Why new doctors aren’t specializing in infectious diseases

March 2, 2026

two ager plates showing positive staph infection

(Axios) – New doctors are increasingly moving away from specializing in infectious diseases as the prevalence of vaccine-preventable illnesses like measles and whooping cough ticks up.

Why it matters: The Trump administration’s cuts to public health funding and its overhaul of federal vaccine policy may be putting even more of a damper on a field that took the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic. It doesn’t help that the field has historically paid less than other specialties. (Read More)