Bucking The CDC, Pediatric Experts Back Covid Vaccine For Young Kids
The American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendation is for children ages 6 to 23 months. In May, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed the covid vaccine from the CDC's immunization schedule for healthy children. Meanwhile, MedPage Today reports on how financial conflicts of interest in federal vaccine panel members have actually fallen since 2000.
ABC News:
Leading Pediatrician Group Recommends COVID Vaccine For Infants, Toddlers In Contrast With RFK Jr.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said on Tuesday that children ages 6 months to 23 months should receive a COVID-19 vaccine, in contrast with federal health officials. The recommendations are part of the AAP's annual childhood immunization schedule, which includes guidance for COVID, flu and RSV vaccines for those aged 18 and younger. (Kekatos and Benadjaoud, 8/19)
MedPage Today:
Are Vaccine Panels At CDC, FDA 'Plagued' By Conflicts? Numbers Say No
Financial conflicts of interest (COIs) among federal vaccine panel members have been at historical lows since the 2000s, contradicting HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s claim that conflicts "plague" the panels, according to a new analysis. The average prevalence rate of reported COIs among members of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) dropped from 42.8% in 2000 to 5% in 2024, said Genevieve Kanter, PhD, of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and colleagues. (Rudd, 8/18)
More on MAHA —
Ars Technica:
RFK Jr.’s Wi-Fi And 5G Health Conspiracies Appear To Make It Into MAHA Report Draft
Amid the predictable MAHA topics and industry concessions, one short section stands out for its obvious link to conspiracy theories. The draft includes a brief section on electromagnetic radiation that says the health department, along with other unnamed federal agencies, will conduct studies to find "gaps in knowledge" regarding safety and efficacy. While the section is vague, it brings to mind Kennedy's long history of falsely claiming that electromagnetic radiation, in the form of Wi-Fi and 5G, causes a variety of health problems— including cancer, autism, a variety of mental and cognitive problems, post-traumatic stress, fatigue, and Type 2 diabetes. (Mole, 8/18)
The Free Press:
The Weedkiller Tearing Apart Trump’s Coalition
Glyphosate has long had critics—perhaps the most prominent being none other than current Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime environmental lawyer who won a landmark judgment against Monsanto in 2018 on behalf of a client who said Roundup caused his cancer. The victory opened the door to tens of thousands of similar suits, many of which are still ongoing. (Page, 8/18)
Roll Call:
Trump's Health Agency Streamlining Goals Hit Roadblock
Five months after the Trump administration rolled out its grand plans for a signature “Make America Healthy Again” agency, Congress has shied away from taking steps to bring the new agency to fruition. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his plan for the agency in March amid a wide-scale restructuring of the department intended to streamline duplicative efforts and cut costs. (Raman, 8/18)
The Hill:
US Food Safety Confidence Drops To New Low: Gallup
Confidence in the government’s ability to ensure food safety in the U.S. has hit a new low — a drop driven largely by distrust among Democrats, according to a poll released Monday. Gallup’s latest survey of consumer habits found 53 percent of Americans said they have at least a “fair amount” of faith in federal regulators maintaining a safe food supply. Confidence had hovered around 70 percent from 2007 to 2019, based on Gallup’s previous findings, but it fell below 60 percent for the first time last year and continued to drop. (Crisp, 8/18)
On funding and research cuts —
The Washington Post:
A Cancer Patient's NIH Therapy Is Delayed Due To Staff Cuts
Richard Schlueter, 56, was planting cucumbers and squash in his community garden plot in Greensboro, Georgia, in May when he tore open a bag of soil and heard a pop. His collarbone had snapped. In early June, a scan revealed that the cancer that started in his tonsils was racing through his bones. That day, he called a medical team at the National Institutes of Health that had created an experimental cell therapy, custom-made to attack his cancer as part of a clinical trial. He needed it. Now. (Johnson, 8/18)
Stat:
Can A Humble, Harley-Riding Professor And Former Trump Adviser Fend Off Science Cuts?
Kelvin Droegemeier heard rumblings about a sweeping change in science policy long before the rest of the academic world. And once the news broke, he knew exactly whom to contact. It was February, and the veteran researcher was sitting in the office of Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), the influential chair of the House appropriations committee and an old acquaintance. Droegemeier had called him up after the National Institutes of Health announced it would slash billions of dollars in payments to universities for research overhead, also known as indirect costs. (Wosen, 8/19)
