RFK Jr. Decries Single-Antigen Vaccines; Scientists Say He’s Wrong
“A tenet of virology is that you go after one of the proteins on the surface that generates a good immune response, and that’s what you target. This principle has withstood the test of time because we’ve made multiple good vaccines in that manner,” said Peter Marks, the former chief of the FDA’s biologics center. Also in the news: measles, whooping cough, covid, and more.
Stat:
Health Secretary RFK Jr. Declares Certain Vaccines Have ‘Never Worked,’ Flummoxing Scientists
Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed another unorthodox view on vaccines, with the long-time vaccine critic declaring that vaccines for respiratory bugs that target a sole part of the pathogen they are meant to protect against do not work. (Branswell, 4/10)
Bloomberg:
Novavax Shares Plunge After RFK Jr. Questions Its Covid Vaccine Efficacy
Shares of vaccine makers fell after US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. raised doubts about the efficacy of a certain type of Covid vaccine. Novavax Inc., which is seeking full approval of a shot Kennedy said might not be effective, plunged as much as 26% Thursday, the most since July. Rivals who make a different type of vaccine also saw their shares fall, with Moderna Inc. down as much as 11% and Pfizer Inc. falling 6.2%. (Smith, 4/10)
Related news about whooping cough, measles, and covid —
CIDRAP:
Indiana Reports Measles Outbreak As Cases Rise In Ohio And Michigan
Just days after reporting its first measles case of the year, in a child, the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) yesterday reported five more related cases. The newly reported patients include three children and two adults who, like the first patient, are from Allen County in the northeast part of the state, an area that includes Fort Wayne. ... Officials said though all cases are connected, there are no known links to cases in other states. (Schnirring, 4/10)
ProPublica:
“Not Just Measles”: Whooping Cough Cases Are Soaring as Vaccine Rates Decline
While much of the country is focused on the spiraling measles outbreak concentrated in the small, dusty towns of West Texas, cases of pertussis have skyrocketed by more than 1,500% nationwide since hitting a recent low in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Deaths tied to the disease are also up, hitting 10 last year, compared with about two to four in previous years. Cases are on track to exceed that total this year. (Eldeib and Callahan, 4/11)
CIDRAP:
Nasal Bacteria May Boost COVID-19 Infection Risk
A new study in eBioMedicine from researchers at George Washington University suggests certain types of nasal bacteria may make someone more likely to get a COVID-19 infection. The study was based on 1,548 self-collected nasal swabs from adults in Washington DC. The swabs were collected during two retrospective case-control studies and a nasal microbiome study. Cases were defined as those with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test and were matched with controls based on age and test date. (Soucheray, 4/10)
CIDRAP:
Report: US COVID-Relief Funds Lost To Fraud Likely Total Hundreds Of Billions Of Dollars
Fraudulently obtained US COVID-19 economic relief funds likely amount to hundreds of billions of dollars, although the true scope will never be known, a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reveals. (Van Beusekom, 4/10)
More health news from the Trump administration —
The Washington Post:
RFK Jr: If You Smoke Or Eat Donuts, Should Society Pay For Your Health Care?
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked whether society should pay for the health care of Americans who smoke or eat doughnuts when they know those habits can contribute to poor health outcomes. “If you’re smoking three packs of cigarettes a day, should you expect society to pay when you get sick?” the nation’s top health official asked in an interview released Wednesday with CBS News chief medical correspondent, physician Jon LaPook. (Weber, 4/10)
AP:
Trump Will Undergo His Annual Physical Friday After Years Of Reluctance To Share Medical Information
Donald Trump is undergoing his annual physical on Friday, potentially giving the public its first details in years about the health of a man who in January became the oldest in U.S. history to be sworn in as president. “I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!” Trump, 78, posted on his social media site. Despite long questioning predecessor Joe Biden ‘s physical and mental capacity, Trump himself has routinely kept basic facts about his own health shrouded in secrecy — shying away from traditional presidential transparency on medical issues. (Weissert, 4/11)
