Login
Trump Administration May Pull Covid-19 Vaccine Recommendation for Children
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is weighing pulling the COVID-19 vaccine from the government’s list of recommended immunizations for children, two people familiar with the discussions told POLITICO.
The directive under consideration would remove the COVID-19 shot from the childhood vaccine schedule maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and widely used by physicians to guide vaccine distribution, marking Kennedy’s most significant move yet to shake up the nation’s vaccination practices.
Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist, has previously questioned the need for kids to get the shot, raising doubts about its safety and citing studies showing healthy children face an extremely low risk of death from COVID-19.
Eliminating the vaccine from the CDC schedule would not bar kids from receiving it. But the change would represent an extraordinary intervention by Kennedy to override the agency’s scientific decision-making and reverse a recommendation backed by the CDC and a slate of independent advisers just three years ago.
Florida Doctors Aren’t Treating Unvaccinated Kids, Surgeon General Says
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo is urging the passing of statewide legislation to minimize purported incidents of doctors rejecting patients due to being unvaccinated.
Newsweek reached out to the Florida Department of Health for comment.
In March, Lapado and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urged Florida lawmakers to pass legislation making it illegal for businesses and government entities to fire or refuse to hire employees based on their vaccination status, as well as to implement a permanent ban on mRNA vaccine mandates in Florida — which Ladapo compared to the “horrific things” doctors did to Jewish people in Nazi concentration camps.
Ladapo, in remarks made Monday during a Senate Committee on Rules meeting, lamented how parents across Florida have purportedly had trouble finding pediatricians due to certain doctors refusing to see children “if they deviate at all from the vaccine schedule issued by the Centers for Disease Control.”
Children’s Mattresses Release Toxic Chemicals: Study
New research suggests children’s mattresses are off-gassing toxic chemicals that can cause serious health issues. A recent study showed alarming levels of phthalates, flame retardants and UV filters in the air in the bedrooms of kids under the age of four. The highest volumes were detected around the beds. A study conducted at the same time examined the same chemicals in 16 common brands of children’s mattresses and also found concerning levels.
The chemicals are what’s known as semi-volatile chemicals, which means they can lift off objects and seep into the air. Scientists used a simulation and found that the warmth and weight of a sleeping child could increase the amount of off-gassing. Once they’ve left the mattress, the chemicals can be inhaled, attach to dust and be ingested or absorbed by the skin.
Phthalates and flame retardants have been linked to serious health issues, including cancer, reproductive harm, genital malformation, neurological damage, hormone disruption and early puberty. Some flame retardants have also been linked to lower IQs.
Cleveland Clinic Develops New Diagnostic Tool: How ‘Autism Eyes’ Works
The Cleveland Clinic has developed a new diagnostic tool known as Autism Eyes, which aims to help with early diagnosis. “Despite its prevalence, many families still have to wait months before they can get their child in to a specialist to be diagnosed,” according to the Cleveland Clinic, which notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says one in 36 children in the U.S. have autism.
Autism Eyes is hoping to speed up the diagnostic process. “On average, parents suspect something is wrong with their child’s development at about a year of age. However, the diagnosis is made about two to three years later on average,” said Mohammed Aldosari, M.D., pediatric neurologist at Cleveland Clinic Children’s. “So, there is a huge lag, and the lag is because of the long waiting list for autism diagnostic clinics.”
Dr. Aldosari was involved with the creation and testing of Autism Eyes.
“It works by measuring a child’s gaze and eye movement while they watch different videos and images,” according to the Cleveland Clinic. “Based on the child’s reactions, a diagnosis is made.”
Unlocking the Brain’s Gatekeeper: A New Hope for Autism Treatment
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center reported:
Il Hwan Kim, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, has witnessed firsthand the challenges and heartaches faced by parents raising children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the U.S. “It’s always so moving when I hear their stories,” said Dr. Kim, an associate professor of anatomy and neurobiology in the College of Medicine. “One friend, whose child has ASD, once confided that her greatest wish is to hear her child call her ‘mom’ out loud someday. It’s truly heart-wrenching.”
Driven by these personal connections, Dr. Kim’s latest study is a testament to his commitment to understanding ASD and finding ways to alleviate the burdens it places on families. Dr. Kim is leading a team of researchers whose discoveries have unveiled a crucial mechanism of the blood-brain barrier in ASD development. “The blood-brain barrier is often considered the brain’s gatekeeper,” Dr. Kim explained. “This barrier is like a highly selective security checkpoint, deciding what substances get access to our brain.”
At the heart of their research is a gene called SHANK3, known for its involvement in brain development and function. Mutations in SHANK3 have been linked to ASD, but until now, its role in the BBB was uncharted territory. The research team, which includes postdocs Yong-Eun Kim, Ph.D., and Sunwhi Kim, Ph.D., and Ph.D. candidate Yusuke Ujihara, embarked on a mission to explore whether SHANK3 could influence the integrity of the BBB and, in turn, contribute to ASD.
Teens, Social Media and Mental Health
Rising rates of poor mental health among youth have been called a national crisis. While this is often linked to factors like the COVID-19 pandemic or poverty, some officials, like former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, name social media as a major threat to teenagers.
Our latest survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 and their parents finds that parents are generally more worried than their children about the mental health of teenagers today.
And while both groups call out social media’s impact on young people’s well-being, parents are more likely to make this connection.
Still, teens are growing more wary of social media for their peers. Roughly half of teens (48%) say these sites have a mostly negative effect on people their age, up from 32% in 2022. But fewer (14%) think they negatively affect them personally.
Coca-Cola Under Fire After Bombshell Report Exposes Ties to Controversial Industry: ‘The Cost Is Irreversible Damage to Our Children’s Health’
Research reveals that several brands, including Coca-Cola, are linked to plastic production processes that rely on fracking. Fracking involves breaking apart shale rock below the earth’s surface to extract natural gas and oil, which is achieved by using a high-pressure mix of water, sand, and chemicals blasted at the rock.
A byproduct is ethane, which is used to fuel the plastic industry. The Stand.earth investigation uncovered that much of the ethane from Texas is shipped overseas for plastic production.
Stand.earth observed that some of the brands linked to Permian Basin fracking include Coca-Cola, Unilever, Nestlé and Procter & Gamble. P&G is the parent company of countless household brands, such as Gillette, Olay, and Always.
