Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Different Takes: People With Autism Are Not Damaged; Vaccine Panel Puts Ideology Over Evidence
In a widely anticipated news conference on Monday, President Trump declared that there was 鈥渘othing more important鈥 in his presidency than reducing the prevalence of autism. He claimed that his administration would virtually eliminate the condition, which he called a 鈥渉orrible crisis鈥 and which a top federal health official suggested might be 鈥渆ntirely preventable.鈥 (Roy Richard Grinker, 9/24)
During last week鈥檚 ACIP meeting, the committee spent one of the two days discussing Covid-19 vaccines. Unvetted and unfounded data were presented, and the biases of ACIP committee members were apparent in their questions and comments. (Charlotte A. Moser, 9/24)
In April 2023, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his presidential bid in Boston, promising to 鈥淢ake America Healthy Again.鈥 Since becoming President Donald Trump鈥檚 secretary of health and human services, Kennedy has made a mockery of this promise, undermining decades of public health consensus. (Mackenzie France, 9/23)
The White House pointed to a recent systematic review of 46 studies, in which authors urged caution in using the medication, recommending only 鈥渏udicious acetaminophen use鈥 following 鈥渕edical consultation.鈥 At the same time, many experts are stating the opposite. For example, a statement from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists emphasized that pregnant patients 鈥渟hould not be frightened away from the many benefits of acetaminophen.鈥 (Alyssa Bilinski and Katherine McDaniel, 9/23)
When I was commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration during President Donald Trump鈥檚 first term, I sat down with the head of China鈥檚 drug regulatory authority in my Maryland office. For years, the FDA had regarded clinical trials conducted in China with suspicion; the studies were often sloppy and, at times, even fraudulent. But regulators at China鈥檚 National Medical Products Administration insisted that they had reformed their system, and that we should give them a second chance. We decided to probe these claims for ourselves. (Scott Gottlieb, 9/22)