Jun 27 What is thimerosal? What the research says about the vaccine preservative under fire by RFK Jr. By Madison Czopek, PolitiFact Thimerosal has been at the heart of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s antivaccine activism for 20 years. Here’s what to know about the vaccine preservative and its removal from flu vaccines. Continue reading
Jun 26 Watch 7:09 Trump's former surgeon general raises concerns about vaccine panel overhauled by RFK Jr. By Laura Santhanam, Azhar Merchant, Geoff Bennett A shift in a key vaccine advisory committee has raised alarms among public health experts. The ACIP routinely makes recommendations to the CDC. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired every prior member of the panel and appointed seven new… Continue watching
Jun 26 U.S. is pulling funding from Gavi, global group that has paid for more than a billion kids to get vaccinated By Maria Cheng, Associated Press U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the organization has “ignored the science" and “lost the public trust.”… Continue reading
Jun 26 What to know about thimerosal, vaccine preservative from bygone flu-shot debate By Associated Press The Trump administration’s vaccine advisers are bringing up an old debate: whether it’s time to wipe out the last small fraction of those vaccines that contain a controversial preservative. Continue reading
Jun 26 RFK Jr.'s vaccine committee endorses flu shots, except those with preservative thimerosal By Mike Stobbe, Lauren Neergaard, Associated Press The Trump administration’s new vaccine advisers on Thursday endorsed this fall’s flu vaccinations for just about every American but threw in a twist: Only use certain shots free of an ingredient antivaccine groups have falsely tied to autism. Continue reading
Jun 25 WATCH: CDC vaccine panel holds meeting after RFK Jr. ousts and replaces expert former members By Mike Stobbe, Lauren Neergaard, Associated Press U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s new vaccine advisers alarmed pediatricians Wednesday by announcing inquiries into some long-settled questions about children’s shots. Continue reading
Jun 24 WATCH: Health Secretary RFK Jr. questioned about vaccine policy, transparency in House hearing on funding request By Joshua Barajas Democratic lawmakers repeatedly grilled Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy in a House hearing Tuesday about his actions in the Trump administration so far, including what they described as a lack of transparency around major decisions. Continue reading
Jun 23 WATCH: Kennedy, Oz announce insurers' plan to scale back prior authorizations By Tom Murphy, Associated Press UnitedHealthcare, CVS Health's Aetna and dozens of other insurers say they plan to reduce the scope of health care claims subject to prior authorization, standardize parts of the process and expand responses done in real time. Continue reading
Jun 16 Researchers warn U.S. is on the 'precipice' of brain drain as Trump cuts federal grants By Laura Santhanam The Trump administration’s cuts to federal funding and hiring freezes at colleges and universities come at a crucial time, destabilizing the nation's research infrastructure and prompting many scientists to continue their work abroad if its future remains uncertain in the… Continue reading
Jun 11 RFK Jr. names 8 vaccine panel replacements, including a critic of COVID vaccines By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press Kennedy’s decision to “retire” the previous 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was widely decried by doctors’ groups and public health organizations, who feared the advisers would be replaced by a group aligned with Kennedy’s desire to reassess — and… Continue reading