Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Tells Outside Experts Their Input On Vaccine Policy Is No Longer Needed
Bloomberg: CDC Cuts Experts Out Of Panels That Develop Vaccine Policy
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told physician groups, public health professionals and infectious disease experts that they will no longer be invited to help review vaccine data and develop recommendations, according to an email viewed by Bloomberg. The move marks an escalation in Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s efforts to assert control over the CDC’s vaccine advisory process. (Cohrs Zhang and Nix, 8/1)
CBS News: Former Vaccine Panel Ousted By RFK Jr. Says Scientific Rigor Is "Rapidly Eroding"
All 17 experts who were ousted from a government panel on vaccine recommendations last month are speaking out against what the panel has become under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s leadership. In a commentary published in the New England Journal of Medicine Wednesday, titled "The Path Forward for Vaccine Policy in the United States," the former members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices described a "seismic disruption" to the vaccine recommendation process in the U.S. (Moniuszko, 7/31)
Scroll down to our Editorials and Opinions section to read the editorial.
KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘What The Health?’: Next On Kennedy’s List? Preventive Care And Vaccine Harm
In his ongoing effort to reshape health policy, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reportedly plans to overhaul two more government entities: the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Ousting the existing members of the task force would give Kennedy a measure of control in determining the kinds of preventive care that are covered at no cost to patients in the United States. (Rovner, 7/31)
On kindergarten vaccinations —
AP: US Kindergarten Vaccination Rates Drop As Exemptions Hit Record High
U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates inched down again last year and the share of children with exemptions rose to an all-time high, according to federal data posted Thursday. The fraction of kids exempted from vaccine requirements rose to 4.1%, up from 3.7% the year before. It’s the third record-breaking year in a row for the exemption rate, and the vast majority are parents withholding shots for nonmedical reasons. Meanwhile, 92.5% of 2024-25 kindergartners got their required measles-mumps-rubella shots, down slightly from the previous year. (Stobbe, 7/31)
Related news on the confirmation hearing for HHS general counsel —
The Intelligencer: State Sen. Mike Stuart Testifies For Health And Human Services General Counsel Nomination
State Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Mike Stuart was before a different committee Thursday as he prepares for a confirmation as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ top attorney. Ranking Democratic member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked Stuart about the rescinding of guidance by the Trump administration to hospitals under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) that previously required hospitals to provide emergency abortion and other reproductive health care. (Adams, 8/1)
On covid —
The Hill: FDA's Marty Makary Again Floats COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary again promoted a conspiracy theory about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, accusing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Wednesday of funding the lab that created the virus. Makary, when asked by NewsNation’s Connell McShane about the longevity of the Trump administration’s changes to federal health agencies such as the FDA, blasted the previous NIH leadership while floating the theory. (O’Connell-Domenech, 7/31)
MedPage Today: COVID's Gut Punch: Some GI Disorders Rose Post-Pandemic
Disorders of gut-brain interaction -- such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) -- rose significantly in both the U.S. and the U.K. following the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a population-based survey study. Surveys revealed that the proportion of adults meeting criteria for at least one such disorder increased from 38.3% in 2017 to 42.6% in 2023 (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09-1.31), Imran Aziz, MD, of the University of Sheffield in England, and colleagues reported in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. (McCreary, 7/31)
Bloomberg: Moderna To Cut 10% Of Staff To Offset Slowing Covid Business
Moderna Inc. is cutting about 10% of its workforce, part of an effort by the struggling biotech company to reduce spending as sales of its Covid vaccine decline. In a note to employees, Chief Executive Officer Stéphane Bancel said the company was “aligning our cost structure to the realities of our business.” (Smith, 7/31)
