Latest news with #RFK
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. Wants To Take COVID Shots Away From Pregnant People — But You Can Fight Back
Read on Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy's war on health care in the U.S. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a man who just a few weeks ago told the American people, 'I don't think people should be taking medical advice from me,' is now dishing out vaccine recommendations for pregnant people and children. You've likely heard about the video he posted on X, formerly Twitter, which was accompanied by the caption 'today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from [the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] recommended immunization schedule.' Going against Kennedy, though, the CDC on Thursday published its new recommendations and still suggest the vaccine for children. But, in line with Kennedy's X announcement, the COVID vaccine is no longer recommended for pregnant people, according to the CDC website. This is all confusing — and, particularly if you're pregnant, it's only natural to be worried. But it's not currently clear what this will actually mean for the vaccine come fall when the new formulation is available.'The first thing I do want to tell every reader is that the ACIP, or the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, is still going to meet in June, and I think this is important to remember because although RFK sidestepped really what is a decades-long practice of having independent reviewers review all the science and then make a vaccine recommendation ... the ACIP could potentially disagree with RFK's blanket statement,' Dr. Anita Patel, a pediatric critical care doctor in Washington, D.C., told HuffPost. Also, since Kennedy did not qualify this change with science-backed reasoning, Patel is hopeful that this decision could be overturned. Suffice to say, you shouldn't panic, but you should take this threat seriously. Doctors spoke with HuffPost about why this move is dangerous, what you can do to advocate for vaccine access and how to stay healthy if you can't get the jab come fall: Kennedy's announcement of the removal of the COVID vaccine from the recommended vaccination schedule for pregnant people and children is a strange move for many reasons. 'When we really look at who would benefit from COVID vaccines, we do really see value in continuing to vaccinate pregnant women and babies, particularly young children who have never had a primary series,' said Dr. Lori Handy, the associate director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The vaccine is important for pregnant people because they're immunocompromised during pregnancy, Handy said. More, 'when pregnant, the physiology of how your heart and your lungs work changes because [your body] redirects a lot of your blood flow to the placenta to support the fetus, and that makes COVID infection more risky for pregnant moms,' Handy added. Beyond the health of the pregnant person, the COVID vaccine also benefits the growing fetus. When a pregnant person gets vaccinated, they then pass those antibodies on to the fetus, she noted. 'And we know that children under 1 are hospitalized at rates second only to people over age 75. So, they're the second most hospitalized group to the elderly, which really states just how significant the infection is for babies and how important it is to get them protected,' Handy said. The COVID vaccine also reduces the risk of stillbirth and preterm labor, Patel said. '[People who] really want to continue to have access to vaccines, the key thing they could do right now, actually, is talk with their local, state and federal legislators, let them know' Handy said. 'Please advocate for us and help protect this resource, because we want to have it available even if the guidance changes. ... We want to make sure that vaccines stay available for all of the people that want it,' Handy said. Your voice matters, and this fight isn't over, Patel said. 'It is also important to remember that the representatives, whether it's a congressperson or a senator, they work for you,' Patel noted. You can directly call or email your elected officials and let them know you aren't going to vote for them again if they don't fight against the COVID shot restrictions. 'So, using language that is very literal and deliberate, saying 'I will not vote for you if you support this decision to rescind the recommendation regarding COVID-19 vaccinations for pregnant individuals and people under 65,'' Patel said. 'And I really, I really believe in this process, because although we haven't been able to overturn everything, there has been a lot of movement in these executive orders and unlawful announcements, and that is because of the voice of the American people,' she said. Patel added that the Trump administration is trying to upset us. 'They are trying to paralyze us so that we can't act, and if us as a society and us as a populace in America allow them to do that, we will lose our voice. But if we continue to push back, we will not,' Patel said. 'With regard to pregnant individuals, although the administration has taken the stance against vaccinating pregnant persons against COVID, their doctor, whether it's their OB or their primary care doctor, can still say 'My patient is at high risk for adverse outcomes secondary to COVID-19, and therefore it is medically indicated for this patient to receive the vaccine,'' Patel said. 'And the truth is that RFK actually allowed for that loophole in his announcement when he said that they will continue to cover the vaccine for vulnerable populations,' Patel said, and added that inactivity is one of the underlying conditions that can make you eligible for the jab. 'So there are a lot of underlying conditions that people may not even realize are on that list.' This administration is creating lots of chaos with its inflammatory and scary decisions, but 'those decisions haven't necessarily trickled down yet into a sphere in which they are appreciably affecting people's ability to get the vaccine,' Patel said. 'I can't say what's going to happen once the ACIP has met, but at this moment in time, children can still get the COVID-19 vaccine ... and as long as an OB-GYN appropriately justifies the indication for the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant persons, that pregnant person should still be able to get it,' Patel noted. If your doctor does not agree to give you a COVID-19 vaccine, Patel recommends that you seek out a second opinion. There are things you can do to protect yourself if a worst-case scenario unfolds and pregnant folks aren't able to get the COVID-19 vaccine come fall. 'If you are in any way at risk of a more severe outcome from respiratory infections, wear a mask when you go to crowded places,' Handy said. You should also practice good hand hygiene — washing your hands regularly and using hand sanitizer when you're out and about. 'People should worry about COVID, but also flu, rhinovirus, all of these infections can make people, particularly pregnant people or immunocompromised people, very ill, and we want to keep those people safe,' Handy added. When it comes to keeping babies, and particularly newborns, safe, Handy said she tries to 'surround them, essentially cocoon them, with other healthy people.' This may look like turning away a sniffling babysitter or leaving a friend's house when you notice their coughing 2-year-old. 'Trying to stay around healthy people is just logistically hard in a busy life, but it does protect your child, particularly during winter seasons, when a lot more viruses circulate,' Handy said. It's also important to get all of the other recommended vaccines for your baby on time, Handy noted. You can ask your pediatrician any questions you have about vaccines, 'but just recognize when your health care provider makes a recommendation for a vaccine in the first week of life, for a vaccine at 2 months of life, that is really done to give the baby the most protection they can. And changing that schedule or delaying just increases the time that that baby's at risk,' Handy said. 'So, if we do face a world where baby can't have COVID protection, making sure they're protected from every single other thing, and then practicing those good infection prevention practices, is really the best we'll be able to do,' Handy noted. A New COVID Variant Is Here, And It's More Transmissible — Here Are The Signs And Symptoms Trump's FDA Has Axed COVID Boosters For Most People — And Medical Experts Are Deeply Worried
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
RFK made another dream come true for MAHA moms. Doctors are pushing back.
The COVID-19 vaccine will no longer be recommended to pregnant people or healthy children in the US. RFK Jr. made the announcement on X, but the CDC has not changed its website. Pregnancy puts people at a higher risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccine will be removed from the list of recommended shots for healthy children and pregnant people, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the US Health Secretary, announced on X Tuesday. "I couldn't be more pleased to announce that as of today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC recommended immunization schedule," Kennedy said in a video. While unusual, it is in line with RFK's general health philosophy. He frequently shouts out "MAHA moms," a group of vocally vaccine-skeptical parents whose backing has played an important role in RFK's political success. The moms are a driving force behind the health secretary's "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement, and are fueled by a strong distrust in medical institutions, a rejection of vaccine safety, skepticism about fluoride in the water supply, and concerns about the health impact of seed oils, as well as ultra-processed foods. The Trump administration previously recommended that everyone six months and older get the COVID-19 vaccine, advice which still stands on the CDC website at the time of publication. The new policy will mean that the COVID-19 vaccine is only recommended to people older than 65 and those at high risk for severe COVID-19. That is a group that should — and does — include all pregnant women, according to obstetricians, professional associations, and even Dr. Marty Makary, the newly appointed commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Last week, Makary included pregnancy in a New England Journal of Medicine article listing medical conditions that would put someone at higher risk for the disease, alongside asthma and cancer. "There is no OB-GYN in this country that I know who is in agreement with this recommendation," Dr. Amanda Williams, a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist in northern California, who is the interim chief medical officer at March of Dimes, told Business Insider. "Pregnancy is a high-risk condition." Williams says people should ignore the latest government recommendation, and continue to follow the advice of professional associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which both continue to recommend COVID-19 vaccines to pregnant people. "ACOG's recommendations have not changed as the science has not changed," the organization told BI in a statement. Pregnancy suppresses the immune system, making people more vulnerable to infectious diseases like COVID. Pregnancy also prompts widespread changes to a person's vascular system and respiration, which can make it harder for a pregnant body to fight off the virus. "When patients have COVID, they are more likely to have miscarriage, stillbirth, preeclampsia, and preterm birth," Williams said. "When a patient gets COVID and is pregnant, they're more likely to need to be hospitalized, intubated, and unfortunately die because of COVID." She remembers the case of a healthy, young mother-to-be who contracted COVID during the height of the pandemic, had to be intubated, and ultimately died, a few days after giving birth. "The very last thing that she said to the obstetric team was, 'I wish I had gotten the vaccination and not listened to other people,'" Williams said. There are rumors online that COVID-19 vaccines mess with fertility and can cause miscarriages. Even though the claims have been widely discredited, they persist. "Any person who's been pregnant before knows it's really hard to get a deep breath and to walk up and down stairs, even in normal pregnancy — imagine what that's like then with COVID on top of it," Williams said. "I made it my personal mission to be vocal, especially in communities of color — where there is well-earned distrust — to talk about the vaccine, what the safety data has shown us, and to try to be a trusted messenger and bridge builder so that things like that wouldn't happen again." If given during the second or third trimester of pregnancy, vaccines can also help protect a newborn baby from COVID for roughly their first six months of life, through the transfer of maternal antibodies. "All the existing data shows that these vaccines can help protect children and they can help protect pregnant women and they can help protect even infants after they're born," Jesse Goodman, a former FDA chief scientist who is now director of Georgetown University's Center on Medical Product Access, Safety and Stewardship told STAT. "I'm pretty taken aback by this." Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
6 days ago
- Health
- Business Insider
RFK made another dream come true for MAHA moms. Doctors are pushing back.
The COVID-19 vaccine will be removed from the list of recommended shots for healthy children and pregnant people, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the US Health Secretary, announced on X Tuesday. "I couldn't be more pleased to announce that as of today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC recommended immunization schedule," Kennedy said in a video. While unusual, it is in line with RFK's general health philosophy. He frequently shouts out " MAHA moms," a group of vocally vaccine-skeptical parents whose backing has played an important role in RFK's political success. The moms are a driving force behind the health secretary's "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement, and are fueled by a strong distrust in medical institutions, a rejection of vaccine safety, skepticism about fluoride in the water supply, and concerns about the health impact of seed oils, as well as ultra-processed foods. The Trump administration previously recommended that everyone six months and older get the COVID-19 vaccine, advice which still stands on the CDC website at the time of publication. OB-GYNs are pushing back The new policy will mean that the COVID-19 vaccine is only recommended to people older than 65 and those at high risk for severe COVID-19. That is a group that should — and does — include all pregnant women, according to obstetricians, professional associations, and even Dr. Marty Makary, the newly appointed commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Last week, Makary included pregnancy in a New England Journal of Medicine article listing medical conditions that would put someone at higher risk for the disease, alongside asthma and cancer. "There is no OB-GYN in this country that I know who is in agreement with this recommendation," Dr. Amanda Williams, a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist in northern California, who is the interim chief medical officer at March of Dimes, told Business Insider. "Pregnancy is a high-risk condition." Williams says people should ignore the latest government recommendation, and continue to follow the advice of professional associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which both continue to recommend COVID-19 vaccines to pregnant people. "ACOG's recommendations have not changed as the science has not changed," the organization told BI in a statement. Pregnancy suppresses the immune system, making people more vulnerable to infectious diseases like COVID. Pregnancy also prompts widespread changes to a person's vascular system and respiration, which can make it harder for a pregnant body to fight off the virus. "When patients have COVID, they are more likely to have miscarriage, stillbirth, preeclampsia, and preterm birth," Williams said. "When a patient gets COVID and is pregnant, they're more likely to need to be hospitalized, intubated, and unfortunately die because of COVID." She remembers the case of a healthy, young mother-to-be who contracted COVID during the height of the pandemic, had to be intubated, and ultimately died, a few days after giving birth. "The very last thing that she said to the obstetric team was, 'I wish I had gotten the vaccination and not listened to other people,'" Williams said. There are rumors online that COVID-19 vaccines mess with fertility and can cause miscarriages. Even though the claims have been widely discredited, they persist. "Any person who's been pregnant before knows it's really hard to get a deep breath and to walk up and down stairs, even in normal pregnancy — imagine what that's like then with COVID on top of it," Williams said. "I made it my personal mission to be vocal, especially in communities of color — where there is well-earned distrust — to talk about the vaccine, what the safety data has shown us, and to try to be a trusted messenger and bridge builder so that things like that wouldn't happen again." If given during the second or third trimester of pregnancy, vaccines can also help protect a newborn baby from COVID for roughly their first six months of life, through the transfer of maternal antibodies. "All the existing data shows that these vaccines can help protect children and they can help protect pregnant women and they can help protect even infants after they're born," Jesse Goodman, a former FDA chief scientist who is now director of Georgetown University's Center on Medical Product Access, Safety and Stewardship told STAT. "I'm pretty taken aback by this."
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr.'s MAHA Commission Just Published Its First Report. Here Are 5 Crucial Things It's Missing.
ROBERT F. KENNEDY, Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again Commission's first report came out today, focusing on the causes of chronic disease in children in the US. Of course, America should be focusing on chronic diseases, which are the leading causes of death and disability, costing $4.5 trillion in annual health care expenditures. We lag far behind peer countries in life expectancy. More than 40% of adults and 20% of children are classified as obese. We don't need a Commission to study the causes of chronic disease—because we already know them. Largely preventable, nonmedical risk factors such as poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and alcohol and tobacco use drive chronic diseases, which are unequally distributed, and strongly related to race, income, and geographic location. The MAHA commission should focus on the primary drivers of chronic diseases, but its priorities mirror the pet peeves and anti-science views of RFK, Jr. The Commission's charge doesn't even mention foods that are high in added sugars and sodium, or even alcohol and tobacco. Instead, the charge includes issues that contribute to chronic diseases in limited ways (food additives), rest on shaky evidence (causes of autism), or represent the Secretary's long-held views (opposition to weight-loss medications). These issues distract from policies already proven to work but have struggled to gain political support. Moreover, the focus on chronic disease should not come at the expense of ongoing investments in infectious diseases, particularly given the current avian H5N1 influenza and measles outbreaks. There are clear policies that could help prevent chronic diseases, such as: Reducing sodium and added sugars in food. Front-of-package nutritional labeling. Dietary guidelines encouraging fruits, vegetables, plant-based proteins, and whole grains, while limiting red or processed meat, refined grains, and foods high in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar. Tobacco control including reduced nicotine levels in cigarettes. Protecting federal entitlement programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). For more on these topics, see my recent article in JAMA Health Forum. Even though the MAHA commission is off to an inauspicious start, it could still become a catalyst for evidence-based investments and policies to reduce the burden of chronic diseases. That requires policies based on science and doing the hard political work. You Might Also Like The Best Hair Growth Shampoos for Men to Buy Now 25 Vegetables That Are Surprising Sources of Protein
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Health
- USA Today
RFK slams processed foods, pesticides, vaccines as harmful to kids in sweeping MAHA report
RFK slams processed foods, pesticides, vaccines as harmful to kids in sweeping MAHA report Show Caption Hide Caption RFK Jr.'s impact on HHS so far has some worried RFK Jr. reluctance to endorse the measles vaccine amid a deadly outbreak raised red flags. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. blames ultra-processed foods, environmental chemicals, lack of physical activity, chronic stress and 'overmedicalization' for driving chronic diseases in U.S. children, according to his Make America Healthy Again commission report published May 22. The 69-page report, titled 'Making Our Children Healthy Again,' also says these drivers are partly propelled by corporate influence and government lobbying. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a commission to "Make America Healthy Again" during Kennedy's swearing in ceremony Feb. 13, and tasked it with investigating chronic illness and delivering an action plan to fight childhood diseases, starting with a report due within 100 days – hitting that just in time. The MAHA commission members responsible for the report include Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Martin Makary and National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya. In a call with reporters, Kennedy said the commission will work over the next 80 days to issue policy recommendations based on the report's findings for the White House. "This report is really… a diagnosis, the prescription comes in 100 days,' he said. RFK MAHA report targets ultra-processed foods, food dyes, sweeteners The report takes a closer look at the American diet and flags ultra-processed grains, sugars and fats, and food additives as problems fueling chronic diseases. Authors say ultra-processed foods, or UPFs, replace nutrient-dense foods and encourage people to eat more, leading to a rise in childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. UPFs include foods like ice cream, chips, cheeseburgers, French fries, soda, cake, candy and cookies. Research shows they're also linked to a number of health issues like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and depression in women. They've also been linked to cognitive decline and cancer. The report also targets food additives such as artificial dyes, titanium dioxide, propylparaben, butylated hydroxytoluene and artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, sucralose and saccharin. The World Health Organization concluded in a 2023 report that the 'occasional consumption' of aspartame − typically found in sugar-free drinks like Diet Coke − is generally safe. Kennedy has already begun his campaign against food dyes, announcing in a April 22 news conference that the administration plans to eliminate eight dyes from medications and food by the end of 2026. The dyes that will be phased out in less than two years are FD&C Blue Nos. 1 and 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow Nos 5 and 6. In the coming months, the process will begin to revoke authorization of Orange B and Citrus Red No. 2, according to the HHS. What RFK report details about ingesting pesticides, environmental chemicals Report authors also flag environmental toxins and call for more research to study the health effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, microplastics, fluoride, electromagnetic radiation, phthalates, bisphenols and pesticides. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or 'forever chemicals,' consist of more than 12,000 man-made chemical compounds used in consumer products such as non-stick, greaseproof and waterproof coatings and surfaces. PFAS don't easily decompose in nature and because of this, they build up in human bodies and can lead to certain cancers and other serious health complications. Kennedy's push against fluoride – a naturally occurring mineral found in water, soil, air and various foods – has led to health regulators to remove ingestible fluoride supplements from the market. Fluoride has been added to the public water supplies for decades and dental products, such as toothpaste, as a dental cavities prevention measure. What are PFAS? 'Forever chemicals' are common and dangerous. So far, Utah and Florida are the only states that have banned fluoride from drinking water. Several other states like Kentucky, Louisiana and South Carolina have anti-fluoride bills on the table. The report calls out two herbicides – glyphosate and atrazine – and says an updated assessment on these common substances will be coming out in 2026. The primary exposure to glyphosate, which is used in weed killers like Roundup, occurs through food. Ahead of the report's publication, American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall expressed concern the report's findings could erode the public's trust in the U.S. food supply, 'limit farming practices based on unproven theories,' and risk 'reducing access to affordable and nutritious foods,' according to a statement published May 20. Agency heads assured on a call about the commission report that the nation's food supply is safe. "Farmers need the tools in the toolbox to continue to feed the world, but it doesn't mean we can't do better," Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said. Kids are on 'too much medicine', MAHA report says In the report, authors argue that 'American children are on too much medicine' and criticize the childhood immunization schedule for encompassing more vaccines than Europe. The commission encourages larger clinical trials to look into the safety of childhood vaccines and potential links to chronic diseases. However, experts have said decades of evidence demonstrate the safety and benefits of these shots. Babies are supposed to receive vaccines that protect against about 15 different infectious diseases. Most require more than one dose, which amounts to nearly 30 jabs by age 2. Vaccine spreading: Babies get a lot of vaccines before they turn 2. Is it safe to spread them out instead? Report authors also said that less time spent outside in nature, and more time spent on screens and social media is contributing to the rise of negative physical and mental health outcomes in U.S. children. The commission said these outcomes are exacerbated by "overmedicalization," calling out medications that treat anxiety, depression and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are commonly used medications that were called out in the report. SSRIs are approved by the FDA to treat a range of conditions such as anxiety, depression, bulimia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and are used off-label to treat several others. On a call with reporters, NIH Director Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya criticized the medical literature supporting certain treatments and how to use them in children, calling it a "replication crisis." "We have a crisis that requires rethinking almost every aspect of how we think about disease and the prevention of disease," he said. Contributing: Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY; Reuters. Adrianna Rodriguez can be reached at adrodriguez@
