Trump’s Surgeon General Pick Dodges Vaccine Questions at Senate

Casey Means, Donald Trump’s nominee for US surgeon general, testified before the Senate health committee on Wednesday and repeatedly declined to directly answer questions about vaccine guidance. Despite graduating from Stanford School of Medicine, Means does not have an active medical license, did not complete her surgical residency, and is not board-certified, instead building her career as a wellness influencer aligned with health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s vaccine skepticism.

When pressed by Republican Senator Bill Cassidy on whether she would encourage routine childhood vaccinations like the MMR vaccine, Means avoided a direct answer and instead emphasized parental “autonomy” in medical decisions. She similarly sidestepped questions about whether vaccines cause autism, a discredited theory promoted by Kennedy, and declined to affirm whether the flu vaccine prevents hospitalization, instead offering only that it prevents severe illness “at a population level.”

Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders expressed serious concerns about Means’s ability to counteract Kennedy’s disinformation about vaccine safety and efficacy at a time when measles outbreaks are spreading across the country, including the worst outbreak in South Carolina in over 30 years. Means also faces significant conflicts of interest stemming from undisclosed financial partnerships with wellness products, with Senator Chris Murphy noting apparent violations of Federal Trade Commission rules regarding compensation for product promotion.

Under Kennedy’s direction at the Department of Health and Human Services, the Trump administration has terminated grants, driven out career public health experts, and installed anti-vaccine loyalists to the immunization advisory committee despite Kennedy’s assurances during his own confirmation that he would not interfere with its composition. Means’s nomination represents a direct threat to evidence-based public health policy, with former Surgeon General Richard Carmona calling it a “disgrace” and stating the role requires “a real leader” equipped to combat disinformation.

Means abandoned her medical residency after becoming “disillusioned with traditional healthcare” and co-founded a glucose-monitoring company while co-authoring a book with her brother, a Kennedy adviser, arguing that metabolic health offers alternatives to conventional medicine. This is Trump’s second surgeon general nomination; his first nominee, Dr Janette Nesheiwat, was withdrawn after reports of misleading medical credentials emerged.

(Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/25/casey-means-surgeon-general-nominee)

FDA Blocks Moderna mRNA Flu Vaccine Despite Variant Surge

The FDA rejected Moderna’s application for a next-generation mRNA flu vaccine on Tuesday, declining to review the shot despite the technology’s proven effectiveness in COVID-19 vaccines. The agency did not cite safety or efficacy concerns but instead objected to Moderna’s clinical trial design, according to a letter from Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research director Vinay Prasad. The FDA demanded the company test its vaccine against a CDC-recommended flu shot to compare safety and efficacy, claiming Moderna’s trial design exposed older participants to substandard care.

Virologist Angie Rasmussen criticized the FDA’s process, stating the rejection lacked “a thoughtful, systematic, transparent review of the evidence that relies on diverse expertise” and represented an individual decision by Prasad rather than an informed institutional review. Rasmussen emphasized that mRNA vaccine technology’s flexibility allows rapid adaptation to emerging virus variants, a capability conventional flu vaccines cannot match. The agency’s decision comes as the 2024-2025 flu season has proven exceptionally severe, with at least 22 million infections and 12,000 deaths documented in the United States, driven significantly by the arrival of subclade K.

The FDA’s rejection aligns with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s broader campaign to overhaul America’s vaccine schedule. Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, has repeatedly attacked mRNA technology and overseen the Trump administration’s cuts to vaccine research funding. The decision reflects an ideological effort to undermine vaccine development infrastructure rather than evidence-based regulatory assessment.

Rasmussen noted that if mRNA vaccine platforms had been recognized and deployed in time, updated flu shots could have been formulated during the current season to address subclade K, potentially preventing significant illness and death. The FDA’s rejection eliminates this adaptive public health advantage and blocks advancement of a proven technology platform that could address future viral threats with unprecedented speed.

(Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fda-wont-consider-a-new-mrna-vaccine-for-flu-despite-the-technologys-life/?utm_campaign=sprinklr&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&fbclid=IwVERFWAP9v1NleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEexLElm4gFSSQ9lzhsA2ooHSD-usTICZDS63bImi6l1vLgx0EN7BvpzuKwYPI_aem_rMBeCDQiSn6U4-fwG8DxLw)

U.S. changes childhood vaccine schedule to require fewer immunizations

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced on January 5, 2026, that it is eliminating routine childhood vaccinations for numerous diseases previously covered under federal recommendations. Children will still receive vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Hib, pneumococcal disease, HPV, and chickenpox, but vaccinations for hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, RSV, bacterial meningitis, influenza, and COVID-19 are now classified as optional through “shared clinical decision-making.” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine opponent, stated the changes “protect children, respect families, and rebuild trust in public health.”

The policy reversal stems from a December 2025 presidential memorandum signed by President Trump directing the health department to align the pediatric vaccine schedule with practices from peer-developed countries, specifically citing Denmark’s more limited schedule of 10 diseases. However, public health experts including Dr. Kelly Gebo of George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health note that Denmark’s approach reflects its disease prevalence, universal healthcare system, and higher screening rates for conditions like hepatitis B—factors absent in the United States, where less than 85% of pregnant women receive hepatitis B screening.

Pediatricians and public health officials rejected the changes as dangerous and unnecessary. Dr. René Bravo, president of the California Medical Association, stated the decision “undermines decades of evidence-based public health policy and sends a deeply confusing message to families at a time when vaccine confidence is already under strain.” The American Academy of Pediatrics condemned the schedule as “dangerous and unnecessary” and announced it will continue publishing its own independent immunization recommendations.

The federal changes follow a pattern of health authority reversals under Trump appointees. A Kennedy-led CDC panel previously voted to drop the routine newborn hepatitis B vaccination, a decision that contradicts 35 years of disease elimination since the vaccine’s 1991 introduction. Dr. James Alwine, a virologist with Defend Public Health, characterized the rollback as releasing “viruses and bacteria that were under control” onto vulnerable populations, describing the policy as fundamentally incompatible with disease prevention efforts in the United States.

Insurance companies remain required to fully cover all vaccines on the revised schedule, including those now designated optional. Four states—California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii—announced in September they would adopt independent immunization schedules based on American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical group recommendations, effectively rejecting the federal revision.

(Source: https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2026-01-05/u-s-changes-childhood-vaccine-schedule-to-require-fewer-immunizations)

A surgeon faced 35 years in prison for ‘sabotage’ of US. Pam Bondi ordered charges dropped

Dr. Kirk Moore, a Utah plastic surgeon, faced up to 35 years in prison for distributing falsified COVID-19 vaccination cards and discarding government-supplied doses. After five days of trial in July, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered all charges dropped, ending his two-and-a-half-year prosecution and reversing the Biden administration’s approach to COVID-19 fraud cases.

Moore admitted to the charges, stating he signed up for the federal vaccine distribution program to provide patients with fake vaccination cards to circumvent employer and business mandates. He distributed cards through his plastic surgery clinic in exchange for $50 donations via Venmo, using oranges as a signal system for staff. Moore also administered saline injections to children instead of vaccines at parents’ request and treated COVID-19 patients with ivermectin, an FDA-unapproved treatment.

Bondi’s decision came after pressure from Republican lawmakers including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Utah Sen. Mike Lee, who urged her to dismiss the case. Bondi framed Moore’s actions as providing patient choice when government refused, while federal prosecutors had characterized his conduct as deliberate sabotage of the vaccine program. At least 11 other healthcare workers faced similar charges under the Biden administration; Moore was one of only two to go to trial.

The dismissal emboldened the “medical freedom” movement and those convicted of vaccine card fraud, who formed the group Covicted Patriot to seek pardons and case review. Moore rebranded his practice as Freedom Surgical & Aesthetics and continues advocating to remove COVID vaccines from the market. His medical license remains in good standing despite falsifying federal records.

Public health experts warn the decision undermines disease surveillance and vaccine confidence. Brian Dean Abramson, an immunization law expert, stated that falsified records destroy trust in medical systems and increase infectious disease outbreak risk. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary, has replaced vaccine advisory panel members and restricted CDC vaccine access, signaling broader federal rejection of established public health guidance.

(Source: https://www.rawstory.com/a-surgeon-faced-35-years-in-prison-for-sabotage-of-us-pam-bondi-ordered-charges-dropped/)

Ralph Abraham Named CDC Deputy Director Amid Health Controversy

Louisiana Surgeon General Ralph Abraham has been appointed as the principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), despite widespread concerns about his qualifications and public health stance. His history of opposing vaccinations, precisely during a critical period of rising influenza cases, raises alarms about his new role.

Abraham has publicly discouraged vaccinations for COVID-19 and promoted unproven treatments such as hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, which are typically used for livestock. Health experts, including former New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley, have criticized the appointment, labeling it “dangerous” and branding Abraham as unqualified to lead a vital public health agency.

The CDC is already facing scrutiny over evolving vaccine guidance influenced by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Just prior to Abraham’s appointment, public health experts condemned new language on the CDC’s website that undermines decades of research affirming vaccine safety, increasing concern that the agency’s credibility may further deteriorate.

Abraham’s tenure as Louisiana’s health chief included controversial directives instructing the health department to cease promoting mass vaccinations amid rising measles cases, reflecting a consistent anti-vaccine ideology. His previous dismissive remarks about mass vaccination echo a troubling trend within the CDC, as discussed by critics who highlight grave implications for public health.

Overall, Abraham’s ascension to a significant leadership position within the CDC raises serious questions among health professionals about the future direction of vaccination policies and the agency’s commitment to science-based public health practices.

CDC Alters Vaccine-Related Autism Claims, Echoing RFK Jr.’s Views

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reversed its longstanding assertion that vaccines do not cause autism, aligning its current messaging with the controversial beliefs of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. This dramatic change was marked by a significant update to the CDC’s website, which now implies that existing studies have not definitively ruled out a link between infant vaccines and autism, contradicting decades of established scientific consensus.

The previous CDC communication clearly stated that no evidence supported a link between vaccines and autism, citing reputable studies, including a comprehensive review from the National Academy of Medicine. The revised content has drawn criticism, notably from autism advocacy groups, who have expressed deep concern that the agency is succumbing to political pressure rather than adhering to scientific facts. Leaders from the Autism Science Foundation lament the shift, emphasizing that either the data has been deliberately ignored or manipulated to fit an administration agenda.

This concerning trend reflects broader issues within the CDC, as several officials have recently resigned amid claims of politicization of health science. Former personnel have underscored how the agency is straying from its commitment to presenting unbiased, evidence-based information. Dr. Debra Houry, a former chief medical officer at the CDC, noted that without experienced scientists involved in discussions, the agency risks propagating ideological narratives instead of factual science.

Kennedy’s controversial stance on vaccine safety has emboldened anti-vaccine activists, who now celebrate the CDC’s updated messaging as a confirmation of their long-debunked beliefs. This situation not only undermines public health but also instills fear and confusion among parents regarding vaccine safety. The failure to uphold scientific integrity in public communications is alarming, especially when considering the detrimental impact on vaccination rates and the potential resurgence of preventable diseases.

The CDC’s current public health messaging marks a troubling pivot that contradicts the overwhelming scientific consensus regarding vaccines and autism. As the agency continues to evolve its stance under Kennedy, American children may face increased risk from misinformation disguised as scientific inquiry. The actual health implications of this shift could resonate for generations, emphasizing the urgent need for accountability and a return to evidence-based public health policy.

Trump’s Erratic Truth Social Rant Against Tylenol Raises Health Fears

President Donald Trump launched an alarming tirade against Tylenol, posting on Truth Social that pregnant women should avoid the medication “UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY” and cautioned against giving it to young children “FOR VIRTUALLY ANY REASON.” His chaotic social media rant, filled with all-caps and typographical errors, seemed intended to provoke fear rather than offer scientifically grounded health advice.

The eruption comes following Trump’s recent press conference with Health and Human Services official Robert Kennedy Jr., where he falsely claimed a potential link between acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, and autism risks during pregnancy. Despite the scare tactics employed, many medical professionals, including Trump’s own appointee Dr. Mehmet Oz, have outright rejected the unfounded claims, emphasizing that while caution is essential, Tylenol should not be dismissed entirely without proper medical guidance.

Trump’s insistence on stringent suggestions around vaccine administration, including breaking them up into separate shots delivered over multiple visits, further amplifies public health concerns. His rhetoric marks a disturbing trend of misinformation in which he equates established medical practices with danger, potentially endangering the health of both mothers and children.

The unsubstantiated claims put forth by Trump align with a broader pattern of his anti-science stance, which disregards expert consensus around vaccination and medication safety. Such irresponsible statements raise fears about the potential for confusion among the public, especially concerning effective medical treatment during pregnancy.

As Trump continues to disregard medical advice and undermine public health agencies, advocates for scientific integrity remain alarmed by the implications of his anti-health vehicle. Full responsibility for medical decisions lies between patients and qualified healthcare professionals, not through misinformed proclamations from political figures whose credibility is mired in controversy.

Trump Administration Falsely Links Tylenol Use to Autism Risks Without Evidence

The Trump administration controversially stated that using Tylenol (acetaminophen) during pregnancy might be linked to an elevated risk of autism. During a press conference at the White House, President Donald Trump announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will inform healthcare providers of a recommendation for women to limit Tylenol usage in pregnancy unless absolutely necessary. This move has been met with skepticism from the medical community.

Medical experts emphasize that current studies have not conclusively demonstrated a direct causal link between Tylenol use and autism. Prominent health organizations maintain that acetaminophen remains the safest pain relief option for pregnant women. Dr. Steven Fleischman, the president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), criticized the administration’s statements as alarming and devoid of robust scientific backing.

Fleischman reiterated that simplistic claims surrounding the risks of acetaminophen use do more harm than good, particularly for expectant mothers who may legally require this medication for health issues like high fever. He strongly urged against disseminating unsubstantiated information that could jeopardize the health and wellbeing of millions of women and their children.

The announcement comes at a time when scientific assessments regarding autism are ongoing, with many prior studies indicating potential risks. Still, rigorous analyses that account for various factors have often found no convincing evidence to support claims implicating prenatal acetaminophen in increasing autism rates. Experts caution that oversimplifying the causes of neurological disorders in children could lead to considerable misunderstandings among patients.

This revelation not only reflects the erratic public health messaging from the Trump administration but also raises broader concerns about how political influences might compromise scientific integrity in the realm of public health. As this story develops, it is imperative to rely on credible scientific research rather than politically charged assertions.

Trump Officials Plan to Link Child Deaths to COVID Vaccines

Trump administration officials are preparing to present alarming claims about COVID-19 vaccines at an upcoming meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They plan to link 25 reported child deaths to the vaccines, based on data from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). However, the CDC has made it clear that merely reporting an adverse event does not confirm causation, emphasizing that further investigation into such reports is essential.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic and a key figure in Trump’s health initiatives, is expected to play a significant role in these claims. He has appointed several individuals to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) who are known for their criticism of COVID-19 vaccination policies. This strategic move raises concerns about bias within the committee and its potential impact on public health guidance.

This announcement comes as the FDA recently approved new COVID-19 vaccines, creating further controversy around Kennedy’s leadership and policies. His alignment with anti-vaccine rhetoric places public health initiatives at risk, especially amidst the ongoing pandemic recovery efforts.

The politicization of vaccine safety data under the Trump administration reflects a disturbing trend of undermining scientific integrity for political gain. Such actions not only threaten public trust in health institutions but also endanger the lives of children who are part of the vaccination program designed to protect them from severe illness.

As the CDC prepares to meet, the implications of these claims could have widespread ramifications for vaccination campaigns across the country, compounding the challenges faced in combating vaccine hesitancy and safeguarding public health.

(h/t: https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/trump-covid19-vaccine-deaths-b2825762.html)

CDC Director Monarez Ousted After Refusing RFK Jr.’s Quack Conspiracies

Dr. Susan Monarez has been abruptly removed from her role as director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a decision made by the Biden administration amid significant instability within the agency. This leadership shakeup follows a violent incident on the CDC’s Atlanta campus and coincides with a mass resignation of several high-ranking officials, leaving the CDC without clear guidance at a critical moment for public health.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has not appointed an interim director following Monarez’s departure, which came only weeks after her swearing-in on July 31. Reports indicate that internal pressure from HHS and conflicts over vaccine policy led to her ousting. Monarez’s refusal to dismiss veteran individuals from the CDC whom HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. targeted further fueled the tension that resulted in her termination.

Monarez’s handling of vaccine policies reportedly clashed with the sentiments of Kennedy, who has faced accusations of politicizing public health. The dismissal is seen by her attorneys and supporters as a dangerous move toward the suppression of scientific guidance within the CDC and a step backwards in public health efforts at a time when vaccines are more critical than ever.

Following her removal, three additional senior officials also resigned, highlighting a collapse of morale within the CDC and concerns about the politicization of health information. These officials expressed that the integrity of the CDC and the safety of public health are at risk due to current leadership decisions that embrace disinformation over science.

The broader implications of this upheaval point toward a systematic degradation of public health institutions under the influence of a more politically charged agenda, threatening the nation’s health security. Experts warn that this event could undermine trust in crucial health guidance, potentially exacerbating threats like pandemics and public health crises in the future.

(h/t: https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/27/health/cdc-director-monarez)

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