In Interview For Top Doc Post, Means Sidesteps Vaccine Recommendations
Although surgeon general nominee Casey Means acknowledged vaccines are a key public health tool, she would not specifically say she endorses them. Separately, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has parted ways with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
President Donald Trump's surgeon general nominee, Dr. Casey Means, indicated she supports vaccines but stopped short of recommending certain shots during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee on Wednesday. Means, who has a medical degree but does not hold an active medical license, appeared hesitant to say that some vaccines, such as the flu vaccine, prevent serious disease. (Kekatos, 2/25)
More vaccine news 鈥
Recent changes to CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) prompted the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) to withdraw as a liaison organization. (Robertson, 2/25)
Covid vaccines are once again on the agenda for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention鈥檚 vaccine advisory panel. The CDC鈥檚 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is scheduled to meet next month and plans to discuss Covid vaccine injuries, as well as potentially vote on recommendations, according to a Federal Register notice for the meeting posted Wednesday. (Lovelace Jr., 2/25)
Trump administration officials are downplaying their push to overhaul vaccine policy and instead touting their work on food and drug pricing, as some Republicans warn that vaccines could prove to be a liability in the midterm elections. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who started making stops in cities around the country last month, has not highlighted during the tour how his department has enacted the most sweeping and controversial reduction to the childhood vaccine schedule in decades. And Kennedy did not list his vaccine actions in a supercut video posted to social media ahead of President Donald Trump鈥檚 State of the Union speech thanking the president for letting him 鈥済o wild.鈥 (Roubein and Weber, 2/26)
Even as legislation pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to expand Florida鈥檚 religious exemption for vaccines moves through the Capitol, pediatricians are preemptively moving to relax their own vaccine requirements to keep young patients healthy from a variety of illnesses. (Sarkissian, 2/26)
