforts amid the evolving policy landscape.
Concurrently, Texas is confronting its most severe measles outbreak in three decades, with at least 90 reported cases. The majority of these cases involve unvaccinated children and teenagers, highlighting the potential consequences of declining vaccination rates.
Public Sentiment and Legislative Changes
Public opinion on vaccination mandates has also shifted. Support for personal or philosophical exemptions for childhood vaccines has more than doubled, rising from 17% in 2019 to 35% in 2025. This trend reflects growing vaccine hesitancy and could influence future vaccination policies.
In the immigration sector, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced in January 2025 the waiver of COVID-19 vaccination requirements for individuals applying for adjustment of status to lawful permanent resident. This policy change may impact vaccination uptake among immigrant populations.
Interesting @mikebrisy
When you look at that last chart of PE compression, perhaps it’s not surprising to see the trend in their returns on capital and equity over a similar period. It’s a great business and not going broke anytime soon.
The absolute returns are well above most Aussie businesses. BUT they continue to invest lots of capital every year yet the returns they are getting from those investments are continually declining. For me, this is the key reason many investors aren’t willing to pay the same amount for every dollar of earnings they are generating, as they did 5+ years ago…
