Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medical Groups Sue To Restore Access To Covid Jabs For Kids, Pregnant People
The New York Times: Medical Societies Sue Kennedy And H.H.S. Over Vaccine Advice
Six leading medical organizations filed a lawsuit on Monday against Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, and the federal Department of Health and Human Services, charging that recent decisions limiting access to vaccines were unscientific and harmful to the public. The suit, filed in federal court in western Massachusetts, seeks to restore Covid vaccines to the list of recommended immunizations for healthy children and pregnant women. (Mandavilli, 7/7)
Bloomberg: Alternative Vaccine Schedule: Fears Have Parents Asking For Early Shots
After Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became the nation’s top health official in February, pediatrician Jeff Couchman started getting a lot of questions from worried parents. “They’d ask: ‘Are vaccines going to be available? Can we give my kid every possible shot today just to make sure?’” said Couchman, who practices at Mesquite Pediatrics in Tucson, Arizona. (Smith and Amponsah, 7/7)
News-Medical.net: Thimerosal In Vaccines: Myths Vs. Medical Facts
Thimerosal, often referred to by its brand name Merthiolate, is an organomercury compound used for its antiseptic and antifungal properties. Thimerosal can be found in various medical applications, some of which include immunoglobulin (Ig) preparations, skin test antigens, and antivenins. Despite being used in vaccines since the 1930s, thimerosal has been heavily scrutinized by the public, especially since the early 2000s. Several agencies and news articles have raised concerns about the frequent use of thimerosal as a vaccine preservative, stating mercury exposure and cautioning against its use, especially for children and pregnant or lactating mothers. (de Souza, 7/7)
More on vaccines —
The Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Lawmakers Join Rally For Plastic Surgeon Accused Of Destroying $28K In COVID-19 Vaccines
Republican lawmakers — including the speaker of the Utah House — stood with about 60 demonstrators at the Orrin G. Hatch U.S. Courthouse on Monday, just before a trial was to begin for a plastic surgeon charged with running a COVID-19 fraud scheme. Several of the demonstrators dressed in red, white and blue, and held American flags and handwritten signs in support of Dr. Michael Kirk Moore Jr. One sign read “Is this what we do to heroes?” while another said, “coercion is not consent.” Another sign, quoting an X post attributed to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine opponent and now Health and Human Services secretary, read: “Dr. Moore deserves a medal for his courage and his commitment to healing!” (Moilanen, 7/7)
NBC News: Vaccinations Rise When States Button Up Religious Loopholes
Unlike other kids in Massachusetts, students living in one Boston suburb won’t be able to go back to school next month unless they’ve had their chickenpox and measles shots, as well as other routine childhood vaccinations. “Any student not fully vaccinated without exemption will be excluded from school,” Newton Public Schools Superintendent Anna Nolin wrote in a memo last month. The directive followed a chickenpox outbreak among students, as well as rising threats of measles, Nolin said. (Edwards, 7/5)
More from HHS and RFK Jr. —
AP: RFK Jr. Promotes A Food Company That Makes Ultraprocessed Meals
Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday praised a company that makes $7-a-pop meals that are delivered directly to the homes of Medicaid and Medicare enrollees. He even thanked Mom’s Meals for sending taxpayer-funded meals “without additives” to the homes of sick or elderly Americans. ... But an Associated Press review of Mom’s Meals menu, including the ingredients and nutrition labels, shows that the company’s offerings are the type of heat-and-eat, ultraprocessed foods that Kennedy routinely criticizes for making people sick. (Seitz and Aleccia, 7/7)
NBC News: RFK Jr.'s Warnings About Sperm Counts Fuel Doomsday Claims About Male Fertility
It’s not uncommon for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to mention sperm counts when he makes a public appearance. In recent television interviews, political speeches and congressional hearings, Kennedy has repeatedly claimed that teenage boys today have half the sperm that men in their 60s do — a stat that’s not exactly accurate. Kennedy has cited the talking point as evidence of a broader health crisis in the U.S. (Bendix, 7/3)
The New York Times: RFK Jr.’s Battle Against Food Dyes Hits A Roadblock: M&M’s
Less than three months after he declared war on synthetic food dyes, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has already secured the cooperation of the makers of some of America’s most colorful culinary products. If they fulfill their promises, Jell-O snacks, Kool-Aid beverages, and Lucky Charms cereals, among a host of other foods, will be rid of synthetic dyes by the end of 2027. But the candy industry and its most colorful chocolate treat, M&M's, are a big obstacle standing between Mr. Kennedy and the ability to claim total victory. (Gay Stolberg and Creswell, 7/7)
