Latest news with #NationalChildhoodVaccineInjuryActof1986
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate Approves Bill Holding Vaccine Makers Accountable
(Texas Scorecard) – Legislation to hold manufacturers liable for advertising harmful vaccines passed out of the Senate on Tuesday with a 21-10 vote. House Bill 3441, authored by State Rep. Shelly Luther (R–Sherman), allows manufacturers to be held liable if they advertise their vaccines in Texas and it causes an injury. 'HB 3441 was an unexpected and unprecedented success for medical liberty champion Shelley Luther, and represents a huge step toward holding vaccine manufacturers accountable for their products,' Michelle Evans, political director for Texans for Vaccine Choice, told Texas Scorecard. 'We are excited to see this signed into law to protect Texans from products deemed 'unavoidably unsafe.'' According to the legislation's text, vaccine manufacturers can be held liable for actual damages and court costs up to three years after the date of the injury. The measure does not include doctor-patient discussions, written materials provided by a healthcare provider, or promotional materials found in a provider's office regarding a vaccine. State Sen. Bob Hall (R–Edgewood), the Senate sponsor of the bill, stated in his opening remarks on the floor that the measure does not concern whether or not someone should be vaccinated. Instead, it simply gives individuals peace of mind by providing accountability that any other company would have. 'Currently, due to the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, vaccine manufacturers hold no liability [for] a vaccine or countermeasure harm or interest in Texas,' stated Hall. 'This is the only product that I know of that cannot be held responsible for any injury to a consumer.' 'Imagine what our society would look like if any other manufacturer had this same protection.' The proposal has cleared both the Senate and the House. Now, Gov. Greg Abbott must either sign it, veto it, or allow it to take effect with no further action from him. The bill is set to take effect on September 1, 2025.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Who Is Casey Means? What to Know About Trump's New Surgeon General Nominee — and Her Ties to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
On May 7, President Donald Trump announced that he had chosen Dr. Casey Means as his new surgeon general nominee Means and her brother were key advisers on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential campaign, and have been prominent supporters of his "Make America Healthy" agenda The holistic medicine doctor has voiced anti-vaccine views and focused her work on treating chronic illnesses by focusing on nutritionPresident Donald Trump has made his new pick for surgeon general: Dr. Casey Means. On May 7, the president announced on Truth Social that he would nominate Means for the role, confirming that he had withdrawn his first pick, former Fox News contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat. As a holistic medicine doctor and wellness influencer, Means previously wrote in a newsletter that there were several things she wanted to "see happen at the policy level to improve the health of Americans." "More than anything, I would like to see our future White House rally Americans to be healthy and fit," she continued. "We need inspirational national leaders helping to inspire people to care about their health, the food they eat, and their fitness. We also need leaders who understand the relationship between human health and environmental health, which are inextricably linked." She added, "We cannot go on poisoning the earth without destroying our own health; we are one with nature." From her education to her career, here's everything to know about Casey Means, Trump's new nominee for surgeon general. After graduating from The Madeira School in 2005, Means went on to attend Stanford University, per her LinkedIn. In 2009, she graduated from Stanford with a bachelor's degree in human biology. She then continued her education there to receive her medical degree. Means pursued a surgical residency at Oregon Health & Science University, per NPR, but dropped out before her final year. "During my training as a surgeon, I saw how broken and exploitative the healthcare system is and left to focus on how to keep people out of the operating room," Means wrote on her website. According to her LinkedIn, she returned to Stanford University in 2020 as a lecturer, teaching a course on food, design and technology. Means' MD postgraduate license was granted in 2014 but shifted to inactive status in 2019, per the Los Angeles Times. The Stanford alum describes herself on her LinkedIn as a "former surgeon turned metabolic health evangelist" who is "striving to create a happier and healthier world and planet." The wellness guru has also taken her passion to the tech space. In August 2019, she co-founded Levels, a digital health company dedicated to helping people see how food affects their health by using personalized data, per her LinkedIn. In her newsletter plea to the White House, Means expressed wanting the administration to "reform the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 and increase unbiased research on the safety of the cumulative effects of vaccines on the CDC vaccine schedule." "There is growing evidence that the total burden of the current extreme and growing vaccine schedule is causing health declines in vulnerable children," she continued. "This needs to be investigated." According to the CDC, millions of children safely receive vaccines every year, and the U.S. currently has "the safest vaccine supply in its history." Means and her brother Calley Means, who is a former lobbyist, served as key advisers to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 2024 presidential bid, per AP News. According to the outlet, they also helped arrange Kennedy's endorsement of Trump. The sibling duo are vocal advocates of Kennedy's "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) agenda, which views pharmaceutical and food companies as corrupt and responsible for a rise in chronic disease, per BBC. In Trump's Truth Social announcement, he praised Means' work on chronic diseases. "Casey has impeccable 'MAHA' credentials, and will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to ensure a successful implementation of our Agenda in order to reverse the Chronic Disease Epidemic, and ensure Great Health, in the future, for ALL Americans," he wrote. Means has made several podcast appearances throughout her career, often speaking about the rise of chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and obesity. In August 2024, she appeared on right-wing political commentator Tucker Carlson's podcast and said that chronic illnesses are "driven by our toxic food system and our toxic environment." "These subtle insidious forces that are creating slow progressive illness … that allow patients to be profitable and on the pharma treadmill for their entire lives," she said. "They make us sick but they don't kill us, and then we are drugged for life." In addition to working with her brother on Kennedy Jr.'s campaign, the sibling pair also co-wrote a book. In 2024, Means and her brother published Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health, a book focused on "what is causing symptoms and diseases, and how to feel amazing now and in the future," per her website. "Good Energy is the simple answer to achieving incredible health: for ourselves, our children, our parents, and the planet," she continued. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The MAGA backlash to Trump's MAHA surgeon general pick
President Donald Trump's new pick for surgeon general — wellness influencer Casey Means — is already the target of MAGA vitriol, underscoring a split inside the president's base over the future of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 'Make America Healthy Again' movement. Trump's decision to select Means came just hours after news broke about his decision to withdraw Janette Nesheiwat, a former Fox News contributor, for the post. Her brother, Calley Means, reportedly helped connect Kennedy with Trump last summer before Kennedy dropped his own presidential bid and endorsed Trump. He is now a White House adviser. Both siblings promote the idea that many chronic conditions can be prevented with lifestyle changes — like eating healthy and exercising — and, like Kennedy, often speak out against the food and pharmaceutical industries. The siblings caught Kennedy's attention last year, when they appeared on an episode of Tucker Carlson's podcast. But Casey has proved a controversial pick. In an opaque post to X late Wednesday, Kennedy's former presidential running mate, philanthropist Nicole Shanahan, said Kennedy had promised her he wouldn't bring the siblings to HHS. Laura Loomer, a conservative influencer close to Trump who urged him to pull Nesheiwat's nomination, also criticized Means for not having an active medical license. In a post to X, Loomer accused Means of praying to 'inanimate objects' and communicating with 'spirit mediums.'However, several other MAGA influencers have lined up in support of the pick. Calley Means did not respond to a request for comment. An HHS spokesperson said the agency would respond to requests for comment on Casey Means' behalf, and directed POLITICO to Kennedy's post on X. 'The absurd attacks on Casey Means reveal just how far off course our healthcare conversations have veered, and how badly entrenched interests — including Big Food and its industry-funded social media gurus — are terrified of change,' Kennedy wrote. Here's what you need to know about Means: 1. She graduated medical school, but dropped out of her residency Means was trained at Stanford Medical School as a head and neck surgeon. But she dropped out of her surgical residency in the fifth year, a decision she has attributed to disillusionment with the medical system. She says it has not done enough to address the root cause of disease. 2. She's echoed some of Kennedy's vaccine misinformation It's not clear if Means shares all of Kennedy's concerns about vaccines — Kennedy has long argued that there's a link between rising autism cases and the childhood schedule of shots — but she has written in her newsletter that she wants to see the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 'reformed' to allow lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers from patients with vaccine-related injuries. That's also a Kennedy priority. In the same newsletter, she claimed, in defiance of medical consensus, that 'there is growing evidence that the total burden of the current extreme and growing vaccine schedule is causing health declines in vulnerable children. This needs to be investigated.' 3. 'Impeccable 'MAHA' credentials'Means has dedicated her post-medical-school life to promoting healthy eating and lifestyle as a tactic to prevent chronic conditions — a world view in line with Kennedy's. She wrote a book with her brother called 'Good Energy' — which makes the same case. Means also co-founded Levels, a biowearables and health-tracking company funded by Andreessen Horowitz, a venture capital firm whose founders endorsed Trump last year. One of Levels' co-founders, Sam Corcos, reportedly is now the Treasury Department's chief information officer. Trump summed up her academic and professional history as 'impeccable 'MAHA' credentials' in a Truth Social post Wednesday, and Kennedy called Means 'a breath of fresh air.' 4. She's already facing MAGA backlash ….Since Trump announced Means' selection, she has become a target of Loomer, a social media personality who often has Trump's ear. 'Maybe @marcorubio can be Surgeon General and save us from this WOO WOO WOMAN,' Loomer posted on X Thursday, referencing Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is concurrently serving as national security adviser following Trump's decision to remove another Loomer target, Mike Waltz, from the job. Loomer also came after Means for not having an active medical license: 'I would call her a Witch Doctor, but she doesn't even have a valid active medical license. So I'm not going to call @CaseyMeansMD doctor.' 5. … and MAHA backlash Means also attracted the (negative) attention of Kennedy's former running mate during his 2024 presidential bid, Shanahan. A lawyer, she was married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin until their divorce two years ago, Shanahan called the Means siblings 'artificial and aggressive' like 'they were bred and raised to be Manchurian assets,' an apparent reference to the 1962 film 'The Manchurian Candidate' in which an Army sergeant is brainwashed by communists. 'I was promised that if I supported RFK Jr. in his Senate confirmation that neither of these siblings would be working under HHS or in an appointment (and that people much more qualified would be.),' Shanahan wrote on X. 'I don't know if RFK very clearly lied to me, or what is going on.'
Politico
08-05-2025
- Health
- Politico
The MAGA backlash to Trump's MAHA surgeon general pick
President Donald Trump's new pick for surgeon general — wellness influencer Casey Means — is already the target of MAGA vitriol, underscoring a split inside the president's base over the future of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 'Make America Healthy Again' movement. Trump's decision to select Means came just hours after news broke about his decision to withdraw Janette Nesheiwat, a former Fox News contributor, for the post. Her brother, Calley Means, reportedly helped connect Kennedy with Trump last summer before Kennedy dropped his own presidential bid and endorsed Trump. He is now a White House adviser. Both siblings promote the idea that many chronic conditions can be prevented with lifestyle changes — like eating healthy and exercising — and, like Kennedy, often speak out against the food and pharmaceutical industries. The siblings caught Kennedy's attention last year, when they appeared on an episode of Tucker Carlson's podcast. But Casey has proved a controversial pick. In an opaque post to X late Wednesday, Kennedy's former presidential running mate, philanthropist Nicole Shanahan, said Kennedy had promised her he wouldn't bring the siblings to HHS. Laura Loomer, a conservative influencer close to Trump who urged him to pull Nesheiwat's nomination, also criticized Means for not having an active medical license. In a post to X, Loomer accused Means of praying to 'inanimate objects' and communicating with 'spirit mediums.' However, several other MAGA influencers have lined up in support of the pick. Calley Means did not respond to a request for comment. An HHS spokesperson said the agency would respond to requests for comment on Casey Means' behalf, and directed POLITICO to Kennedy's post on X. 'The absurd attacks on Casey Means reveal just how far off course our healthcare conversations have veered, and how badly entrenched interests — including Big Food and its industry-funded social media gurus — are terrified of change,' Kennedy wrote. Here's what you need to know about Means: 1. She graduated medical school, but dropped out of her residency Means was trained at Stanford Medical School as a head and neck surgeon. But she dropped out of her surgical residency in the fifth year, a decision she has attributed to disillusionment with the medical system. She says it has not done enough to address the root cause of disease. 2. She's echoed some of Kennedy's vaccine misinformation It's not clear if Means shares all of Kennedy's concerns about vaccines — Kennedy has long argued that there's a link between rising autism cases and the childhood schedule of shots — but she has written in her newsletter that she wants to see the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 'reformed' to allow lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers from patients with vaccine-related injuries. That's also a Kennedy priority. In the same newsletter, she claimed, in defiance of medical consensus, that 'there is growing evidence that the total burden of the current extreme and growing vaccine schedule is causing health declines in vulnerable children. This needs to be investigated.' 3. 'Impeccable 'MAHA' credentials'Means has dedicated her post-medical-school life to promoting healthy eating and lifestyle as a tactic to prevent chronic conditions — a world view in line with Kennedy's. She wrote a book with her brother called 'Good Energy' — which makes the same case. Means also co-founded Levels, a biowearables and health-tracking company funded by Andreessen Horowitz, a venture capital firm whose founders endorsed Trump last year. One of Levels' co-founders, Sam Corcos, reportedly is now the Treasury Department's chief information officer. Trump summed up her academic and professional history as 'impeccable 'MAHA' credentials' in a Truth Social post Wednesday, and Kennedy called Means 'a breath of fresh air.' 4. She's already facing MAGA backlash ….Since Trump announced Means' selection, she has become a target of Loomer, a social media personality who often has Trump's ear. 'Maybe @marcorubio can be Surgeon General and save us from this WOO WOO WOMAN,' Loomer posted on X Thursday, referencing Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is concurrently serving as national security adviser following Trump's decision to remove another Loomer target, Mike Waltz, from the job. Loomer also came after Means for not having an active medical license: 'I would call her a Witch Doctor, but she doesn't even have a valid active medical license. So I'm not going to call @CaseyMeansMD doctor.' 5. … and MAHA backlash Means also attracted the (negative) attention of Kennedy's former running mate during his 2024 presidential bid, Shanahan. A lawyer, she was married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin until their divorce two years ago, Shanahan called the Means siblings 'artificial and aggressive' like 'they were bred and raised to be Manchurian assets,' an apparent reference to the 1962 film 'The Manchurian Candidate' in which an Army sergeant is brainwashed by communists. 'I was promised that if I supported RFK Jr. in his Senate confirmation that neither of these siblings would be working under HHS or in an appointment (and that people much more qualified would be.),' Shanahan wrote on X. 'I don't know if RFK very clearly lied to me, or what is going on.'
