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Will states end vaccine mandates?
Some might try — but ending school vaccine requirements is complicated and extremely unpopular. In September, Florida sent shockwaves through the nation when leaders announced they were working to end all vaccine requirements for school attendance. The video recently recirculated again, on the same day I published a story about the U.S. vaccine advisers reconsidering…
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Tumultuous FDA upends regulations on vaccines and medications
As most experienced, knowledgeable leaders leave or are pushed out of the FDA, Trump appointees are quietly changing the way vaccines and medications are regulated. I’ve been following vaccine regulations and recommendations closely, and I’m concerned about the future of vaccines — and certain politicized medications — in the United States. Today, I wanted to…
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Covid cases are on the rise — but vaccines are being restricted
Getting a booster is a great way to protect yourself. We’re at the start of a new Covid wave. Several key measurements — including wastewater data, test positivity and emergency room visits — indicate a new rise in infections. Cases are increasing or probably increasing in 45 states, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It’s getting harder to…
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FDA may pull the only Covid vaccine available for all kids
The FDA may not renew Pfizer’s pediatric Covid vaccine — the only one available to kids without health conditions On Saturday, I published a scoop: The FDA reportedly told Pfizer it may not renew the emergency use authorization for its Covid vaccine for children aged 6 months to four years. That’s the only Covid vaccine…
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Measles-stricken children in Texas had “intense” symptoms, anti-vaxxers say
“It was, like, quite intense, those little babies with those sort of almost whooping coughs.” One of the most prominent anti-vaccine activists in the U.S., Brian Hooker, says he caught measles in West Texas and traveled back home. That means either: I wrote about this for the Guardian today, and I hope you’re able to click and…
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How RFK Jr. made millions from vaccine lawsuits
His actions as health secretary could lead to widespread vaccine shortages, illness, death — and personal enrichment. My editor at the New Republic recently asked me what I thought of the latest news on vaccines. He was referring to the decision by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of health and human services, to fire 17…
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RFK Jr. recommends new vaccines after months of delay
With no official or acting CDC director, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is in charge of the CDC — and recommending vaccines is the one job he can’t delegate. Who is in charge at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? I reported on this last week for the Guardian — and the answer was…
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How the Trump admin is undermining vaccines
They’re calling all science into question and undermining public trust in the whole endeavor. Messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccines heralded a major breakthrough in battling the Covid pandemic, building on three decades of scientific work and earning a Nobel prize. They show promise for treating or preventing certain cancers, rare conditions and infectious diseases — including, potentially,…
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RFK Jr’s autism database is still happening
It’s not a “registry,” it’s a “real-world data platform” to “link existing datasets,” HHS told me. The news that the U.S. government was creating an “autism registry” sparked a major outcry in recent weeks. One petition against it gained 30,000 signatures in one day, eventually reaching nearly 50,000 names. The backlash seemed to work. “We…
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What is bird flu, and why worry about it?
The H5N1 outbreak in the United States is heating up. Here’s what you need to know. I’ve been writing about bird flu for some time now, but I realized I’ve never really talked about what it is, how people are getting sick, and why it’s a threat. The past few months brought a few worrying…
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What gives me hope
As the Trump administration attacks science and expertise, and a measles outbreak is already testing its laidback approach to health, ordinary people are fighting back. There’s a good/infuriating article about anti-vaccine sentiment in West Texas during the growing measles outbreak there. It’s really illuminating and I recommend reading it, if you’re able. This line has…
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Texas pharmacies are running low on measles vaccine
The surge in demand comes as a second measles death is reported in New Mexico — and as the top U.S. health official promotes misinformation on measles. There are now 198 known cases, 23 hospitalizations and one death from measles in Texas, and 30 known cases and one death in New Mexico. But if you call a…
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Should I be worried about measles?
Here’s the lowdown on measles in the U.S., and whether you should get a measles booster. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has only been health secretary for a few weeks, but already he’s facing a test that reveals his approach to infectious diseases. A measles outbreak is spiraling in the American Southwest, with a total of…
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What RFK Jr. and other nominees will mean for our health
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a decades-long vaccine conspiracist and AIDS denialist, was confirmed as head of Health and Human Services yesterday. Other nominees are still waiting for their hearings. First, we’re going to talk about RFK Jr. and what all this means. But then I want to talk about the nominations for other health agencies…
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It’s time to become a public health superfan
If you’re looking for ways to take action, try getting involved with local and state public health. I wrote for The New Republic today about what Donald Trump’s victory means for public health. There’s a lot to unpack about what will likely happen, but I wanted to highlight what we can do about it. In…
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RFK Jr doesn’t need a Trump admin job to control public health
The two most influential anti-vaxxers in the U.S.—Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Donald Trump—are teaming up, which could give Kennedy control over health agencies. At his Madison Square Garden rally last week, Donald Trump talked about his new (or, at least, newly public) partnership with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., one of the most powerful anti-vaxxers…
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Respiratory virus season is here
But vaccination rates for Covid, flu, and RSV remain low, worrying healthcare providers. Welcome to Not a Doctor. I’m Melody Schreiber, a journalist and the editor of What We Didn’t Expect: Personal Stories About Premature Birth. I’m not a doctor, or a scientist, or really an expert of any kind. I just like to ask questions and try to find…
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