Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Engineering School To Study Debunked Claim That Vaccines Cause Autism
AP: Trump Administration To Award A No-Bid Contract On Vaccines And Autism
Federal health officials intend to award a contract to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to investigate whether there is a link between vaccinations and autism, according to a government procurement notice. The Troy, New York, engineering school is getting the no-bid contract because of its “unique ability” to link data on children and mothers, according to the notice posted this week. Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to questions about the notice, including how much the contract is for or what exactly the researchers intend to do. (Stobbe, 9/12)
Bloomberg: Kenvue Met RFK Jr. In Bid To Keep Tylenol Off Autism List
Tylenol-maker Kenvue Inc. spoke with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a bid to keep the over-the-counter painkiller off a list of autism-causing treatments. ... “We engaged in a scientific exchange with the secretary and members of his staff as it relates to the safety of our products,” Kenvue said in an emailed statement. “We continue to believe that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism, and global health regulators, independent public health organizations, and medical professionals agree.” (Brown, 9/12)
The 19th: RFK Jr.’s Efforts To Link Tylenol To Autism Could Worsen Health Outcomes For Pregnant People, Doctors Warn
The federal government’s reported plans to link pregnant people’s use of acetaminophen — the pain-relief drug sold under the brand name Tylenol — as a cause of autism could worsen their health and stigmatize one of the few treatments pregnant people have for reducing pain and fever, doctors warn. (Luthra and Rodriguez, 9/10)
Also —
Stat: RFK Has Got To Go: Q&A With Jerome Adams, Former Surgeon General
Former surgeon general Jerome Adams has a rule for himself: focus on the policy, not the person. But last week, he broke that rule when he called for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be removed from his post as Health and Human Services secretary. Adams, who served as surgeon general during President Trump’s first administration, has become a prominent critic of public health policy in the president’s second term. He is particularly active on X, where he often goes toe-to-toe with science skeptics. (MacPhail, 9/15)
More on autism and MAHA —
Newsweek: Gestational Diabetes Linked To Higher Risk Of Autism, ADHD In Kids
Ameta-analysis of nearly 50 scientific studies suggests that gestational diabetes—a form of diabetes that develops during pregnancy—may have long-term consequences not only for mothers' health but also for their children's brain development. The research, being presented next week at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, combined results from more than nine million pregnancies across 20 countries. (Gray, 9/14)
KFF Health News: Parents Fear Losing Disability Protections As Trump Slashes Civil Rights Office
Devon Price, a 15-year-old boy with autism, has attended the largest school district in North Carolina for 10 years, but he cannot read or write. His twin sister, Danielle, who is also autistic, was bullied by classmates and became suicidal. Under federal law, public schools must provide children with disabilities a “free appropriate public education,” to give them the same opportunity to learn as other kids. (Clasen-Kelly, 9/15)
Politico: Publicly, This Industry Has Been Mostly Quiet About MAHA. Privately, They’re Panicking
Some of the world’s biggest food companies are confronting a strange reality in Washington: They’re no longer getting their way. After decades of seeing glad-handing on Capitol Hill and positive relations with the White House pay off in policy wins, food industry lobbyists are finding fewer receptive audiences and even struggling to get key meetings as consumer trends and a triumphant political movement fracture old alliances. (Brown, 9/13)
KFF Health News: Journalists Talk New ‘MAHA’ Strategy, RFK Jr.’s Tack At HHS, And Plight Of Rural Hospitals
KFF Health News correspondent Rachana Pradhan discussed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s new “Make America Healthy Again” strategy for children’s health on CBS News’ “CBS Morning News” on Sept. 10. ... KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner discussed Kennedy’s pseudoscientific approach to running HHS on WAMU’s “1A” on Sept. 8. (9/13)
