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RFK Jr. gives vaccine skeptics plum HHS posts

July 15, 2025
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Washington Correspondent, D.C. Diagnosis Writer

Mr. Medicare Dr. Oz suggests 10 minutes of yoga straight out of bed, preferably with some warrior poses – hooah. I prefer to pound coffee and run late for the train to get my blood flowing. Send news tips and suggestions for attacking the day to John.Wilkerson@statnews.com or John_Wilkerson.07 on Signal.

vaccine policy

Vaccine skeptics fill the ranks at HHS

Chelsea Cirruzzo takes stock of the influential positions that vaccine skeptics have filled at HHS

During confirmation hearings, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. distanced himself from the anti-vaccine group he founded, Children's Health Defense. Once he got the job, Kennedy hired former prominent members of that group and other vaccine skeptics.

Some are placed in positions that normally would be filled by career staff, such as senior data analyst, which is all the more concerning as it raises the specter of a deepened politicization at the health department, public health experts told Chelsea. Read more to find out who's being hired for which positions.


vaccine safety

Aluminum is safe in vaccines

If you were wary of adding aluminum salts to childhood vaccines, a newly released Danish study should put your mind at ease, Helen Branswell reports.

The addition of aluminum makes vaccines work better, but some anti-vaccine advocates say the ingredient is dangerous. 

So researchers studied it. They mined the vaccination and medical records of 1.2 million kids covering a 24-year period. They found that exposure to aluminum in vaccines did not statistically increase children's risk of developing several conditions of concern, including asthma and autism. Read here to learn more of the study's findings and see the reactions of other researchers to the study.



immigrant health care 

More bad news for the undocumented

Undocumented immigrants are mostly ineligible for federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, and the Trump administration is taking away more publicly funded benefits that were available to them, Isabella Cueto reports

For decades, the government has considered certain resources, including community health centers, to be a community benefit, unlike individual benefits, such as food stamps and Medicaid.

Read more about what's changing


congress

The prospects of bipartisanship on health care

Republicans achieved Trump's tax cuts, and cut $1 trillion in Medicaid funding to help pay for them, by going it alone. 

With that bit of partisanship out of the way and the government in need of funding, the two parties could work on some bipartisan health care policies, from pharmacy-benefit manager reform to Medicare doctor payment increases.

But partisan tensions are running high, and Republicans' handling of the administration's rescissions package this week could further poison the relationship between the parties. 

Read more on the dynamics shaping the legislative agenda for the second half of the year.


ihs

Trump order leads to loss of Indian health services

A presidential order to promote efficiency has led to the loss of services and staff at Indian Health Service facilities, Angus Chen reports

Angus highlights a facility that can no longer provide ultrasounds after regular business hours. Ultrasounds are used to diagnose certain conditions, many of which can be dangerous and urgent, such as ectopic pregnancies. 

Read here for more details on services that are in jeopardy and for how Kennedy's adviser thinks IHS could be improved.


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  • Court-ordered treatment for serious mental illness is 'inconclusive,' says federal report, STAT
  • U.S. drops charges against doctor accused of throwing away Covid shots, selling fake vaccine cards, AP
  • More elderly Americans are choking to death. Are these devices the answer? AP

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