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[Republican Sen. Bill] Cassidy pressed [Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.] for a “yes” or “no” answer on whether he would disavow his previous false statements that vaccines cause autism. Kennedy demurred, responding, “If the data is there, I will absolutely do that.” Later Cassidy returned to the topic, citing an analysis of five studies of more than 1 million children that showed no link between vaccines and autism. The senator pleaded with Kennedy to “convince” him that he will be a “public health advocate” rather than a peddler of vaccine misinformation. But Kennedy only promised to meet with the senator to discuss it, adding there are studies that show “the opposite.” (2/3)

Proposals elevating unqualified individuals like [Robert F. Kennedy Jr.] erode public confidence in medicine. When people mistake political messaging for scholarly debate, they miss opportunities to protect themselves and their children from preventable harm. As a neonatal critical care physician, I fear for the babies whose parents refuse the standard of care while believing they are acting in their child’s best interest. (Brooke Redmond, 2/2)

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or H5N1, can be fatal to birds. Waterfowl and aquatic birds are most at risk, along with raptors that eat bird carcasses. Avian flu has also spread to dairy cows, with around 950 infected herds reported nationwide, although none so far in Massachusetts. Most worryingly, there have been 67 reported human cases and one death, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost all of them among people exposed to infected birds or cattle. The biggest fear about avian flu is that it will mutate to a form that’s more dangerous to people. (2/2)

The National Institutes of Health is at a crossroads with the RECOVER Initiative, its flagship program to address long Covid. Designed to provide answers and treatments for the millions suffering from long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the initiative has already received significant criticism for failing to prioritize the needs of patients and advance meaningful clinical trials. Now, as Congress, the scientific community, and advocates call for the inclusion of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) within the RECOVER framework, NIH has an historic opportunity to transform post-viral illness research. (W. Ian Lipkin and Elizabeth Ansell, 2/4)

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has had a taxpayer-funded drug development program for nearly 70 years, initiated at a time when there was no private investment in oncology drugs.  I worked closely with NCI’s Investigational Drug Branch (IDB) from 1990-2016, including as a principal investigator of one of only six contracts with NCI to conduct Phase 1 clinical trials from 1990-1995, and serving as co-chair of NCI’s Investigational Drug Steering Committee from 2005-2008. Today, global oncology sales exceed $200 billion and are growing faster than any other therapeutic area. At this stage, U.S. taxpayers should stop funding clinical trials of industry-owned drugs. (Mark J. Ratain, 2/4)