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RFK Jr’s ‘clean sweep’ of CDC vaccine panel experts will erode public trust ... "Dr Tom Frieden, president and CEO of the public health non-profit Resolve to Save Lives and a former CDC director, said in a statement on X that Kennedy’s decision to remove the “seventeen dedicated doctors, pediatricians, scientists, and parents who served on [ACIP]” is “a dangerous and unprecedented action that makes our families less safe”. [emphasis added] “ACIP has long been a model for the world of transparent, fact-based guidance with rigorous reviews of vaccine safety and effectiveness,” Frieden said. “Make no mistake: politicizing the ACIP as Secretary Kennedy is doing will undermine public trust under the guise of improving it.” [emphasis added] Frieden’s comments were echoed by scientists, doctors and public health leaders, many of whom questioned Kennedy’s own conflicts of interest. Before becoming secretary, Kennedy led arguably the world’s most influential anti-vaccine advocacy group and was paid by personal injury law firms for referring alleged victims of vaccine injuries." (more) https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/10/rfk-jr-cdc-vaccine-panel

Statement by the American Public Health Association: Trump administration attempts coup of the Advisory Committees on Immunization Practices "The Trump administration's action to "retire" all members of ACIP and install a new slate, instead of allowing people to finish their term, is a coup. Today’s ACIP members are some of the most qualified individuals to evaluate vaccines. They possess deep understanding of science and were vetted for conflicts of interest prior to appointment. Removing all ACIP members at once is not how democracies work and it’s not good for the health of the nation. RFK says he wants to restore trust and transparency. This action immediately raises concern over the ability of any slate of committee members appointed by the Trump administration to be viewed as impartial to RFK's views on any decision, and therefore their actions will be suspect and likely mistrusted." [emphasis added] https://www.apha.org/news-and-media/news-releases/apha-news-releases/trump-coup-of-acip

Statement by the American Medical Association: AMA statement on Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices “For generations, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has been a trusted national source of science-and data-driven advice and guidance on the use of vaccines to prevent and control disease. Physicians, parents, community leaders and public health officials rely on them for clinical guidance, public health information, and knowledge. Today’s action to remove the 17 sitting members of ACIP undermines that trust and upends a transparent process that has saved countless lives. With an ongoing measles outbreak and routine child vaccination rates declining, this move will further fuel the spread of vaccine-preventable illnesses.” [emphasis added] https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/ama-press-releases/ama-statement-advisory-committee-immunization-practices

The American medical and public health communities are speaking out loud and strong against the anti-vax nonsense being put forward by RFK Jr.: Response by the American Academy of Pediatrics: AAP Statement on Changes to Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices “The American Academy of Pediatrics is deeply troubled and alarmed by Secretary Kennedy’s mass firing of all 17 experts on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. This unprecedented action, against the backdrop of contradictory announcements from the Administration in recent days about vaccines, will cause even more confusion and uncertainty for families. “We are witnessing an escalating effort by the Administration to silence independent medical expertise and stoke distrust in lifesaving vaccines. Creating confusion around proven vaccines endangers families' health and contributes to the spread of preventable diseases. This move undermines the trust pediatricians have built over decades with our patients and leaves us without critical scientific expertise we rely on. [emphasis added] Children and families must be able to access the immunizations they need to stay healthy. Our vaccine infrastructure must include this critical step of nonpartisan, expert review and discussion of the science and clinical recommendations for individual vaccines. Families and children will be the ones to pay the price for this decision.” https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/aap/2025/aap-statement-on-changes-to-advisory-committee-on-immunization-practices/

The Disinformation Dozen Why platforms must act on twelve leading online anti-vaxxers March 24, 2021 "Just twelve anti-vaxxers are responsible for almost two-thirds of anti‑vaccine content circulating on social media platforms. This new analysis of content posted or shared to social media over 812,000 times between February and March uncovers how a tiny group of determined anti-vaxxers is responsible for a tidal wave of disinformation—and shows how platforms can fix it by enforcing their standards." https://counterhate.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/210324-The-Disinformation-Dozen.pdf The Center for Countering Digital Hate is a not-for-profit NGO that seeks to disrupt the architecture of online hate and misinformation. In short, if RFK is talking or writing about vaccines, the chances are pretty good that much of what he's laying out is misinformation, misleading, mischaracterized and sometimes even made-up nonsense. He may now have the title of U.S. HHS secretary thanks to Donald Trump, but that hasn't changed his core persona as a vaccines misinformation spreader. When it comes to vaccines, he's simply NOT to be believed, period.

What a bunch of nonsense doo-doo from one of the biggest health misinformation purveyors in the world.... No, not RP, although he's trying, but RFK Jr. As for the false nonsense claims raised above: Is there really a conflict of interest issue? "In RFK Jr.’s op-ed, he stated that the ACIP committee members all have serious conflicts of interest that impact their vaccine decision-making. However, the data he cites is 15-25 years old and is missing critical context. For example, he specifically cites a 2009 report. However, he failed to give the true context of this report. The report focused on all 17 CDC advisory committees, not just ACIP. The report did NOT find serious conflicts of interest. Instead, it showed that many forms (97%) had errors and omissions due to form errors, such as putting information in the wrong sections, or failing to initial and date in the correct places." AND "The evidence directly contradicts Kennedy’s claims. Recent independent investigations into ACIP members since Kennedy began making these accusations have found no substantial conflicts or disclosure errors. The statement also failed to acknowledge that there already is a public conflict of interest policy that all ACIP members must adhere to– in fact, it is one of the most stringent in government." In short, as usual, RFK Jr. is hawking made-up or misleading B.S. to justify his attempt to replace scientific expertise with political ideology. ------------------------------------------ As for RFK Jr.'s claims that the ACIP group is a rubber stamp for vaccines and has never recommended against a vaccine, that's wrong also... And it also fails to recognize that vaccines only get to ACIP for consideration AFTER they've already had clinical trials and been vetted and approved [or not] by the sister agency Food and Drug Administration, meaning vaccine candidates with issues/problems typically are going to be washed out before they ever get to the ACIP. But that aside, responding to Kennedy's claim, once again misinformation nonsense: "The committee has recommended against vaccines or given very restricted recommendations. For example, they recommended against the live attenuated influenza vaccine (nasal spray) in the 2016-2017 vaccine season, even though orders had already been placed, due to concerns that it was not effective enough. They narrowed their recommendation for the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine, advising preferential use of other vaccines after reports of rare blood clotting side effects. They also restricted the dengue virus vaccine to those of a certain age, in specific locations, with documented prior infection." The above quotes from the blog Unbiased Science: https://theunbiasedscipod.substack.com/p/the-acip-purge-science-vs-ideology So once again, Kennedy is living "down" to his past recognition as one of the "Disinformation Dozen" -- one of the worst, most prolific spreaders of vaccine misinformation in the U.S. And he's now continuing in that role, sadly, as the U.S. HHS secretary appointed by Donald Trump.

Viewpoint: RFK's reckless firing of CDC vaccine advisors not supported by evidence Vaccine Integrity Project Staff and Advisors ... Part of a troubling pattern "Kennedy's rationale, laid out in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, was based on a series of inaccuracies, calling the ACIP "little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine," and made accusations with little actual evidence, claiming it is "plagued by persistent conflicts of interest." ... As standard protocol, members must declare conflicts at the start of every meeting and must recuse themselves from matters in which a conflict could influence their actions. The only "proof" Kennedy offered on conflicts of interest were oversight reports on investigated activities from at least 18 years ago. Yesterday's announcement follows a pattern for Kennedy and the agency that he oversees: With no transparency, the little evidence provided in support of policy changes is selective, and data are retrofitted to support decisions that dovetail with Kennedy’s personal views." (more) https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/viewpoint-rfks-reckless-firing-cdc-vaccine-advisors-not-supported-evidence

RFK Jr. guts the U.S. vaccine policy committee The system is becoming unrecognizable "In an unprecedented and deeply alarming move, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has removed every single member of the nation’s vaccine policy committee—the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)—and announced plans to handpick their replacements. In other words, someone with an established track record of ignoring reality made the unilateral, ideological decision to gut one of the most trusted and effective pillars of America’s vaccine infrastructure. A system that helped eliminate smallpox, drastically reduce childhood diseases, safeguard schools, expand insurance coverage, and save millions of lives. A system that empowered 90% of Americans to protect their children and families confidently. [emphasis added] ... The Secretary of Health (a man named one of the Disinformation Dozen by the Center for Countering Digital Hate) now controls the levers of federal vaccine policy and is pulling them fast based on his decades of false beliefs about vaccines." (more) https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/rfk-jr-guts-the-us-vaccine-policy Your Local Epidemiologist (YLE) is founded and operated by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, MPH PhD. YLE is a public health newsletter that reaches over 380,000 people in more than 132 countries, with one goal: to translate the ever-evolving public health science so that people are well-equipped to make evidence-based decisions.

More fallout from RFK Jr's latest outrage: RFK Jr. purges every vaccine adviser on CDC panel, will pick replacements ... "Bruce A. Scott, the president of the American Medical Association, said the committee for generations has been a trusted source for vaccine guidance. “Today’s action to remove the 17 sitting members of ACIP undermines that trust and upends a transparent process that has saved countless lives,” Scott said in a statement. “With an ongoing measles outbreak and routine child vaccination rates declining, this move will further fuel the spread of vaccine-preventable illnesses.” [emphasis added] ... Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), another member of the Senate health committee, said that the move to dismiss all the ACIP members “raises serious questions.” Senate Minority Leader Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) condemned their ouster. “Firing experts that have spent their entire lives protecting kids from deadly disease is not reform — it’s reckless, radical, and rooted in conspiracy, not science,” Schumer said. “Wiping out an entire panel of vaccine experts doesn’t build trust — it shatters it, and worse, it sends a chilling message: that ideology matters more than evidence, and politics more than public health.” [emphasis added] Washington Post https://archive.ph/IJJlR

So then, you DON'T actually have the bank's app working as yet on your two different mobile devices???

Ya... much more of this under RFK Jr. May 20, 2025 Silencing the CDC ... "When RFK Jr. was running for president, he said that, if elected, he would “give infectious diseases a break for about eight years.” As Secretary of HHS, this has meant 1) largely ignoring a measles outbreak that has killed two young children, the first measles deaths in children in the United States since 2003; 2) ignoring a pertussis outbreak that has exceeded 9,000 cases and is spreading twice as fast as last year; and 3) ignoring the 216 children who have died this year from influenza, the most since the swine flu pandemic of 2009. [emphasis added] Now we learn that not only is RFK Jr. largely ignoring children dying unnecessarily from vaccine-preventable diseases, he’s also prohibiting the CDC from educating the public, the press, and the medical community about a new, life-saving strategy to prevent a viral infection that was previously unpreventable. RFK Jr. ushered in his administration with the phrase “radical transparency.” Whereas, the previous administration, according to him, hadn’t been honest with the American public, his administration would be. This transparency doesn’t apparently extend to information that counters his fixed, immutable, science-resistant belief that “no vaccines are safe and effective.” If RFK Jr. really wants to Make America Healthy Again, he should step down as head of HHS." https://pauloffit.substack.com/p/silencing-the-cdc Dr. Paul Offit -- Professor of pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, specializing in infectious diseases, vaccines, immunology, and virology, and a member of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee.

Right now is low season for COVID in the U.S. High season is typically the December to January period, with usually another spike sometime in the summer months. Thailand has a different COVID peak season based on the past several years, typically starting around Song Kran in mid April and continuing for several months. So we're right in the thick of it here in Thailand. Lately, even in its low season, the U.S. has been running more than 1,000 COVID deaths per month. That number was more than 1,000 COVID deaths per week at the start of 2025. The last full week of data for COVID deaths from the U.S. CDC was May 10 with 250 (the latest blue colored column in the chart below). The last full month including that week totaled 1,225. (The last three columns are gray colored to reflect that the data for those periods is partial/incomplete.) https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#trends_weeklydeaths_select_00 The U.S.'s recent history with COVID suggest the current downturn will reverse sometime into the mid-year or fall, followed by a bigger spike around the end of the year. Both the most recent fall 2024 and January 2025 COVID spikes in the U.S. peaked at more than 1,000 COVID deaths per week, as shown in the above CDC chart.

What readers here need to understand is the CDC vaccines advisory group at issue here, ACIP, has a very primary role in deciding what vaccines will be available to Americans, and what groups of Americans various vaccines will be approved for. ACIP plays a primary role because their recommendations, as a broad panel of experts, historically have been accepted and endorsed by the CDC director, which then become federal policy. And that federal policy promulgated thru the CDC is typically what determines what vaccines will be covered (paid for) by the various private health insurers. However, right now, apart from ACIP, there IS NO CDC director, because Trump's original nominee, a predictable extremist, was withdrawn after it became clear he would not be confirmed even by the Republican majority U.S. Senate... So Trump later nominated ostensibly a more reasonable pick for CDC director, but her nomination has yet to be heard by the Senate committee that oversees the CDC and thus has not gone to a full Senate confirmation vote. So the CDC director position for now remains VACANT! Thus, for right now, RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary (in the absence of a CDC director) has the final say on U.S. vaccine policy... and that, my friends, is a very very scary situation, as underscored by his current move to gut the CDC's vaccines advisory panel.

The hypocrisy behind Kennedy’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ movement MAHA is supposed to be about preventing illness. So why does it shun vaccines? "At the core of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement is a fatal contradiction. On the surface, it purports to favor the prevention of diseases over the treatment of them. Some of its approaches seem to be common sense: Who could argue against cutting ultra-processed food and removing harmful pesticides? The problem is that many in the movement want to do the exact opposite: They oppose public health’s most effective tools to avert diseases (vaccines) and would rather replace them with infections. Squaring these two views is impossible. ... MAHA’s leader, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., exemplifies this tension.... As Kennedy remakes America’s health system by altering the vaccine approval process, directing federal funds to relitigate debunked conspiracy theories and even calling into question the primacy of averting infectious diseases, the medical community and the public need to press MAHA’s leaders on their views. Is MAHA a scientific proposition to improve America’s health, or is it an ideology that glorifies favored interventions while denouncing others, regardless of the evidence?" By Leana S. Wen Leana S. Wen, a Washington Post contributing columnist who writes the newsletter The Checkup with Dr. Wen, is an emergency physician, clinical associate professor at George Washington University and author of “Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey in the Fight for Public Health.” Previously, she served as Baltimore’s health commissioner.

... Dr. Paul Offit, a former member of ACIP, and a current member of the FDA’s vaccine advisory panel reacted strongly, saying, “RFK Junior is doing exactly what you would expect him to do. He’s a conspiracy theorist who believes everybody, but him is deeply in the pocket of the pharmaceutical industry. He is fixing a problem that doesn’t exist. Also, I really worry about who he’s going to bring in and whether we’re going to be able to trust the ACIP moving forward.” ... Secretary Kennedy says he has removed all 17 active members, many of whom had terms that were not set to expire for several years. His Wall Street Journal essay imagines ACIP to be some kind a shady cabal, rather than the measured body of experts who serve specific terms following a long and careful nomination process. No evidence regarding ACIP’s current membership was offered to explain the need for this move. ... It’s unclear whether Secretary Kennedy has violated the letter of his assurances to Senator Cassidy [the Republican senator who helped clear RFK Jr.'s narrow Senate confirmation], the spirit of those assurances, or both. But Senator Bill Cassidy did post the following on Twitter/X earlier, which I also felt the need to respond to. https://insidemedicine.substack.com/p/alert-rfk-jr-entirely-vacates-cdcs