Department of Pediatrics Archive — Page 1 of 54

April 22, 2026

Child Health Poll: Vast majority of Tennessee parents say their kids get regular immunizations, support school-based immunization requirements

Roughly 8 in 10 parents surveyed across the state said they are concerned about communicable diseases like measles if others are not immunized and agreed that immunizations are important to protect their children from serious infections.

April 21, 2026

Leading with heart: Juan Salazar’s mission to advance pediatric health care for all children

In a recent Q&A interview, Salazar discussed growing up in Colombia and in Washington, D.C.; why he chose to specialize in pediatric infectious diseases — focusing on HIV, Lyme disease, and later syphilis; his early vision for the Department of Pediatrics; and his deep commitment to family.

April 18, 2026

Rapid bloodstream infection testing shows high potential for timely, lifesaving treatment: Study

Gram-negative bacteria bloodstream infections are a major cause of illness and death worldwide, especially where antimicrobial resistance is more common.  

C. difficile bacteria (image courtesy of CDC/Jennifer Oosthuizen)
April 17, 2026

C. diff study enrolling patients over 65 at increased risk of infection

Participants in the BEETHOVEN study will be randomized to receive two C. difficile vaccine doses six months apart, or a placebo, to learn if an investigational vaccine is safe and can help prevent C. difficile infection in people age 65 and older.

April 16, 2026

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt hosts Southeast Pediatric Cardiac Society Annual Conference 

The conference provides a forum to highlight advances in the care of children and adults with congenital heart disease.

April 3, 2026

Vanderbilt Center for Antibody Therapeutics signs agreement to develop anti-measles antibody treatment

“These antibodies hold significant promise to be used in people who are at risk of measles, but who cannot respond to the measles vaccine due to their weakened immune systems,” said James Crowe Jr., MD, whose research team isolated the human monoclonal antibodies.