Latest news with #HealthSecretary
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- Health
- The Guardian
RFK Jr to remove preservative thimerosal from all US vaccines
Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, will formally require vaccine makers to remove thimerosal from vaccines. The ingredient has been the target of anti-vaccine campaigns and misinformation for decades. Arguments against the preservative culminated in June, when a key federal vaccine advisory panel, remade with Kennedy's ideological allies, recommended against the preservative. The recommendation goes into force upon Kennedy's signature. There is no evidence thimerosal has caused harm, despite decades of use. The ethylmercury-based preservative was used in only about 5% adult influenza vaccines in the US, helping prevent contamination in multi-dose vials. 'After more than two decades of delay, this action fulfills a long-overdue promise to protect our most vulnerable populations from unnecessary mercury exposure,' Kennedy said in a statement announcing the decision. 'Injecting any amount of mercury into children when safe, mercury-free alternatives exist defies common sense and public health responsibility. Today, we put safety first,' said Kennedy. Thimerosal is an ethylmercury-based preservative – different from the kind of mercury found in seafood, called methylmercury. Ethylmercury has a shorter half-life in the body. The amount of ethylmercury contained in a flu vaccine (25 micrograms) is about half of that contained in a 3oz serving of canned tuna fish (40 micrograms). The preservative has been used in vaccines since before the second world war. It was controversially phased out of most childhood vaccines in 1999, physicians associations said as a precautionary measure, and was contained in only a very small number of adult vaccines. Phasing out the preservative in the early 2000s was criticized by experts who argued scientific evidence did not support its removal, that it sent mixed messages and that it provided a talking point for anti-vaccine campaigners. Indeed, the preservative was targeted for years to come. That criticism came to a head in June, after Kennedy fired all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) advisory committee on immunization practices, a federal panel that was a critical link in the vaccine distribution pipeline. Kennedy replaced the experts with eight hand-picked allies, including one directly from the anti-vaccine movement. Eventually, one appointee dropped out after a conflict of interest review. The vaccine advisory panel voted in favor of removing thimerosal on a 5-1 vote (with one abstention) after a controversial presentation from Lyn Redwood, a former leader of World Mercury Project, the predecessor to Kennedy's group Children's Health Defense, itself a prolific anti-vaccine campaign group. Redwood's presentation had to be updated after it was found to contain a link to a study that did not exist. One of Kennedy's vaccine advisors said during the meeting that a presentation from career scientists at the CDC, which laid out thimerosal's safety, was pulled by the secretary's office. The director of the CDC is required to sign off on the vaccine advisory committee's recommendations. Because there is not presently a Senate-confirmed CDC director, Kennedy acts as head of the CDC. The decision to remove thimerosal from all vaccines in the US will also probably complicate the global picture for vaccine makers. 'With the US now removing mercury from all vaccines, we urge global health authorities to follow this prudent example for the protection of children worldwide,' Kennedy said.
Reuters
8 hours ago
- Health
- Reuters
Kennedy accepts vaccine panel's recommendation to remove preservative from US flu shots
July 23 (Reuters) - U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday accepted the recommendation of a panel of experts to remove mercury-based preservative thimerosal from all influenza vaccines distributed in the country. A newly revamped vaccine advisory panel, members of which were chosen by Kennedy himself, had made the recommendation last month.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. and other Trump officials embrace psychedelics after FDA setback
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other Trump officials are signaling their interest in approving psychedelic drugs for hard-to-treat mental health conditions. It's a goal long sought by proponents of the illegal drugs.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fires two top deputies at HHS
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired two top deputies at the Department of Health and Human Services, ABC News has learned. Heather Flick Melanson, Kennedy's chief of staff, and Hannah Anderson, deputy chief of staff of policy, are departing, according to a department spokesperson and another person familiar with the decisions. Neither Flick nor Anderson immediately responded to an ABC News request for comment. No reason was given for the ousters. The person familiar with the situation told ABC that Kennedy "has every right to make personnel decisions." MORE: Video: Layoffs begin at HHS, including at the FDA and CDC "Secretary Kennedy has made a leadership change within the Immediate Office of the Secretary," according to a statement provided by an HHS spokesperson to ABC News. "Effective immediately, Matt Buckham will serve as Acting Chief of Staff." "Mr. Buckham currently serves as the Kennedy's White House liaison at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he oversees the recruitment and onboarding of political appointees across the agency. He brings valuable experience in personnel strategy and organizational management to this new role," the statement continued. "Secretary Kennedy thanks the outgoing leadership for their service and looks forward to working closely with Mr. Buckham as the Department continues advancing its mission to Make America Healthy Again," the statement concluded.
Washington Post
16-07-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Will RFK Jr.'s push for psychedelic therapy help or hamper the emerging field?
WASHINGTON — For decades, proponents of psychedelic drugs have come to Washington with a provocative message: Illegal, mind-altering substances like LSD and ecstasy should be approved for Americans grappling with depression , trauma and other hard-to-treat conditions. A presidential administration finally seems to agree. 'This line of therapeutics has tremendous advantage if given in a clinical setting and we are working very hard to make sure that happens within 12 months,' Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently told members of Congress.
