Three months in the past, after Donald Trump had received the 2024 election—and even earlier than he had chosen longtime antivax activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as his nominee for Secretary of Well being and Human Providers (HHS)—I characterised RFK Jr. as an “extinction-level menace to federal public well being and science-based well being coverage.” The explanation was easy. Final summer season, RFK Jr. had deserted his quixotic and doomed marketing campaign for President as an unbiased and bent the knee to Donald Trump. In consequence, he was rewarded with a promise to be, in essence, Trump’s well being coverage czar and to have a distinguished function in well being coverage in his administration if he received. In the course of the marketing campaign, RFK Jr. even got here up with a slogan that riffed on the lengthy acquainted Trump slogan “Make America Nice Once more” (MAGA) by altering it to “Make America Wholesome Once more” (MAHA). Cleverly, he mentioned nothing in any respect about vaccines in his “MAHA manifesto“—an absence that his antivax minions seen instantly and had been dismayed by—as a substitute planning to “reform” the FDA, emphasize wholesome meals (relying in your definition), and legalize psychedelics and stem cell clinics. A few weeks after the election, President-Elect Trump nominated RFK Jr. for HHS, a nomination that I known as a “disaster for public well being and medical analysis.”
After all, RFK Jr. was “controversial” (translation: a batshit) nominee. I’ll even admit that, after RFK Jr.’s disastrous affirmation hearings, by which he lied repeatedly and blatantly about being “pro-vaccine” and by which Sen. Bernie Sanders embarrassed him over the group that he based, Youngsters’s Well being Protection, promoting child onesies with antivax slogans on them—asking RFK Jr, “Are you supportive of those onesies?“—and Sen. Elizabeth Warren identified how a lot cash he makes helping a legislation agency suing vaccine producer, I briefly held out a tiny hope that a couple of Republicans would vote towards him, denying him the nomination, however I quickly realized that none of it mattered and that he would positively be confirmed.
Typically I hate being proper. I may not be proper on a regular basis, however that is one time the place I’d have been joyful to be spectacularly unsuitable.
So, on Thursday, the Senate confirmed RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary, with just one Republican, Mitch McConnell (who’s a polio survivor), voting towards his affirmation. On Friday, RFK Jr. wasted no time starting to do what he had promised to do all alongside, going again to 2023, particularly mass firing scientists on the CDC and NIH. After all, as I wrote final week, President Musk Trump and the “division of presidency effectivity” (DOGE) hadn’t waited for RFK Jr. to be confirmed as HHS Secretary or for Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to be confirmed as NIH Director to cancel research part conferences and journey by NIH scientists to current their findings, all within the identify of attacking DEI (range, fairness, and inclusion) and, quickly after, to begin gutting funds to universities for oblique prices with no warning, thus threatening biomedical analysis at numerous US universities, who couldn’t simply make up the shortfall. {That a} federal decide rapidly issued a brief restraining order to dam the coverage doesn’t imply that it received’t in the end go into impact, both.
Then RFK Jr. arrived on Friday.
So it begins
Stunning nobody aside from those that hadn’t been paying consideration whereas portraying RFK Jr. as “not that dangerous” and even as doubtlessly good, RFK Jr. began his tenure as HHS Secretary by firing scientists en masse:
President Donald Trump’s administration immediately moved to fireside 5200 employees on the Division of Well being and Human Providers (HHS), utilizing supervisors throughout the huge company to warn probationary staff that they’d quickly obtain termination notices. It additionally fired the director and far of the employees of the Superior Analysis Initiatives Company for Well being (ARPA-H), a $1.5 billion company created 3 years in the past to fund high-risk, high-payoff analysis.
The transfer got here on the primary full day in workplace of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who had promised to remove a whole lot of jobs at federal well being companies “on Day 1.”
That is pure irony. Bear in mind how sycophants, toadies, and lackeys of RFK Jr.—I’m speaking to you, Dr. Vinay Prasad—lambasted the NIH for supposedly funding ineffective “secure” analysis that didn’t advance science? Right here we see RFK Jr. defunding and shifting to remove ARPA-H, a program designed to deal with that perceived drawback by funding excessive danger, excessive payoff analysis initiatives. However what else? Nothing good.
It wasn’t simply the NIH, in fact, however the hated CDC too:
On the U.S. Nationwide Institutes of Well being (NIH), the place institute administrators had been rapidly summoned to a gathering this morning to alert them of the approaching firings, some 1500 staff had been initially scheduled to be let go; on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) the quantity was 1269.
It seems that fifty of the fired CDC scientists had been members of the first-year class of the Epidemic Intelligence Service, the CDC’s prestigious “illness detective” coaching program for younger epidemiologists. Furthermore, three division administrators within the Nationwide Heart for Rising and Zoonotic Infectious Illnesses, a key entrance in pandemic prevention, had been additionally on an inventory of focused staff. It’s virtually as if RFK Jr. is attempting different make us much less ready for one more pandemic. No, strike that. He’s, simply because he hates what the CDC mentioned about COVID-19, nonpharmaceutical interventions (e.g., masks, social distancing, enterprise closures) to sluggish the unfold of the virus, and, above all, vaccines.
It was the NIH that suffered essentially the most from the preliminary spherical, nevertheless:
At NIH, a lot of these fired had been junior staff. However the huge cull additionally took out senior staff who had been just lately transformed to employees positions after years as contractors—in addition to division administrators at NIH who had been new to their positions. In some circumstances, the administrators needed to name junior employees to tell them of their impending firings whereas figuring out they, too, had been about to be terminated.
“It will decimate our potential to operate as an establishment,” says one senior NIH scientist who needed to notify employees that HHS was firing them. “Regardless of the reverse of presidency effectivity is, this course of will take us there.”
Certainly. It’s continuously a mantra amongst CEOs like Elon Musk that each one they’re reducing is fats, that they will “do extra with much less,” however when the reducing is indiscriminate, mainly anybody nonetheless on probation, no matter their efficiency or the significance of their work, what’s going to occur is that the work of the NIH can be degraded. For instance, scientific research, as soon as halted, are sometimes troublesome or unimaginable to resurrect, and even those which are efficiently resurrected normally find yourself costing extra, not much less. Worse, this cull is affecting senior staff just lately promoted who, because of their new place, had been on probation, thus eradicating institutional information that helps giant organizations with continuity.
In case you puzzled what was occurring with analysis grants to universities, given the pause in research part conferences and the try to slash college oblique value charges to fifteen%, it’s not good both:
Additionally amongst these slated for termination at NIH had been grants administration and program officers, who guarantee the sleek disbursement and functioning of greater than $30 billion in grants to college scientists. The NIH grants course of has already floor to a halt as a result of research sections and advisory councils aren’t assembly due to a Trump ban on posting required notices about upcoming conferences within the Federal Register.
“Over the previous 12 months, NIH has introduced in some spectacular people who find themselves essential for packages. Will probably be a fantastic loss,” former NIH Director Monica Bertagnolli, who stepped down final month, advised Science.
Lest you suppose that intramural medical trials and translational analysis (analysis achieved on the NIH itself, moderately than at universities funded by NIH grants) received’t endure:
The upcoming terminations included a lot of NIH’s 483 analysis fellows. A few of its roughly 260 medical fellows had been initially on lists of focused staff Friday morning, though at the least some had been spared later within the day. (The Scientific Heart, the place a whole lot of medical trials are underway, must “shut down” if the medical fellows and nurses with probationary standing had been let go, one supply who requested to not be recognized advised Science.) However animal care employees had been amongst these fired.
Once more, right here’s some irony. You may recall that Dr. Prasad did an oncology fellowship on the Nationwide Most cancers Institute and the NIH Scientific Heart. I don’t know what occurred there, however he got here out very bitter concerning the NIH, a bitterness that grew together with his obvious failure ever to acquire NIH funding as a principal investigator. Is he rejoicing on the potential firing of all of the fellows? What about all of the analysis fellows, who took what previously could be thought-about a unbelievable alternative to do analysis coaching on the NIH, solely to have the rug pulled out from beneath them this fashion?
The possible end result can be, as described by former NIH Director Monica Bertagnolli:
“We’re going to lose the following era, that’s the most troublesome loss. This simply sends, sends a chill,” Bertagnolli advised STAT in an interview Saturday on the sidelines of the American Affiliation for the Development of Science annual assembly in Boston. “It’s exhausting work, to get an schooling and be a scientist. A few of the fellows skilled for thus a few years, and it’s a mission that requires nice, nice dedication. We’re very fearful that our sensible subsequent era isn’t going to wish to try this, in the event that they’re not very, very clearly supported.”
Certainly. Think about that you simply’ve spent a few years doing a analysis undertaking on the NIH, solely to have a conspiracy theorist like RFK Jr. are available and hearth you simply as you’re getting outcomes.
In the meantime:
Sadly, that is clearly solely the start. On Thursday afternoon, proper after RFK Jr. was confirmed, the White Home posted an government order establishing the President’s “Make America Wholesome Once more” Fee. It’s stuffed with misinformation and represents a blueprint for dismantling US public well being and medical science coverage and efforts in favor of the type of quackery that RFK Jr. prefers.
The MAHA Fee
Let’s check out the manager order establishing the President’s MAHA Fee. The very first thing I seen is that it begins out with the same old MAHA tropes:
American life expectancy considerably lags behind different developed nations, with pre‑COVID-19 United States life expectancy averaging 78.8 years and comparable nations averaging 82.6 years. This equates to 1.25 billion fewer life years for the US inhabitants. Six in 10 Individuals have at the least one persistent illness, and 4 in 10 have two or extra persistent ailments. An estimated one in 5 United States adults lives with a psychological sickness.
The wag in me can’t assist however notice that, of all of the issues that the MAHA Fee goes on to recommend as contributors to the lagging life expectancy, an issue that has been a lot mentioned, little or no is talked about about poverty and nothing is talked about about how our lack of a government-funded common medical insurance plan is one huge distinction between the US and the “comparable nations” cited and doesn’t recommend expanded medical insurance for something aside from supporting “helpful way of life modifications and illness prevention,” which, if science-based (uncertain) could be good however not sufficient.
The second factor I seen about this government order is that, beneath the primary part (Goal), it trots out lots of statistics, none of that are referenced and a few of which I do know are fully unsuitable. As an illustration, it claims, “Additional, from 1990-2021, the US skilled an 88 p.c improve in most cancers, the most important share improve of any nation evaluated.” All one has to do is to have a look at final month’s American Most cancers Society annual report on most cancers statistics to show this, particularly Determine 2, which presents age-adjusted charges of most cancers incidence and mortality within the US:
Do you discover something? To begin with, most cancers incidence has not elevated by 88% since 1990, and even since 1975. Certainly, most cancers incidence is similar or solely barely greater than it was in 1975, adjusted for age and prognosis. I moderately suspect that whoever wrote this government order used uncooked numbers that weren’t age-adjusted, however, once more, no reference is supplied. (I attempted a little bit of Googling to attempt to discover the reference, however gave up.) The inhabitants, in spite of everything, is growing older; so it could be anticipated that most cancers incidence would climb simply from that, as many cancers are, in essence, ailments of outdated age.
Did you discover the rest? It’s one thing that I prefer to level out any time I give a chat on most cancers. Particularly, mortality charges from most cancers have been steadily declining since 1990. I additionally level out that that is mortality from all cancers, as a result of there are cancers for which the mortality and incidence charges have fallen extra quickly than the chart, and there are some cancers whose incidence and mortality have elevated. The general image, although, may be very totally different from what RFK Jr. and the Trump administration paints. There are challenges to be met and progress to be made, however the scenario with respect to most cancers has truly been enhancing during the last three many years. It may not appear to be it as a result of the inhabitants is growing older and plenty of cancers are more likely in outdated age, however if you alter for age it’s true.
The White Home additional claims, “Throughout 204 nations and territories, the US had the best age-standardized incidence charge of most cancers in 2021, almost double the next-highest charge.” Once more, there isn’t a reference, however this too is well disproven. For instance, should you have a look at Our World In Information, it reveals that, sure, the US does have the best age-standardized incidence of most cancers, however barely and that different nations have had greater incidences previously. For instance, I picked some developed industrialized nations and used the software on the location to create this graph:
Discover how the US has very related most cancers incidence to New Zealand, France, The Netherlands, and Australia. Discover, additionally, that the distinction in age-standardized incidence of most cancers is nowhere close to two-fold totally different between the US and different nations. For some, it’s barely distinguishable. Additional notice that the age-adjusted incidence of most cancers within the US isn’t climbing. It’s truly falling barely. I believe that whoever wrote this dreck merely in contrast US most cancers incidence to that for the world (which I included within the graph), not noting that many nations have most cancers incidence much like that of the US, primarily rich industrialized nations. After all, this isn’t a brand new commentary that folks in rich industrialized nations are likely to have the next most cancers incidence; it’s, nevertheless, profoundly misleading to say that that is in some way a uniquely American phenomenon, with no nation even near our most cancers incidence.
The identical type of exaggeration is clear for the declare that in 2021 “bronchial asthma was greater than twice as widespread in the US than most of Europe, Asia, or Africa.” Whereas it’s type of true, if you have a look at particular person nations, there are lots of them with bronchial asthma prevalence much like that of the US. Poland and the UK, as an example, have very related bronchial asthma prevalence charges. Once more, from Our World In Information:
Bronchial asthma prevalence, in fact, is correlated with environmental elements, reminiscent of animal hair and dander, pollen, and mould (fungal) spores, meals allergens, tobacco smoke, or different pollutant exposures. If MAHA had been actually critical about decreasing bronchial asthma burden, it must have a look at environmental pollution, notably air air pollution, one thing that I don’t see the Trump Administration appearing to lower any time quickly, if ever.
Then, in fact:
Autism spectrum problems had the best prevalence in high-income nations, together with the United States, in 2021. Equally, autoimmune ailments reminiscent of inflammatory bowel illness, psoriasis, and a number of sclerosis are extra generally recognized in high-income areas reminiscent of Europe and North America. General, the worldwide comparability information demonstrates that the well being of Individuals is on an alarming trajectory that requires speedy motion.
This concern applies urgently to America’s youngsters. In 2022, an estimated 30 million youngsters (40.7 p.c) had at the least one well being situation, reminiscent of allergy symptoms, bronchial asthma, or an autoimmune illness. Autism spectrum dysfunction now impacts 1 in 36 youngsters in the US — a staggering improve from charges of 1 to 4 out of 10,000 youngsters recognized with the situation through the Eighties. Eighteen p.c of late adolescents and younger adults have fatty liver illness, near 30 p.c of adolescents are prediabetic, and greater than 40 p.c of adolescents are chubby or overweight.
After all, we right here at SBM have written concerning the rising prevalence of autism and its causes (not vaccines) on quite a few events, most just lately right here. It’s an outdated antivax narrative that “one thing” have to be inflicting this improve aside from the causes that scientists have recognized, such because the broadening of diagnostic standards within the Nineteen Nineties, elevated screening and recognition, decreased stigma, and the like. I might trot out but once more my instance of a situation that whose diagnostic standards hasn’t modified a lot in 50 years however whose incidence has elevated 16-fold simply resulting from screening; you possibly can examine it right here should you’re . As for weight problems and diabetes in youngsters, that may be a complicated matter oversimplified by RFK Jr. (as standard). As an illustration, the US truly has charges of childhood weight problems which are much like that of different industrialized nations and decrease than some outliers. For instance, in keeping with the World Weight problems Observatory, the US is definitely ranked #22 within the share of overweight youngsters, with nations like Samoa, Qatar, and others having greater charges. This isn’t to say that childhood and grownup weight problems aren’t an issue—certainly, the US does lead the world in grownup weight problems, though Australia, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, and the UK aren’t far behind—or that they haven’t been rising. It’s merely to say that there’s nothing uniquely American about this phenomenon, as RFK Jr. needs to indicate.
Now notice the pivot to implying that correlation equals causation:
These well being burdens have continued to extend alongside the elevated prescription of remedy. For instance, within the case of Consideration Deficit Dysfunction/Consideration Deficit Hyperactivity Dysfunction, over 3.4 million youngsters are actually on remedy for the dysfunction — up from 3.2 million youngsters in 2019-2020 — and the variety of youngsters being recognized with the situation continues to rise.
This poses a dire menace to the American folks and our lifestyle. Seventy-seven p.c of younger adults don’t qualify for the army primarily based largely on their well being scores. Ninety p.c of the Nation’s $4.5 trillion in annual healthcare expenditures is for folks with persistent and psychological well being circumstances. In brief, Individuals of all ages have gotten sicker, beset by diseases that our medical system isn’t addressing successfully. These traits hurt us, our economic system, and our safety.
Vaccines weren’t talked about, however I’m certain that RFK Jr. is aware of that his followers will know that they’re implied, together with medicines for ADHD. It’s additionally implied that manner fewer persons are exercising, however, by coincidence, I occurred to have listened to a current episode of the Conspirituality podcast the place they mentioned this very factor:
Now, what about train? Accessible information says that about 24% of Individuals exercised repeatedly within the Sixties. And immediately, about the identical, 24% meet beneficial ranges of cardio train plus power coaching.
However a powerful 46% get enough cardio train alone. I can’t discover a stat for that within the Sixties. They in all probability weren’t excited about it that manner as a result of a lot of this has been culturally type of emergent.
However business gyms, yoga studios, biking apps and jogging golf equipment could also be a extra up to date phenomenon as a result of extra of the inhabitants bought their train from bodily demanding jobs within the Sixties. However you realize what else was totally different? 42% of Individuals had been people who smoke again then.
And it’s a bit bit controversial, however smoking has been repeatedly proven to be correlated with decrease BMI resulting from urge for food suppressant and metabolic results. A 2015 research confirmed that solely 30% of people who smoke are chubby or overweight. In order that’s one method to make America wholesome once more, I suppose.
I don’t wish to belabor this level, as a result of there are some actual issues with weight problems, sort II diabetes, and different persistent well being issues. It’s simply that RFK Jr. oversimplifies and implies that lots of it’s resulting from vaccines and prescribed drugs.
What to do? Nicely, should you didn’t know RFK Jr., you’d suppose that this subsequent half sounds fairly good:
To completely deal with the rising well being disaster in America, we should re-direct our nationwide focus, in the private and non-private sectors, towards understanding and drastically reducing persistent illness charges and ending childhood persistent illness. This contains recent pondering on diet, bodily exercise, wholesome existence, over-reliance on remedy and coverings, the consequences of recent technological habits, environmental impacts, and meals and drug high quality and security. We should restore the integrity of the scientific course of by defending professional suggestions from inappropriate affect and rising transparency concerning present information. We should guarantee our healthcare system promotes well being moderately than simply managing illness.
After all, we all know that RFK Jr.’s ” recent pondering on diet, bodily exercise, wholesome existence, over-reliance on remedy and coverings, the consequences of recent technological habits, environmental impacts, and meals and drug high quality and security” entails lots of pseudoscience and quackery, in addition to a hostility to psychiatric medicine as nasty as that held by any Scientologist; for instance, he has just lately characterised antidepressants as addictive and the reason for violent habits, reminiscent of faculty shootings and has even proposed the creation of “wellness farms”:
…Kennedy mentioned he deliberate to dedicate cash generated from a gross sales tax on hashish merchandise to “creating wellness farms—drug rehabilitation farms, in rural areas throughout this nation.” He added, “I’m going to create these wellness farms the place they will go to get off of unlawful medicine, off of opiates, but in addition unlawful medicine, different psychiatric medicine, in the event that they wish to, to get off of SSRIs, to get off of benzos, to get off of Adderall, and to spend time as a lot time as they want—three or 4 years in the event that they want it—to study to get reparented, to reconnect with communities.” The farm residents would develop their very own natural meals as a result of, he urged, a lot of their underlying issues may very well be “food-related.”
It sounds lots like Mao’s “all the way down to the countryside” initiative, doesn’t it?
The issue thus recognized, the manager order strikes on to coverage and the MAHA Fee.
RFK Jr. and “science”
So let’s first see what the coverage is that RFK Jr. needs:
It shall be the coverage of the Federal Authorities to aggressively fight the essential well being challenges dealing with our residents, together with the rising charges of psychological well being problems, weight problems, diabetes, and different persistent ailments. To do so, government departments and companies (companies) that deal with well being or healthcare should deal with reversing persistent illness. Beneath this coverage:
(a) all federally funded well being analysis ought to empower Individuals by transparency and open-source information, and will keep away from or remove conflicts of curiosity that skew outcomes and perpetuate mistrust;
(b) the Nationwide Institutes of Well being and different health-related analysis funded by the Federal Authorities ought to prioritize gold-standard analysis on the foundation causes of why Individuals are getting sick;
(c) companies shall work with farmers to make sure that United States meals is the healthiest, most plentiful, and most inexpensive on the earth; and
(d) companies shall guarantee the supply of expanded remedy choices and the flexibleness for medical insurance protection to offer advantages that assist helpful way of life modifications and illness prevention.
Once more, this all sounds nice on the floor. Nevertheless, I do know what RFK Jr. actually means, which is why I feel I’ll present a translation:
It shall be the coverage of the Federal Authorities to aggressively fight the essential well being challenges dealing with our residents, together with the rising charges of psychological well being problems, weight problems, diabetes, and different persistent ailments. To do so, government departments and companies (companies) that deal with well being or healthcare should deal with deprioritizing science-based drugs with respect to persistent illness. Beneath this coverage:
(a) all federally funded well being analysis ought to empower Individuals by transparency and open-source information, and will keep away from or remove conflicts of curiosity that skew outcomes and perpetuate mistrust, as a way to permit antivaxxers and quacks to govern the information to point out that vaccines and FDA-approved medicine are harmful, some even addictive;
(b) the Nationwide Institutes of Well being and different health-related analysis funded by the Federal Authorities ought to prioritize gold-standard analysis on the foundation causes of why Individuals are getting sick that may exclude something having to do with precise science or science-based drugs that doesn’t comport with our preconceived conclusion that vaccines, prescribed drugs, and “dangerous meals” is the reason for all persistent illness;
(c) companies shall work with farmers to make sure that United States meals is the healthiest, most plentiful, and most inexpensive on the earth (whilst we deport all of the undocumented agricultural employees); and
(d) companies shall guarantee the supply of expanded remedy choices and the flexibleness for medical insurance protection to offer advantages that assist helpful way of life modifications and illness prevention; i.e., we don’t care about common nationwide medical insurance, simply that present insurance coverage transfers protection away from medicine, vaccines, and surgical procedure to woo.
However what concerning the MAHA Fee? Will probably be chaired by RFK Jr., in fact, and be co-charied by the Assistant to the President for Home Coverage serving as Government Director (Government Director). Committee members will embody Secretaries of Agriculture, Housing and City Growth, Schooling, and Veterans Affairs, in addition to the administrator of the EPA and the Administrators of OMB, the Nationwide Financial Council, NIH, CDC, and Workplace of Science and Expertise Coverage, plus the Chairman of the Council of Financial Advisors and the Commissioner of the FDA—oh, and “different members of my Administration invited to take part, on the discretion of the Chair and the Government Director.”
Let’s have a look at a number of the largest purple flag objects that this fee is tasked with. First, with respect to childhood persistent illness, the fee is tasked to:
(a) research the scope of the childhood persistent illness disaster and any potential contributing causes, together with the American weight loss plan, absorption of poisonous materials, medical therapies, way of life, environmental elements, Authorities insurance policies, meals manufacturing strategies, electromagnetic radiation, and company affect or cronyism;
Just a few translations:
- Absorption of poisonous supplies = vaccines and prescribed drugs
- Environmental elements = “chemical compounds,” whether or not proven to be dangerous or not
- Electromagnetic radiation: “Cell telephones and wifi trigger most cancers and different ailments!” (They don’t.)
- Company affect and cronyism = vaccines and massive pharma.
Subsequent up:
(b) advise and help the President on informing the American folks concerning the childhood persistent illness disaster, utilizing clear and clear information; and
(c) present to the President Authorities-wide suggestions on coverage and technique associated to addressing the recognized contributing causes of and ending the childhood persistent illness disaster.
Translations:
- Clear and clear information = Cherry picked research and information that present what we wish them to point out.
- Technique associated to addressing the recognized contributing causes of and ending the childhood persistent illness disaster = Do away with vaccines, prescribed drugs, and science-based interventions that we don’t like, all in favor of woo.
Critically. I do know you, RFK, Jr. You don’t idiot me with:
…assess the menace that potential over-utilization of remedy, sure meals components, sure chemical compounds, and sure different exposures pose to youngsters with respect to persistent irritation or different established mechanisms of illness, utilizing rigorous and clear information, together with worldwide comparisons;
Spoiler alert: The MAHA fee will discover that we vaccinate an excessive amount of, use an excessive amount of “synthetic” components in meals, that wifi causes persistent illness, whereas the “rigorous information” can be cherry picked and/or gathered by hand-picked crank scientists and docs as a way to come to preordained conclusions.
Additionally:
…assess the prevalence of and menace posed by the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, temper stabilizers, stimulants, and weight-loss medicine;
See what I imply? RFK Jr. is coming after psychiatric medicines along with vaccines. I do know, I do know. He says nothing about vaccines on this doc, however, as soon as once more, given how a lot he was grilled on vaccines throughout his affirmation hearings and the way he’s been enjoying coy with the query of vaccines ever since he bent the knee to Trump and got here up with “MAHA,” does anybody doubt that he’s coming for vaccines? I’ve been following him and documenting the antivax misinformation that he’s promoted since 2005. For him to not go after vaccines utilizing misleading science, conspiracy theories, and cherry-picked information could be so in contrast to him as demonstrated by his two decade monitor document on this sphere that I don’t imagine him when he says he received’t go after vaccines.
Equally:
…restore the integrity of science, together with by eliminating undue {industry} affect, releasing findings and underlying information to the utmost extent permitted beneath relevant legislation, and rising methodological rigor; and
…set up a framework for transparency and ethics overview in industry-funded initiatives.
If RFK Jr. had been actually about eliminating “undue {industry} affect,” I might get behind that, relying on the main points. That’s not what he’s about. What he’s actually about is shifting the allowed “undue {industry} affect” from huge pharma to huge wellness, from corporations that at the least attempt to develop therapies rooted in science to corporations that promote snake oil. Equally, “rising methodological rigor” will contain, at the least for vaccines and prescribed drugs, unimaginable requirements for security and efficacy. Once more, every little thing that I find out about RFK Jr.’s historical past, studied during the last 20 years, tells me that that is what he’ll do and what he actually means. I’ll give RFK Jr. and whoever else wrote this credit score. They’re excellent at couching what they actually imply in language that on the floor appears unobjectionable. In case you don’t know RFK Jr.’s historical past or are sympathetic to elements of his message that you simply wish to imagine that he’s being honest moderately than disingenuous, you is likely to be swayed. Definitely, I anticipate RFK Jr. apologists and cheerleaders like Dr. Prasad to enthusiastically embrace this doc, taking it at face worth and promoting it that manner. Sadly, I do know RFK Jr.’s MO all too effectively, and I do know what is absolutely behind this doc, as possible do most of our readers.
President Donald Trump on Friday signed an government order that may strip colleges of federal support in the event that they mandate COVID vaccines, a pool report mentioned — a largely symbolic transfer contemplating that no states at present require them.
The order applies to college students and to not academics or employees.
“Folks wished that very badly,” Trump mentioned.
In a reality sheet supplied to reporters, the White Home mentioned the order was obligatory as a result of COVID vaccine mandates had been “threatening instructional alternatives for college kids.”
And so is that this:
Louisiana’s well being division “will now not promote mass vaccination”, together with utilizing media campaigns or well being gala’s to advertise vaccines towards preventable diseases, in keeping with an inside memo issued by the surgeon common within the state of 4.5 million folks.
The memo from surgeon common, Dr Ralph Abraham, instantly ignited fears of decrease vaccination charges resulting in elevated illness, hospitalization and loss of life – in addition to a return of ailments reminiscent of measles and polio that had all been largely eradicated by vaccines.
Appointed to his place in June by Louisiana’s extremist Republican governor, Jeff Landry, Abraham wrote that the state would proceed to “encourage every affected person to debate the dangers and advantages of vaccination with their supplier”. However, characterizing it as a matter of non-public alternative, Abraham mentioned the state’s well being division would put off selling the follow of mass vaccination – whilst Louisiana has grappled with a surge in influenza, for which vaccines are supplied seasonally.
Sure, I do know. It’s a state authorities giving up selling the simplest public well being intervention towards infectious illness ever found. It’s a populous state giving up on public well being and as a substitute framing public well being as a matter of “private alternative.” Nor will or not it’s the one state to do that, I predict (an sadly straightforward prediction). I’m solely shocked that Florida didn’t do it first, provided that its well being division is run by COVID-19 contrarian Dr. Joseph Ladapo.
Invoice Cassidy, the Republican US senator, has mentioned his house state of Louisiana’s current determination to cancel the promotion of mass vaccination towards preventable ailments is a disservice to oldsters who wish to preserve their youngsters wholesome.
And:
Cassidy on Friday joined the refrain of detractors questioning the knowledge of the coverage unveiled by Abraham, who has been in his place since June. He issued an announcement saying the coverage’s elimination of important vaccine-related assets “isn’t a stand for folks’ rights”. Somewhat, “it prevents making well being care extra handy and obtainable for people who find themselves very busy”.
The senator mentioned the well being gala’s shelved by his state had been a boon for folks who “all of a sudden understand their baby must be immunized and so they can’t get in to see the physician”.
“It could be six weeks or longer for a routine go to,” Cassidy’s assertion mentioned. He added that was why, in his prior profession as a doctor, he had run “large-scale immunization packages to deliver well being care and immunizations to the affected person”.
“Issues like vaccine gala’s preserve a toddler from having to overlook faculty and a mom from having to overlook work,” Cassidy mentioned. “That’s the actuality of immediately’s drugs. To say that can’t happen and that somebody should anticipate the following obtainable appointment ignores that actuality.”
He continued: “Promoting the good thing about vaccines and the place to get them helps mother and father enhance the well being of their baby. It’s essential info they might not have identified or wanted to be reminded of.”
Sen. Cassidy is right about all of this, but it surely’s too little, too late. Not solely that, however his phrases belie his actions. Perhaps he’s talking out about antivaccine insurance policies in his state, however, actually, what is occurring in Louisiana is of a chunk with the realignment of the Republican Social gathering to embrace antivaccine tropes. Furthermore, Sen. Cassidy had simply exhibited willful blindness and helped to put in essentially the most well-known antivaxxer on the earth (with the attainable exception of Andrew Wakefield) as head of all non-military federal well being, public well being, and biomedical analysis packages. He might have stopped RFK Jr.’s nomination from being forwarded to the complete Senate, however selected to not. In spite of everything, he’s a member of the Senate Finance Committee. He even acquitted himself effectively through the affirmation listening to by grilling RFK Jr. about his antivax views, giving him many alternatives to recant his oft-stated perception that vaccines trigger autism. RFK Jr. refused, dodging and waving; but Sen. Cassidy nonetheless voted to ahead RFK Jr.’s nomination to the complete Senate. The vote was 14-13. Had Sen. Cassidy voted no, the nomination wouldn’t have superior. Then Cassidy voted once more to verify RFK Jr. with the complete Senate. As I mentioned above, Sen. McConnell was the one Republican to vote towards affirmation.
Worse, Sen. Cassidy voted for affirmation after giving this self-serving obsequious speech to the complete Senate in assist of the nomination, by which, from my perspective, he mainly admitted to having been duped by extra of RFK Jr.’s lies. I’m going to cite it at size, as a result of it truly is…one thing; that’s, one thing nauseating to any doctor who helps public well being, science-based healthcare, and, consequently, vaccines:
Now, Mr. Kennedy and the administration reached out searching for to reassure me concerning their dedication to defending the general public well being advantage of vaccination.
To this finish, Mr. Kennedy and the administration dedicated that he and I’ll have an unprecedently shut collaborative working relationship if he’s confirmed. We are going to meet or converse a number of instances a month. This collaboration will permit us to work effectively collectively and subsequently to be more practical.
Mr. Kennedy has requested for my enter into hiring selections at HHS, past Senate-confirmed positions. This facet of our collaboration will permit us to symbolize all sides of these of us that had been contacting me this weekend.
He has additionally dedicated that he would work throughout the present vaccine approval and security monitoring methods, and never set up parallel methods. If confirmed, he’ll keep the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices with out modifications. CDC won’t take away statements on their web site mentioning that vaccines don’t trigger autism. Mr. Kennedy and the administration additionally dedicated that this administration won’t use the subversive strategies employed beneath the Biden administration, like sue and settle, to vary insurance policies enacted by Congress with out first going by Congress.
Mr. Kennedy and the administration dedicated to a robust function of Congress. Other than us assembly repeatedly, he’ll come earlier than the Committee on a quarterly foundation, if requested. He dedicated that the HELP Committee Chair, whether or not it’s me or another person, might select a consultant on any board or fee shaped to overview vaccine security.
If he’s confirmed, HHS will present a 30-day discover to the HELP Committee if the company seeks to make modifications to any of our federal vaccine security monitoring packages, and HELP Committee could have the choice to name a listening to to additional overview.
These commitments, and my expectation that we will have a fantastic relationship to make America wholesome once more, is the premise of my assist. He can be Secretary, however I imagine he may even be a accomplice in working for this finish.
If Mr. Kennedy is confirmed, I’ll use my authority as Chairman of the Senate Committee with oversight of HHS to rebuff any makes an attempt to take away the general public’s entry to life-saving vaccines with out ironclad, causational scientific proof that may be defended earlier than the mainstream scientific neighborhood and earlier than Congress. I’ll rigorously look ahead to any effort to wrongfully sow public concern about vaccines between complicated references of coincidence and anecdote.
However my assist is constructed on assurances that this won’t must be a priority and that he and I can work collectively to construct an agenda to make America wholesome once more.
Cowardice, thy identify is Senator Cassidy, who betrayed his Hippocratic oath as a doctor. Critically, he appears to suppose that he can be Chair indefinitely. I additionally must ask: If he was too cowardly to buck Trump by denying RFK Jr. affirmation, does he actually anticipate us to imagine that he’ll be this bulldog, this unstoppable watchdog, who will make it possible for RFK Jr. doesn’t do what he’s been promising to his followers that he’d do if ever given energy over the CDC, particularly carrying his antivaccine campaign to the halls of energy and doing his damnedest to destroy the federal vaccination program? Does Sen. Cassidy critically imagine that RFK Jr. received’t change ACIP, as I predicted he would, stacking it with antivaxxers? Does he actually imagine that the CDC will depart intact statements that vaccines don’t trigger autism and never at the least add qualifying statements or equivocations to them. I suppose that RFK Jr. in all probability received’t develop parallel methods to watch vaccine security, however that can be as a result of he received’t must. He’ll have the ability to change and warp the present methods, bending them to his will to twist information in any manner essential to “show” that vaccines are “unsafe” and trigger autism. If RFK Jr.’s testimony was a tour-de-force research in disingenuousness, Sen. Cassidy’s efficiency was a tour-de-force efficiency in both gullibility or cowardice, possible each. I’m certain it didn’t harm that apparently Vice President J.D. Vance leaned on him as effectively.
I’m not Sen. Cassidy, and I do know that RFK Jr. can’t be trusted when he lies and lies and lies and lies about being “pro-vaccine,” regardless of how a lot the media sane washes him as being seemingly cheap and regardless of how a lot they attempt to name him a “vaccine skeptic” moderately than what he’s, an antivaccine activist. Due to my 20 years finding out RFK Jr.’s antivax propaganda, pseudoscience, and conspiracy theories, in contrast to Sen. Cassidy, I do know what RFK Jr. is absolutely saying, and I do know what the manager order establishing the MAHA Fee is actually saying, what it actually means, and what it’s hiding, I’ll conclude by noting that the manager order ends by tasking the MAHA fee to draft a report of its findings and proposals inside 180 days of the date of the order. As a result of I can translate RFK Jr.-speak, I subsequently know that, no matter horrors come between now and summer season, August can be an “fascinating” month, and by “fascinating” I imply really alarming, as a result of the MAHA fee report can be RFK Jr.’s roadmap for dismantling science-based public well being, medical, and biomedical analysis coverage. He’s already begun in a haphazard manner, however it will give him the looks of an evidence-based plan.