Healthy Returns: What to know about a CDC vaccine panel's votes against a mercury preservative in flu shots
The group, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, voted Thursday to recommend annual single-dose flu vaccines to Americans and against influenza shots containing thimerosal – even though there is no evidence of harm from that preservative. It was the first ACIP meeting since Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gutted the panel and stacked it with new members, including several well-known vaccine skeptics.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still needs to sign off on that recommendation. If the agency does, it would affect roughly 4% to 5% of the U.S. flu vaccine supply.
The rest of the nation's flu shots were thimerosal-free during the last season of the virus, according to CDC data. But when it comes to vaccinating an entire country, "small percentages matter," Dr. Sean O'Leary, an infectious disease expert with the American Academy of Pediatrics, told reporters last week.
If the few thimerosal-containing flu shots were removed from the market,
"that would inevitably lead to fewer people being vaccinated, at least in the short term, perhaps longer term, and subsequently more hospitalizations and deaths," O'Leary said.
The recommendation also reinforces longstanding, unfounded fears that the substance can lead to developmental disabilities, such as autism. Kennedy's vaccine skepticism comes full circle with the panel's vote: A decade before stepping into his current role, he published a book that called for the removal of thimerosal from shots and linked it to developmental disorders.
"A very common anti-vaccine talking point is around thimerosal, so that's a very clear strategy to sow distrust in vaccines," O'Leary said.
Here's why thimerosal is important. It has been widely used for decades as a preservative to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in several medicines and vaccines with multiple doses. More than 40 studies over many decades have found no link between thimerosal and developmental delays.
But its use in approved vaccines has dropped sharply as manufacturers have shifted to single-dose packaging for their shots, which doesn't require preservatives. The Food and Drug Administration around 25 years ago asked manufacturers to remove the substance from childhood vaccines out of an abundance of caution, not because of evidence of harm, according to the CDC.
"The thought was, well, mercury is a scary sounding word, and let's just get it out, let's just make this a non-issue," O'Learly said. He added that "many studies have shown that it is entirely safe, is not associated with any neurodevelopmental disorders or any other adverse effects."
Some multi-dose forms of flu vaccines for adults still contain thimerosal, including Sanofi's Fluzone and two shots from biotech company CSL Seqirus.
One member of the panel, Dr. Cody Meissner, a professor of pediatrics at the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, said he was worried that discouraging the use of multidose vials could increase the cost of vaccination and limit access for some groups. He also expressed concerns about the message the recommendation would send to other countries where the use of multi-dose flu vaccines is more common.
"That might limit the availability of the influenza vaccine for some people," he said during the meeting after he voted against restricting thimerosal flu vaccines.
Before the votes at the meeting, Lyn Redwood, a nurse practitioner who has been involved with anti-vaccine organizations, presented on thimerosal in flu vaccines. Redwood is among the "mercury moms" who pushed for Kennedy to get involved with mercury and children's health. She has also served for years as president of Children's Health Defense, the anti-vaccine organization founded by Kennedy.
Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Annika at annikakim.constantino@nbcuni.com.
Health-care data platform Arcadia has been acquired by the private equity firm Nordic Capital, the companies announced on Tuesday.
Arcadia turns health-care data into predictive insights that payers and providers can use to help improve care for patients, reduce costs and increase revenue. The company characterized the deal with Nordic Capital as a "strategic partnership" where the firm will become the "majority owner" of Arcadia, according to a release.
Michael Meucci, Arcadia's CEO, said working with Nordic Capital will allow Arcadia to continue to improve its customer experience, expand on its artificial intelligence capabilities, explore new M&A opportunities and drive growth in its core segments, including value-based care.
"It's hugely validating," Meucci told CNBC in an interview. "It's validating that there are large-cap institutional investors who are as committed to transforming us (U.S.?) health care and global health care as we have been."
Arcadia and Nordic Capital did not disclose the terms of the acquisition. The deal is expected to close in the second half of the year, though it's still subject to regulatory approvals.
Meucci said he's known the Nordic Capital team for a couple years, and that the firm had been watching Arcadia's progress as a business. Arcadia is profitable and carried out a successful acquisition last year. Meucci said these milestones helped Nordic Capital feel confident that the company was ready for its next stage of growth.
Arcadia last raised outside funding in 2023, when it announced $125 million in financing from Vista Credit Partners. Nordic Capital's acquisition serves as an exit for earlier investors, Arcadia said.
"This partnership aligns seamlessly with Nordic Capital's investment strategy and Nordic Capital is excited to support Arcadia in its next phase of growth," Daniel Berglund, partner and co-head of health care at Nordic Capital, said in a statement.
TripleTree served as Nordic Capital's financial advisor for the transaction, and Lazard advised Arcadia.
"This is just a further reinforcement of our mission, that we have to change the cost of health care," Meucci said.
Read the full release here.
Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Ashley at ashley.capoot@nbcuni.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNET
31 minutes ago
- CNET
Americans Are Being Told to Stop Drinking Coffee in the Summer Heat. I Reached Out to Experts for the Tea
In response to heat waves across the US, NWS Las Vegas, the National Weather Service for southern Nevada, northwestern Arizona and southeastern California, posted an extreme heat warning on X. The warning cautioned residents not to drink caffeine because it speeds up dehydration, which can contribute to heat stroke and exhaustion. NWS Las Vegas's post quickly made headlines. These headlines said that Americans were being "warned not to drink coffee in three states" because it was "lethal in a matter of minutes." This all seemed extreme to me, so I reached out to three dietitians to find out if we should actually stop drinking coffee in the heat. "People love to hate on coffee consumption, we're either drinking too much, too little, it's better for you iced versus hot -- it's almost hard to keep up," says Brigitte Zeitlin, registered dietitian and founder of BZ Nutrition. Does coffee dehydrate your body? "Caffeine, the main active ingredient in coffee, does have a mild diuretic effect," explains Jessica McAllister, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian based in Honolulu, HI. "However, the common idea that drinking coffee automatically causes significant dehydration, especially in hot weather, is an oversimplification that deserves a closer look." A diuretic is a substance that increases the production of urine. Though coffee mildly has this effect, McAllister states that for healthy individuals, moderate coffee intake doesn't cause dehydration, but can instead contribute to daily fluid adds that what is being talked about in NWS Las Vegas's post is caffeine, which isn't just in coffee. It can also be found in sodas, energy drinks and chocolate. She advises that people keep their caffeine intake to about 300mg daily. This is about 1-2 cups (8-16 ounces of drip coffee) or 1-2 shots of espresso daily. If you stick to this and are otherwise healthy, Zeitlin states that you don't need to be concerned about the outside temperature. Amelia Ti, a registered dietitian and diabetes educator in New York City, who is also part of CNET's medical review board, adds, "It's not a major concern unless you're already at risk (e.g., high blood pressure or other cardiac issues) or heat-sensitive. The main concern with drinking coffee when it's hot out is that caffeine may mask early signs of dehydration or overheating, especially if you're sweating a lot or not replenishing fluids adequately." Is coffee a vasoconstrictor? In response to these caffeine-dehydration headlines, one Bluesky user stated that the issue isn't dehydration. It's actually vasoconstriction, which is the narrowing of the blood vessels. When I asked McAllister about this, she said, "Studies have found that while caffeine can cause some blood vessel narrowing, or vasoconstriction, this doesn't necessarily translate to reduced heat dissipation or increased body temperature in real life." Zeitlin agrees, stating, "The kernel of truth is that yes, caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, which means it constricts your blood vessels, and preventing heat stroke (or any stroke) requires our blood running freely, unconstructed around our body." However, for coffee to significantly affect your blood vessels, it depends on three factors: how sensitive you are to caffeine, how much caffeine you drink and your personal health and medical history. "If you drink water throughout the day, you eat a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet and your doctor has never directly told you to monitor your caffeine intake, then you can comfortably enjoy 1-2 cups of coffee without stressing," concludes Zeitlin. On the other hand, if you have a cardiac health history, you should check with your doctor to figure out your daily caffeine limit. Do experts recommend people stop drinking coffee when it's hot out? "I wouldn't recommend that most people completely stop consuming coffee just because it's hot out, as long as you're staying hydrated and not over-consuming," says Ti. "I would recommend opting for an iced coffee, limiting extra-large or multiple cups of coffee or other caffeinated drinks, especially if you're sweating more, and watching out for signs of heat exhaustion like dizziness, rapid heart rate, nausea, headache or clammy skin." Oleh_Slobodeniuk/Getty Images McAllister agrees, as long as your coffee consumption doesn't replace more hydrating fluids, like water, especially if you're sweating heavily. "I don't think there's sufficient scientific evidence to support avoiding coffee when it's hot outside," she states. "For one, most people drink coffee for either the 'pick-me-up' or to warm up. If you're drinking coffee, you're likely to be outside in hot weather for only a short time, so you should be able to stay cool and drink plenty of water to minimize your risk of dehydration or overheating." Zeitlin is on the same page. "I recommend people keep coffee to 1-2 cups daily, regardless of the weather, and to drink a full glass of water for every cup or shot of espresso they have and enjoy it," she says. "But if your doctor told you to avoid caffeine for any reason, then do so." Precautions to take in the summer heat: Though you may not have to worry about your coffee consumption in the heat as much as headlines are saying, you should still exercise certain precautions when it's hot out this summer. Increase fluid intake: "Drink water regularly throughout the day, and consider including electrolyte-rich beverages if you're sweating heavily or exposed to the heat for longer than 1 hour," says McAllister. Zeitlin adds that drinking more water on hotter-than-normal days "means 2-4 glasses more than your usual baseline water intake." Add electrolytes if sweating heavily: "Precautions I would recommend in hotter-than-normal temperatures include hydrating with water and adding electrolytes if you're sweating heavily or outside in the heat for long periods of time," states Ti. Drink a glass of water before coffee: "A good general rule for anytime you consume coffee is to first have an 8-ounce glass of water," says Zeitlin. "Your body's response to the caffeine will be more gentle and prevent jitters." Avoid excessive alcohol: "Drinking alcohol can increase your chances of getting dehydrated, particularly if you're spending a lot of time outdoors," explains McAllister. Consume foods with high water content: Ti specifically recommends watermelon, berries and greens. McAllister adds that cucumber, oranges and strawberries are great for this, especially if you don't love drinking water. Eat raw fruits and vegetables: "Raw fruits and veggies will hydrate you with their own water content and give you essential minerals (aka electrolytes) to help prevent you from dehydrating," states Zeitlin. "Cooked veggies are great for those minerals, but you'll be cooking out the water content." Skip workouts at the hottest part of the day: Unless your body is used to the heat, Ti advises scheduling your high-intensity workouts for a cooler time. Exercise indoors: On a similar note, Zeitlin states, "Stay indoors in the air conditioning when possible and change your outdoor exercise routine to an indoor one on these super-hot days." Listen to your body: McAllister stresses the importance of remaining vigilant about signs of heat exhaustion, which include dizziness, headache or nausea. If you feel unwell, move to a cooler area.
San Francisco Chronicle
39 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
California sues Trump administration for sharing Medicaid data with ICE
While preparing to slash health-care funding to millions of low-income Americans, the Trump administration is also illegally sharing their private health information with immigration officials engaged in mass deportations, California and 19 other states charged in a lawsuit Tuesday. The 78 million Americans receiving health care through Medicaid, including 15 million Californians in the Medi-Cal program, provide personal information that their states forward to the federal government to verify their eligibility. But California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the states learned last month that the administration has disclosed the private Medicaid files to the Department of Homeland Security to create a database for raids and deportations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 'The Trump administration has upended longstanding privacy protections with its decision to illegally share sensitive, personal health data with ICE,' Bonta said in a statement announcing the lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Francisco. 'In doing so, it has created a culture of fear that will lead to fewer people seeking vital emergency medical care.' He spoke hours after the Senate voted 51-50 to approve President Donald Trump's budget bill, which would remove nearly 12 million low-income recipients from Medicaid over the next decade and increase costs for others in the program while lowering taxes, mostly for those with high incomes. The bill, sent to the House for a final vote, would also provide nearly $30 billion for ICE enforcement and deportation programs, three times the agency's current budget, and another $45 billion to build more immigration detention centers. Before casting the tiebreaking vote in the Senate, Vice President JD Vance said on X Monday night that other provisions of the bill, including what he described as 'the minutiae of the Medicaid policy,' were 'immaterial compared to the ICE money and immigration enforcement provisions.' In the lawsuit, the states contend the disclosure to immigration officials of information about Medicaid recipients violated federal privacy laws and had not been authorized by Congress. 'The Trump administration silently destroyed longstanding guardrails that protected the public's sensitive health data,' the states' lawyers wrote. They asked a federal judge to halt any further transfers of patients' data and to prohibit immigration agencies from using the information to investigate, arrest or deport immigrants. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment. But Bonta said the Trump administration has argued, without any supporting evidence, that sharing information with DHS would help combat fraud and ensure that only eligible people were enrolled in Medicaid. And he said many Californians are not applying for needed benefits because they fear showing up at government offices. Laws passed by Congress make low-income people eligible for the program 'regardless of immigration status,' the attorney general said. 'This isn't about cutting waste or going after fraud. This is about going after vulnerable people,' and 'states and private hospitals will be the ones to pay,' he said. While states lack authority to regulate federal agencies, California lawmakers are making new efforts to prevent state agencies from aiding Trump's deportations. In addition to the state's 2018 'sanctuary' law and similar laws in many cities and counties that prohibit local officers from keeping undocumented immigrants in custody so they can be turned over to federal agents, Assembly Bill 322 would prohibit private data brokers from selling information about their customers' location to anyone, including ICE. 'We're seeing ICE raids across the state and we're seeing mothers, fathers, children being kidnapped from the streets across California,' Assembly Member Liz Ortega, D-San Leandro, said at a news conference last week announcing the legislation. The lead author is Assembly Member Chris Ward, D-San Diego.
Axios
44 minutes ago
- Axios
Grilling and cancer: Most Americans don't know the link
Only 20% of Americans understand grilled meats ' link to cancer, according to an American Institute for Cancer Research survey. Why it matters: Grills across America will be fired up this Fourth of July weekend. Catch up quick: Grilling meats — including hot dogs, chicken and fish — can create potential carcinogens, including heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Plus, hot dogs themselves were declared carcinogens in 2015 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. How it works: When amino acids, sugars and creatine inside meat are exposed to high heat, a chemical reaction creates HCAs. PAHs form outside the meat when fat and juices drip out and cause smoke that sticks to the surface. Between the lines: More heat means more HCAs and PAHs — and that trademark charred black look grillmasters love to see. Yes, but: Grilling doesn't have this effect on all foods. For example, tossing vegetables and fruits on the grill doesn't produce HCAs. What we're hearing: Even eating small amounts of processed meat could increase cancer risk, American Cancer Society's senior principal scientist of population science, Marissa Shams-White, told Axios.
