Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
RFK Jr. Leans Into 'Environmental Toxins' As Source Of Increased Autism
Politico: Kennedy Pledges To Figure Out Which ‘Environmental Toxins’ Are Causing Autism
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. used newly released autism figures to insist the nation is facing a crisis and promised to ferret out the “environmental toxins” he believes are responsible. The secretary, who in the past has repeated debunked claims that there is a link between vaccines and Autism Spectrum Disorder, said better diagnostics and awareness are responsible for only 25 percent of the increased rate, which is now 1 in 31 children. (Cirruzzo and Gardner, 4/16)
Stat: Prominent Autism Researchers, Groups In Dark About RFK Jr.'s Study
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the country will soon know what is causing a rise in autism rates, but there is little sign he has a team in place yet. Nearly two dozen prominent voices from mainstream autism research and in the anti-vaccine world said they have not been approached by Kennedy, and have no details about the proposed studies. (Cueto, 4/16)
In related news about vaccines, RSV, covid, and measles —
Stat: Robert Kennedy Returns To Vaccine Criticism After Moderating Views
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. downplayed his past criticism of vaccines as he sought to become the nation’s health secretary. Now, just two months after winning confirmation, he’s frequently returning to rhetoric from his time as perhaps the most prominent vaccine critic in the U.S. (Payne, 4/16)
Stat: Vaccine Advisory Panel To CDC Recommends Expanded RSV Use
A committee of independent vaccine experts voted Wednesday to recommend lowering the age at which adults can get a vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus, potentially opening up access to these vaccines for adults in their 50s who are at high risk of severe illness from RSV. (Branswell, 4/16)
CIDRAP: Novavax Says Its COVID Vaccine Produces Fewer, Milder Reactions Than Pfizer Version
Yesterday, Novavax presented early data from a real-world study suggesting that its 2024-25 protein-based COVID-19 vaccine targeting the JN.1 SARS-CoV-2 strain causes fewer and less-severe short-term side effects than the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. The Study of Healthcare Workers and First Responders Investigating Effects of Systemic and Local reactogenicity of COVID-19 Vaccine Doses in Utah (SHIELD-Utah) was conducted from September to December 2024 with University of Utah Health (UUH). (Van Beusekom, 4/16)
The Hill: CDC ‘Scraping’ To Find Resources To Help States Respond To Growing Measles Outbreaks
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is struggling to keep up with requests for help from states responding to ongoing measles outbreaks, even as a large number of cases are not being reported, a senior agency scientist said Tuesday. More than 700 measles infections have been reported nationwide, making 2025 the second-worst year on record in decades. There are 561 confirmed cases in Texas alone since late January, according to the most recent statistics. (Weixel, 4/16)
The Washington Post: CDC Scientist Says Funding Cuts Hurt Texas Measles Response
A senior scientist overseeing the measles response by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a recent pullback of pandemic funding from states has hurt Texas’s response to its growing outbreak, now linked to 90 percent of cases in the United States. “There are quite a number of resource requests coming in, in particular from Texas,” David Sugerman, a senior CDC scientist, said during a meeting of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel. (Sun, 4/16)
