You watch a hearing like that and you see that there are so many layers to this, right. She's defending her personal credentials. There's the political pieces of this of, okay, Kennedy might have to come back and testify.A lot of us were watching Bill Cassidy who holds this really fascinating place as a Republican who will have to defend his seat in 2026, but he's also a physician. He's clearly concerned about what he's seen from Kennedy. And then, of course, there's the public health impact of it.Can you t ...

Vaccine Policy & Public Health Concerns - Preventable diseases like polio, measles, diphtheria, and whooping cough may return due to changes in vaccine policy [1] - Concerns raised about potential harm to children from unnecessary vaccinations [1] - A former CDC director was allegedly dismissed for refusing to preapprove vaccine advisory panel decisions without scientific data [2] - Allegations of scientific integrity being compromised in vaccine policy decisions [3] Controversy & Disagreement - Disagreement over the reasons for the former CDC director's dismissal, with conflicting accounts from different parties [3][4] - Allegations that the former CDC director lied about her firing [3] - Claims that the CDC was disparaged and accused of corruption and harming children [4][5] COVID-19 Vaccine & Hospitalization - Questions raised about the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine in reducing hospitalization for children under 18 [5] Vaccine Advisory Panel & Schedule Changes - Concerns about potential changes to the childhood vaccine schedule [6] - Discussion of the measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, and hepatitis B vaccines on the agenda [7]

Policy & Leadership - The report highlights Trump's support for RFK Jr, the health and human services secretary [1] - The report mentions potential dismantling of public health institutions [1] - The report suggests an overhaul of U S vaccine policy [1]

As Florida and other states demonstrated this week, vaccine policy in the US is rapidly dividing into two opposing camps. @lisamjarvis explains why that puts everyone at risk (via @opinion) https://t.co/5qu9V8nC1E ...

Vaccine Policy & Public Health Concerns - The report highlights concerns that US vaccine policy is being reshaped by individuals with a history of spreading misinformation about vaccine safety, raising alarm within the medical community [1] - The FDA's top vaccine official limited the use of two COVID vaccines against the recommendations of agency medical experts [2] - The CDC's vaccine advisory committee, newly appointed, considered a presentation promoting the debunked claim linking a mercury-based preservative to autism [2] - There are worries about the erosion of the CDC, with some personnel leaving due to data misrepresentation or suppression [8] - The US withdrew from the global alliance vaccine initiative, a program that has vaccinated approximately 1 billion children and saved an estimated 20 million lives worldwide [11] Advisory Committee & Decision-Making - The previous 17 members of the ACIP advisory committee were replaced with individuals described as science denialists, antivaccine activists, and conspiracy theorists [5] - The current ACIP is characterized as an antivaccine committee, leading to concerns about bad recommendations [7] - Medical and scientific communities are largely ignoring the ACIP due to its recent anti-science decision regarding an influenza vaccine containing thiosol [9] - There are concerns that future vaccine advisory committees will lose credibility due to partisan influences [15] Potential Solutions & Future Outlook - Parallel advisory committees, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Foundation of Infectious Disease, are working with insurance companies to ensure coverage for recommended vaccines, even if the ACIP does not endorse them [7] - There is hope that a future HHS secretary or administration could reinstate previous policies and re-establish a science-based advisory committee [12][13]