#vaccines

#vaccines

Kennedy's rejection of germ theory, a cornerstone of biomedical science, has been largely underreported, despite its implications for public health and vaccine discourse.

Casey Means was selected to be the nation's top doctor, but her nomination has stalled as some Republicans question her stance on vaccines and her medical credentials.

"There are some that say he's a dictator. Well, no, he's not a dictator - we voted him in," she said. "I think it would all be a lot better if we didn't resist the federal government and instead just got together and said, 'Hey, I'm with you ... Let's sit down, work together and clean it up instead of fight it'."

Confirmation bias is when people only believe information that reinforces what they already believe. For example, vaccine opponents may only believe information about vaccines being unsafe, and will reject any contrary information or facts. Confirmation bias is one reason people find it hard to let go of their belief in misinformation. Misinformed people often trust virtual or online sources, such as social media or podcasts. However, misinformation is increasingly coming from state and federal government agencies.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

The last outbreak of cholera in Britain was in 1866; in the United States there has not been an outbreak since 1911. And yet today people are sick with this ancient disease in 32 countries, with more than 6,800 deaths reported so far this year already exceeding all of last year's toll of 6,000 deaths, which was itself a 50% increase on 2023.

Immunology is at a pivotal moment. The huge successes in public health brought about by vaccines are now facing erosion, as anti-vaccination sentiments spread around the world and the United States cuts funding to domestic and overseas infectious-disease research. Measles, for example, was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000 by the World Health Organization, but in July this year, there were more reported cases than in any year since 1992.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) hit back at an op-ed written by the most recent six surgeons general, who said they wanted to warn the U.S. about the dangers of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The op-ed, published in The Washington Post on Tuesday, called the health secretary's policies and positions an "immediate and unprecedented" threat to the nation's health. In a statement to ABC News, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the doctors are the same officials "who presided over the decline in America's public health."

The recent recommendation from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s advisory panel to restrict the combined MMRV vaccine for children under 4 is troubling. While the panel cites concerns about rare fever-related seizures, the broader implications risk undermining confidence in vaccines that have protected generations from measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox. Parents already face challenges navigating vaccine schedules. Replacing a single shot with multiple appointments complicates the process and may lower vaccination rates at a time when preventable disease outbreaks are resurging.

Susan Green developed a stubborn cough in December 2023. It has never gone away. Nearly two years after contracting respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, Green, now aged 72, still suffers from chest congestion and a phlegmy cough. Because she coughs so much when lying down, she has to elevate the head of her bed in order to breathe easier and get a good night's sleep.

We know that vaccines do not cause autism, said the WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic. Vaccines, as I said, save countless lives. So this is something that science has proven, and these things should not be really questioned.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices starts meeting today to discuss vaccine recommendations. The committee's decisions have a significant influence on who will have access to COVID vaccines this fall and whether babies get vaccinated against Hepatitis B. Many health and medical experts are paying close attention to what comes from the meeting because the Trump administration recently changed all of the committee members.

During the hearing, Barrasso addressed Kennedy, saying, In your confirmation hearings you promised to uphold the highest standards for vaccines. Since then, I've grown deeply concerned. The public has seen measles outbreaks, leadership of the National Institute of Health questioning the use of mRNA vaccines, the recently confirmed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fired. Americans don't know who to rely on.