Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Monarez: CDC Will Be Guided By 'Rational, Evidence-Based Discourse'
NBC News: CDC Director Tells Staff 'Misinformation Can Be Dangerous' In Agency Meeting
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director, Susan Monarez, warned staffers about the dangers of misinformation during an agencywide meeting Tuesday, the first since last week’s shooting at the CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta, which left one police officer dead, according to a transcript of her remarks obtained by NBC News. ... She said the agency has taken steps to bolster security and expand mental health sources for employees. (Lovelace Jr., 8/12)
Bloomberg: RFK Jr. Refuses To Offer Motive Of CDC Gunman In TV Interview
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would not blame vaccine misinformation as a motive in the August 8 shooting on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he said in an interview with Scripps News. While visiting the agency in Atlanta Monday, Kennedy offered his condolences to the family of the officer who died while responding at the scene and expressed his support for CDC employees. (Nix, 8/12)
Politico: CDC Shooter, Motivated By Vaccine Distrust, Died Of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound
The man who opened fire at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta last week died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was motivated by his distrust of Covid vaccines, authorities confirmed on Tuesday. (Friedman, Gardner and Gardner, 8/12)
In related news about vaccines —
CIDRAP: Virologist Network Reaffirms Support For MRNA Vaccine Platform
An international virologist group representing more than 80 research labs across more than 40 countries yesterday reaffirmed their support for the continued development and deployment of mRNA vaccines, a statement that came in response to the United States’ top health agency announcement earlier this month that it was scrapping further work on projects involving the mRNA vaccine platform. (Schnirring, 8/12)
Bloomberg: Other Nations Want To Make Their Own Vaccines As US Pulls Back
At least a dozen countries are interested in developing their own vaccines because they’re losing confidence that the US government will have immunizations ready for the next pandemic, a top biotech investor said. Other nations have largely depended on the US to make shots that are deployed globally. The Covid-19 vaccines, developed by Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. and embraced by the US government, were used by tens of millions of people around the world. (Smith, 8/12)
More on MAHA and RFK Jr. —
The Hill: Second MAHA Report's Release Delayed
The anticipated release of the second report by the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission has been delayed as the White House says scheduling will take some time. The second MAHA report was expected to be released this week, but the White House said the paper would be submitted by its Aug. 12 deadline, with some scheduling still needing to be coordinated. (Choi, 8/12)
Stat: Challenges Mount For Kennedy And MAHA
A deadly shooting at one of the public health agencies that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vilified during his rise to power is proving to be a unique test of his leadership, at a time when fractures are emerging in his Make America Healthy Again movement. (Cirruzzo and Payne, 8/12)
MedPage Today: Former FDA Chief Wants The Agency To Focus On Refined Carbohydrates
Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler, MD, says his citizen's petition to the FDA to remove refined carbohydrates from the market unless the food industry can show they're safe is "remarkably simple." "Diet is the primary culprit behind this epidemic of chronic disease and metabolic harm," he told MedPage Today in a phone interview. "And these refined carbohydrates, these ultraprocessed foods, these are the main drivers." (Frieden, 8/12)
Axios: MAGA Rails Against "Pothead" Culture As Trump Weighs Weed Reform
Prominent MAGA leaders are urging President Trump to back off his plans to review federal restrictions on marijuana, warning of a one-way ticket to societal ruin. Reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug would open the door to expanded research and deliver a major boost to the legal cannabis industry, which is currently constrained by a patchwork of state laws. (Axelrod, 8/13)
Also —
Stat: Inside The AMA's New, Louder Voice In Washington
At the annual meeting of the American Medical Association’s House of Delegates in June, the mood was tense. Hundreds of physicians had congregated in Chicago to vote on the organizations’ key policies. The AMA is the largest professional association for physicians, as well as a political lobbying group with a strong, if waning, presence on Capitol Hill. (Gaffney, 8/13)
