RFK Jr. dismissing experts creates deadly vaccine hesitancy
Kennedy has long planted the seeds of vaccine hesitancy, despite evidence that contradicts his falsehoods. Now we are once again seeing more children succumb to vaccine-preventable diseases.
Since 1964, pediatricians have looked to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to provide evidence-based recommendations regarding childhood vaccines. We represent more than 80 years of experience as pediatricians in Nashville and have benefitted from ACIP throughout our careers.
On June 9, our clinic days were disrupted by the news that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had dismissed all 17 ACIP members. These members are academic clinicians, epidemiologists, immunologists and infectious disease experts. Their service was driven not by money or fame, but by a commitment to the collective health of Americans.
ACIP meetings were transparent, being broadcast live and then archived on YouTube, while agendas were posted well in advance of each meeting. The public could request to ask questions at meetings as well as review slide decks that were presented.
ACIP worked to avoid member conflicts of interest
Kennedy's implication that he was reconstructing the committee to prevent conflicts of interest is far from the truth. In order to preserve objectivity and limit corporate influence on their recommendations, ACIP members already disclose any potential conflict of interest in advance.
If a member has a potential conflict, they are not permitted to participate in vaccine discussions, or to vote on that vaccine or any vaccine that a company might bring before ACIP – even if that member didn't work on that specific vaccine.
Opinion: As a doctor, I know it will take more than dietary changes to Make America Healthy Again
Kennedy also implied that ACIP only ever adds vaccines to the schedule, acting as a rubber stamp for industry. But ACIP recommendations came after analyzing evidence and weighing the benefits and risks.
The 1972 decision to stop vaccinating for smallpox was a significant and very well-informed move, reflecting an in-depth understanding of both the science and the broader public health context.
The 2016 recommendation to reduce the number of doses for the HPV vaccine also shows that ACIP actively engaged in fine-tuning vaccination schedules based on the latest research, rather than to increase industry profits.
It's crucial for these bodies to make decisions based on science, not external pressures or adherence to a certain ideology.
Kennedy creates vaccine hesitancy that lead to childhood diseases
As pediatricians, we have seen patients die from vaccine-preventable diseases. Our pediatric forefathers cared for children in iron lungs due to paralytic polio.
Opinion: Please stop letting RFK Jr. make vaccine policies. His new COVID plan is deadly.
Kennedy has planted the seeds of the anti-vaccination movement for more than two decades, despite evidence that contradicts his falsehoods. Due to the vaccine hesitancy and refusal he promotes, we are once again seeing more children succumb to vaccine-preventable diseases in America.
So far in 2025, we have had pediatric deaths from measles and whooping cough, not to mention more than 200 deaths from influenza. Those numbers will only escalate in the future.
Kennedy's decision to eliminate trustworthy members of the ACIP fundamentally changes the nature of this committee. Institutional memory and the trust of physicians were obliterated in one fell swoop. We hold little hope that HHS can put a new trusted committee together in time for the next scheduled ACIP meeting Jun 25-26, given Kennedy's preference for conspiracy theorists and other unqualified people.
Through our careers as community pediatricians, we have been blessed by the opportunity to partner with wonderful families who desire what is best for their children. We fervently hope this relationship will be the most important factor when families make decisions regarding vaccinating their children.
We call on our elected officials to reinstate the ACIP members Kennedy dismissed and to empower them to continue their work to limit damage from infectious diseases.
Doing so will actually help make Americans healthier.
James Keffer, MD; Chetan R Mukundan, MD; Jill Obremsky, MD; Elizabeth Triggs, MD; and David Wyckoff, MD, are local pediatricians practicing in different settings around Nashville. This column originally appeared in The Tennessean.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
5 hours ago
- Newsweek
The Key to Better Sleep Is in Your Gut, Says Gastroenterologist
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Around 25 million U.S. adults suffer from insomnia. At the same time, more than 3.9 million Americans are taking probiotics, usually for gut health, according to the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA). And gut health could be the key to better sleep. A study published in the journal Engineering examined a specific probiotic strain called Lactobacillus helveticus CCFM1320. This probiotic produces a compound known as SAM (S-adenosylmethionine), which helps regulate the body's internal clock and supports the production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep. The researchers found that this probiotic could significantly improve sleep quality. The Gut as a Second Brain Neuroscientist Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, the head of sleep at Wesper, a national home sleep disorder diagnostics company, told Newsweek: "The gut essentially acts as a secondary nervous system and creates and releases many crucial neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, which also help to regulate nervous system activity. "This allows for two-way communication between the gut and the brain, called the gut-brain axis. Healthy gut microbes are essential to keeping the gut healthy and functioning, and there is ample evidence that gut microbiota dysregulation can negatively impact the activity of the gut-brain axis. Because the brain is highly sensitive, this can lead to poor sleep quality." Stock image of a woman taking pills from her nightstand before bed. Stock image of a woman taking pills from her nightstand before bed. Liudmila Chernetska/iStock / Getty Images Plus Is CCFM1320 a Game-Changing Strain? To test the effectiveness of CCFM1320 in humans, scientists from Jiangnan University conducted a four-week study with 60 volunteers who experienced sleep difficulties. Participants were divided into two groups: one received the probiotic, while the other took a placebo. Results showed that those who consumed the probiotic had better sleep scores, lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and a healthier balance of gut bacteria. Additionally, the probiotic boosted the expression of genes involved in producing and utilizing SAM, a key factor in sleep and overall health. Strain-Specific Benefits Dr. Michel Bass, a board-certified gastroenterologist and the Founding Medical Director at Oshi Health in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, emphasized the importance of strain specificity: "Not all probiotics are created equal. This study identified CCFM1320 as uniquely beneficial for sleep quality. This isn't a generic 'take-any-probiotic' situation—it's about strain-level specificity," Bass told Newsweek. "That's where a lot of public messaging needs to evolve. Just like different medications target different conditions, different strains do different things. And this one appears to enhance melatonin synthesis via SAM methylation—a novel pathway." Probiotic Supplements vs. Fermented Foods Stock image of an assortment of fresh vegetables and meats. Stock image of an assortment of fresh vegetables and meats. esilzengin/iStock / Getty Images Plus While fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, and kefir are beneficial for general gut health, Bass explained that they may not provide targeted probiotic strains at therapeutic levels. "If someone wants to improve things like sleep quality or reduce stress hormones like cortisol, a strong, well-researched supplement—especially one with proven strains like CCFM1320—is usually more effective," he said. "That said, eating fermented foods is still a great daily habit and can complement targeted probiotic supplements." Jason Eastty, owner of Healthspan Longevity in Westborough, Massachusetts, and a nutrition specialist, added that overall good nutrition can combat poor sleep. "Having a nutrient deficiency—like low iron, magnesium, or vitamin D—can throw off your gut microbial balance, leading to poor sleep. Clinical trials have shown that correcting these deficiencies helps microbial diversity and improves sleep efficiency," Eastty said. He also emphasized that a whole-foods diet rich in fiber—from fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains—is essential to feeding the "good" bacteria in your gut.
Miami Herald
6 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Fed study blasts few healthcare options in top U.S. tourism states
Romantic getaways. Family memories. Great escapes. We Americans love a good vacation. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter You might be one of the millions lured this – and every – summer by a bold oceanfront, a lakeside fire pit or leafy mountain paths found in these popular tourism states. Related: Major health care company files for bankruptcy to sell assets Or maybe other seasonal adventures like world-class skiing, lush spring gardens or the simply fabulous foliage each autumn draw you and yours to these renowned venues any time of year. 'Cause there's also a ton of history, culture and sports to explore plus delicious local chow for the foodies. But beyond the cheery facades that welcome visitors are sad and scary realities that full-time residents face regarding year-round healthcare access in their rural communities. A new study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston spells out the first-hand accounts of mothers, children, elders and others challenged by distance, income, resources and other economic problems to receive healthcare that so many fellow Americans take for granted. The solutions don't seem to be short-term, straining hopes and accelerating chronic, life-threatening medical crises."Yep. It's a great place to visit but you wouldn't want to live here." Visitors to these states have heard this refrain from locals for decades, all the way back to the last century. Proximity to health care is an increasing concern in rural communities across America. As a result, patient care suffers. So do patients. Greater distances from primary care providers, community hospitals and trauma centers are linked to higher rates of fatal accidents, fatal heart attacks and infant mortality, according to Federal Reserve Bank of Boston senior policy analyst Riley Sullivan. Rural healthcare facilities are finding it more difficult to attract the skilled workforce to fill jobs at every level of skill. Reasons include lack of affordable or available housing and high costs of living magnified by the many, many miles from larger towns and bigger cities. Plus healthcare providers across America maintain that inadequate insurance, Medicaid or Medicare reimbursement rates are leading to major losses at private, public and not-for-profit facilities. Related: Major bankrupt healthcare provider closes distressed hospitals Overall, U.S. hospitals are finding that they have no choice but to cut services due to these acute financial challenges. Some even close because all options have simply run out, leaving their communities in medical deserts facing life-or-death choices 24-7. Boston Fed principal economist and policy advisor Mary Burke, who studies regional labor force participation rates, said all these issues add up to big strains on healthcare systems in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Sullivan's study showed: Northern Light Health, Maine's second-largest health care system, lost a staggering $156 million in 2024. Northern Light Inland Hospital in Waterville (known for its ski resorts) closed earlier this year. In New Hampshire, Catholic Medical Center in Manchester reported monthly losses ranging from "$2 - $3 million," before it was sold in February Vermont, a state-mandated though disputed analysis found that its hospitals will need to find between $700 million and $2.4 billion to break even by 2028. "I think that when you look around the country in rural areas and you find thriving health care systems or hospitals, what you see are thriving communities, where economic development is strong," said Dr. Sunil Eappen, CEO of The University of Vermont Health Network. Economic development is the key to reversing these trends in Vermont and its two northern neighbors. Tourism dollars, though in the millions, just aren't enough. Eappen, also a member of the Boston Fed's Board of Directors, said potential catalysts – including improved infrastructure and more housing – would help stop the bleeding of healthcare access. But ultimately, it all comes down to one thing. "We need another 100-150,000 young people to move in who are working and paying into a commercial insurance population," Eappen said. "We need more people to move in." Related: Major hospital chain owner files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pandemic preparedness ‘dramatically eroding' under Trump, experts say
Amid controversial dismissals for independent advisers and staff at health agencies, alongside lackluster responses to the bird flu and measles outbreaks, experts fear the US is now in worse shape to respond to a pandemic than before 2020. H5N1, which has received less attention under the Trump administration than from Biden's team, is not the only influenza virus or even the only variant of bird flu with the potential to spark a pandemic. But a subpar response to the ongoing US outbreak signals a larger issue: America is not ready for whatever pathogen will sweep through next. 'We have not even remotely maintained the level of pandemic preparedness – which needed a lot of work, as we saw from the Covid pandemic,' said Angela Rasmussen, an American virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. 'But now, we essentially have no pandemic preparedness.' Related: Bird flu reinfections at US poultry farms highlight need for vaccines, experts say 'I'm concerned on a number of fronts,' said Jennifer Nuzzo, professor of epidemiology and director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University School of Public Health. Those concerns include a lack of quality information from officials, weakened virus monitoring systems, and public health reductions at the federal, state and local levels. 'The thing that I am most concerned about is the veracity of information coming out of the health agencies,' Nuzzo said. In the ongoing outbreaks of measles, for example, Robert F Kennedy Jr, the secretary of health and human services, has downplayed the severity of the disease, spread misinformation about the highly effective vaccine to prevent measles, and pushed unproven treatments. 'The communications on measles gives me deep worries about what would happen in a pandemic,' Nuzzo said. 'If a pandemic were to occur today, the only thing we would have to protect ourselves on day one would be information.' The H5N1 outbreak has been plagued by incomplete information, an issue that began in the Biden administration but has amplified under Trump. In Arizona, 6 million chickens were killed or culled at a Hickman's Family Farms location because of H5N1 in May. That's about 95% of the company's hen population in the state. Hundreds of workers, including inmate laborers, are now being dismissed as Arizona braces for egg shortages. We're not testing – it's not that there are no new cases Angela Rasmussen Yet even as H5N1 outbreaks continue to spread on farms and wreak havoc on the food supply, no new bird flu cases have been reported in people for months. 'I am concerned that we may not be finding new infections in humans,' Nuzzo said – and a lack of testing may be the culprit. 'We're not testing – it's not that there are no new cases,' Rassmussen said. The last bird flu case in a person was listed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on 23 February. At that point, at least 830 people in the US had been tested after contact with sick animals. This kind of testing – monitoring the health of people who regularly work with H5N1-infected animals – is how the vast majority of cases (64 out of 70) have been found in this outbreak. But then, several CDC officials overseeing the bird flu response were fired on 1 April. Since then, only about 50 people in the US have been tested after exposure to sick animals – and no positive cases have been announced. It's also been difficult to understand the extent of the outbreak and how the virus spreads among animals. 'We still just don't have a good picture of the scope and scale of this outbreak – we never really have. And until we have that, we're not going to be able to contain it,' Rasmussen said. 'It's extremely bad,' she continued. 'We don't have any information about what's happening right now. The next pandemic could be starting, and we just don't know where that's happening, and we don't have any ability to find out.' We're seeing health departments scrambling. That infrastructure is just dramatically eroding Jennifer Nuzzo Huge reductions in the public health workforce and resources has led to less monitoring of outbreaks, known as disease surveillance. 'Cutting back on that surveillance is leaving us more in the dark,' Nuzzo said. The CDC clawed back $11.4bn in Covid funding in March. This funding was used to monitor, test, vaccinate and otherwise respond to public health issues at the state, local, territorial and tribal level. 'We're seeing health departments scrambling,' Nuzzo said. 'That infrastructure is just dramatically eroding.' International monitoring programs to address outbreaks before they expand across borders have also been cancelled. 'We have taken for granted all of those protections, and I fear that we are poised to see the consequences,' Nuzzo said. Trump's crackdown on immigration also poses a major challenge in detecting cases and treating patients during outbreaks. 'A lot of the people who are most at risk are strongly disincentivized to report any cases, given that many of them are undocumented or are not US citizens,' Rasmussen said. 'Nobody wants to go get tested if they're going to end up in an Ice detention facility.' When cases are not detected, that means patients are not able to access care. Although it's rare for people to become sick with H5N1, for instance – the virus is still primarily an avian, not a human, influenza – this variant of bird flu has a 52% mortality rate globally among people with known infections. Allowing a deadly virus to spread and mutate under the radar has troubling implications for its ability to change into a human influenza without anyone knowing. And if such changes were detected, widening gaps in communication could be the next hurdle for preventing a pandemic, Nuzzo said. 'Communication is our most important public health intervention. People, in order to be able to know how to protect themselves, need to have access to facts, and they need to believe in the messengers. And the communication around the measles outbreaks are deeply eroding our standing with the American people.' Even stockpiled vaccines and other protective measures, like personal protective equipment, take time to distribute, Nuzzo added. 'And flu is a fast-moving disease that could cause a lot of damage in the months it would take to mount a vaccination campaign.' The US government's cancellation of its $766m contract with Moderna to research and develop an H5N1 vaccine also signals a concerning strategy from health officials, Nuzzo and Rasmussen said. Other restrictions on vaccine development, like a new plan to test all vaccines against saline placebos, is 'going to make it extremely difficult to approve any new vaccine' and would 'have a devastating impact on our ability to respond to a potential pandemic', Rasmussen said – especially in a rapidly moving pandemic where speed matters. 'You don't have time for that if this virus causes a human-to–human outbreak,' Rasmussen said. All of these policies mean the US is less prepared for a pandemic than it was in 2020, she said. And it also means there will be preventable suffering now, even before the next big one strikes. 'We are actively making people less safe, less healthy and more dead,' Rasmussen said.
