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RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Moves Put New Focus on Patchwork of State School Standards
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) childhood vaccine schedule are making school vaccination requirements an open question for the future. While state health departments typically take their cues from the CDC, with schools following suit, the politicization of vaccines under Kennedy means states may increasingly forge their own paths.
But health experts say states such as Florida are already moving in the wrong direction, and this week’s changes to the vaccine schedule, reducing the number of shots recommended for children from 17 to 11, could encourage other states to take a step back from their mandatory inoculations.
“There could be an impact, probably starting the new school year, on what’s required. At the same time, we know that many states, about half, have already moved to decouple their recommendations broadly from the federal government,” said Jen Kates, a senior vice president at KFF, a health policy organization.
Judge Orders HHS to Restore Funding for Children’s Health Programs as Lawsuit Continues
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore nearly $12 million in funding to the American Academy of Pediatrics, including money for rural health care and the early identification of disabilities in young children. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell in Washington, D.C., awarded the preliminary injunction late Sunday, siding with AAP in saying evidence showed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services likely had a “retaliatory motive” when it terminated grants to the pediatric group in December.
“This is not a case about whether AAP or HHS is right or even has the better position on vaccinations and gender-affirming care for children, or any other public health policy,” Howell wrote in her decision. “This is a case about whether the federal government has exercised power in a manner designed to chill public health policy debate by retaliating against a leading and generally trusted pediatrician member professional organization focused on improving the health of children.”
The seven grants terminated in December supported numerous public health programs, including efforts to prevent sudden unexpected infant death, strengthen pediatric care in rural communities and support teens facing substance use and mental health challenges.
New CDC Vaccine Recommendations at Odds With Pennsylvania, New Jersey School Requirements
Schools in New Jersey and Pennsylvania will still require certain shots for attendance that are no longer universally recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The latest changes to the national childhood immunization schedule include scaling back recommendations for several shots that have prevented millions of illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths.
Vaccines for diseases like hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza and meningococcal disease are no longer broadly recommended for all kids at certain ages, according to a Jan. 5 announcement by the CDC. However, state officials in New Jersey and Pennsylvania say those immunization requirements remain in effect, despite recent federal actions.
“No matter what comes out of D.C., the Shapiro Administration will continue to lead with clear, science-based guidance that doctors and parents can count on to make informed health care decisions,” said Neil Ruhland, press secretary at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, in an email.
NC Health Officials Urge Vaccinations After CDC Reduces the Number of Recommended Shots
North Carolina Health News reported:
Raleigh photographer Abigail Chopel gave birth to her daughter in January 2020, just at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a scary time, she recalled. She couldn’t get her daughter vaccinated until she was 2 years old. Chopel also worried about the health of her grandmother, who was living with them at the time. “I felt I was at the mercy of my community doing the right thing,” said Chopel, 36, who also has a son who’s now 9 years old.
Now she’s worried that recent changes to federal recommendations for childhood vaccines will lead to more people skipping inoculations against vaccine-preventable illnesses. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Monday, Jan. 5, that it is reducing the number of diseases covered by recommended childhood vaccines from 17 to 11. Historically, states have used the federal schedule for guidance in crafting their own vaccine recommendations.
North Carolina’s vaccination schedule for children requires two vaccines — against hepatitis B and meningococcal disease — that are no longer recommended by the CDC. North Carolina also recommends hepatitis A vaccination before kindergarten and annual flu shots. The federal government now only recommends those vaccinations for certain children at high risk or based on families having a conversation about risk with a doctor.
Will You Notice Any Change at the Grocery Store Because of RFK Jr.’s New Food Guidelines? You Already Have
The food pyramid is getting turned upside down, with protein and dairy gaining more prominence in the suggested American diet. Sugar and processed foods are getting shunned even more with warning labels. It has whiffs of MAHA, as the new dietary guidelines for Americans promote controversial saturated fats.
But if you think big changes are coming to the grocery store, think again: They’ve already happened, as consumers have been making the shift to healthier foods for years. “I think it reinforces a lot of what the consumer knows about protein being good for you, the need for avoiding excessive calories in certain categories, try to avoid excessive sugar,” said Michael Swanson, chief agricultural economist at the Wells-Fargo Agri-Food Institute. “I think that this is a continuation of a message that they’ve heard for many, many years.”
New dietary guidelines are released by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture every five years.
FDA Needs Sharper Focus on Foodborne-Illness Prevention, Accountability Office Says
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released yesterday finds that while the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made strides in carrying out the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), gaps remain in implementing the rules and in establishing the systems needed to measure whether the FDA’s efforts are working.
Tens of millions of Americans get foodborne illnesses each year, and thousands die from them. The FDA oversees nearly 80% of the US food supply, including fruits and vegetables, and Congress enacted FSMA to help shift the FDA’s focus from foodborne-illness response to prevention.
Since 2015, the FDA has issued nine rules for preventing foodborne illnesses at key points in the food chain. These regulations set standards for growers, harvesters, and packers to help prevent contamination. In addition, the FDA has completed 41 of 46 FSMA tasks, such as issuing compliance guidelines and conducting required studies.
