RFK Jr. wants to target chronic disease in US tribes. A key program to do that was gutted
CHANDLER, Ariz. — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spent time in tribal communities in Arizona and New Mexico this week highlighting ways they are trying to prevent chronic disease among Native Americans and Alaska Natives, something he has said is one of his top priorities.
But Kennedy didn't appear to publicly address a Native health program using traditional medicine and foods to tackle disproportionate rates of conditions like diabetes and liver disease. The program, called Healthy Tribes, was gutted in this month's federal health layoffs .
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
US Health Secretary Kennedy guts vaccine advisory committee
By Ahmed Aboulenein, Michael Erman and Julie Steenhuysen WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired all 17 members of a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel of vaccine experts and is in the process of replacing them, his department said on Monday, drawing protest from many vaccine scientists. The move is the most far-reaching in a series of actions by Kennedy, a long-time vaccine skeptic, to reshape U.S. regulation of vaccines, food and medicine. Scientists and experts said the changes to the vaccine panel, which recommends how vaccines are used and by whom, would undermine public confidence in health agencies. Kennedy promised the move would raise public confidence. "Today we are prioritizing the restoration of public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda," Kennedy said in a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has for years sown doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines, but he pledged to maintain the country's existing vaccine standards to secure his appointment in President Donald Trump's administration. The Food and Drug Administration, which is overseen by Kennedy's department, has approved a number of vaccines during his tenure despite concerns over his stances. Even so, at least one senior Republican member of Congress expressed doubts about the changes in the panel. Kennedy said the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is rife with conflicts and has never turned down a vaccine, even though the decision to approve vaccines rests with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The CDC panel provides guidance to the CDC on which groups of people would most benefit from an already-approved vaccine. "That's a tragedy," said former FDA Chief Scientist Jesse Goodman. "This is a highly professional group of scientists and physicians and others... It's the kind of political meddling that will reduce confidence rather than increase confidence." The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America called Kennedy's action concerning for public health. "Upending the ACIP membership increases uncertainty and vaccine skepticism, undermining the health gains achieved through vaccination," the industry body said in a statement late on Monday. Shares of vaccine makers Moderna and U.S.-listed shares of BioNTech fell more than 1%, while Pfizer was down marginally in extended trading on Monday. Kennedy said most panel members receive funding from drugmakers although members are required to declare any potential or perceived conflicts of interest that arise in the course of their tenure and any relevant business interests, positions of authority or other connections with organizations relevant to the committee's work. Kennedy and HHS provided no specific evidence of industry conflicts of interest among departing ACIP members. The CDC's web page for conflicts of interest, last updated in March, showed that one current member had recused herself from votes on a handful of vaccines because she had worked on clinical trials for their manufacturers. BIDEN APPOINTEES All 17 ACIP members were appointed under former President Joe Biden's administration, including 13 in 2024, HHS said. Without their removal, Trump's administration would not have been able to choose a majority of the committee until 2028. "This is not a political committee, it's never been partisan," said Dorit Reiss, a vaccine law expert at UC Law San Francisco. "It's an expert committee. Presidents have never been involved in ACIP membership." The decision drew criticism from Democrats in Congress, and one key Republican expressed concern. "Of course, now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion," said Republican U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy in a post on X. "I've just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I'll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case." Cassidy, a doctor from Louisiana who had expressed wariness about Kennedy's anti-vaccine views before clearing the path for him to become the nation's top health official, said at the time he had received assurances Kennedy would protect existing vaccination programs. The CDC panel will convene its next meeting June 25-27 at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, the department said. Vetting new panel members typically takes months, said one expert with close ties to the committee, who expressed doubts the newly appointed panel would be able to meet on time unless Kennedy and his team "have been working in the shadows" to onboard them months ahead of the announcement. Kennedy has drawn condemnation from health officials for his vaccine policies including what they say is a weak endorsement of the measles shots during an outbreak that has infected more than 1,000 mostly unvaccinated people and killed three. He announced last month the government was dropping its recommendation that healthy children and pregnant women should receive COVID shots, sidestepping the typical process. Traditionally, once the FDA approves vaccines for sale to the public, ACIP's role is to review data in a public meeting and vote on vaccine recommendations, which are then sent to the CDC director to sign off. The Affordable Care Act generally requires insurers to cover vaccines that are listed on the CDC vaccine schedules for adults and children. The recommendations also determine which vaccines the CDC's Vaccines for Children program will provide free of charge to those without insurance.
Business Insider
3 hours ago
- Business Insider
RFK Jr. reconstituting vaccine advisory committee, retiring 17 current members
In an opinion article published by The Wall Street Journal, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated: 'Vaccines have become a divisive issue in American politics, but there is one thing all parties can agree on: The U.S. faces a crisis of public trust. Whether toward health agencies, pharmaceutical companies or vaccines themselves, public confidence is waning… That is why, under my direction, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is putting the restoration of public trust above any pro- or antivaccine agenda… Today, we are taking a bold step in restoring public trust by totally reconstituting the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP). We are retiring the 17 current members of the committee, some of whom were last-minute appointees of the Biden administration. Without removing the current members, the current Trump administration would not have been able to appoint a majority of new members until 2028… A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science.' Confident Investing Starts Here:
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. ousts entire CDC vaccine panel
The Brief Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed all members of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee. He claimed the committee had too many conflicts of interest and plans to appoint new members. The panel's work has been in limbo since Kennedy took office, including a delayed February meeting. WASHINGTON - Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday announced he had removed every member of a scientific committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to use vaccines and pledged to replace them with his own picks. What they're saying Kennedy, who was one of the nation's leading anti-vaccine activists before becoming the nation's top health official, has not said who he would appoint to the panel, but said it would convene in just two weeks in Atlanta. Although it's typically not viewed as a partisan board, the Biden administration had installed the entire committee. "Without removing the current members, the current Trump administration would not have been able to appoint a majority of new members until 2028," Kennedy wrote in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece. "A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science. " Kennedy said the committee members had too many conflicts of interest. Committee members routinely disclose any possible conflicts at the start of public meetings. The other side Major physicians and public health groups criticized the move to oust all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, called Kennedy's mass ouster "a coup." "It's not how democracies work. It's not good for the health of the nation," Benjamin told The Associated Press. Benjamin said the move raises real concerns about whether future committee members will be viewed as impartial. He added that Kennedy is going against what he told lawmakers and the public, and the public health association plans to watch Kennedy "like a hawk." "He is breaking a promise," Benjamin said. "He said he wasn't going to do this." Dr. Bruce A. Scott, president of the American Medical Association, called the committee a trusted source of science- and data-driven advice and said Kennedy's move, coupled with declining vaccination rates across the country, will help drive an increase in vaccine-preventable diseases. "Today's action to remove the 17 sitting members of ACIP undermines that trust and upends a transparent process that has saved countless lives," Scott said in a statement. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a doctor who had expressed reservations about Kennedy's nomination but voted to install him as the nation's health secretary nonetheless, said he had spoken with Kennedy moments after the announcement. "Of course, now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion," Cassidy said in a social media post. "I've just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I'll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case. Dig deeper The 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices had been in a state of flux since Kennedy took over. Its first meeting this year had been delayed when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services abruptly postponed its February meeting. RELATED: RFK Jr. orders review of baby formula: What to know The backstory Kennedy, who was one of the nation's leading anti-vaccine activists before becoming the nation's top health official, recently took the unusual step of changing COVID-19 recommendations without first consulting the panel. The committee had been in a state of flux since Kennedy took over. Its first meeting this year had been delayed when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services abruptly postponed its February meeting. During Kennedy's confirmation, Cassidy had expressed concerns about preserving the committee, saying he had sought assurances that Kennedy would keep the panel's current vaccine recommendations. Kennedy did not stick to that. He recently took the unusual step of changing COVID-19 recommendations without first consulting the advisers. The webpage that featured the committee's members was deleted Monday evening, shortly after Kennedy's announcement. The Source The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from a Wall Street Journal opinion piece written by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as official records from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
