"Reputable polling - including from President Trump's own campaign pollster - has repeatedly found that vaccines are popular, and for all of the power vaccine critics have amassed within the federal government, accommodating them is politically risky. It doesn't take much reading between the lines of recent events to gather that such vaccine skepticism is falling out of fashion as we get further into the election cycle."
"The Department of Health and Human Services has undergone a series of personnel changes over the past several weeks, including the departure of Ralph Abraham - who has called COVID vaccines "dangerous" - from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Other personnel changes included the elevation of Chris Klomp, the administration's lead negotiator in its pricing deals with drug manufacturers, to a more powerful role at HHS."
"HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has hit the campaign trail, highlighting the administration's efforts to eliminate certain food dyes and other additives and overhaul dietary guidelines - with no mention of its shrinking of the childhood vaccination schedule or its overhaul of a key vaccine advisory committee."
Vaccine critics with ties to the Trump administration continue pursuing their agenda despite polling indicating vaccines are popular with the public. Recent personnel changes at the Department of Health and Human Services, including the departure of Ralph Abraham from the CDC, suggest vaccine skepticism is becoming less prominent as the election cycle progresses. The administration has shifted focus toward other health priorities like food additives and drug pricing rather than vaccine-related policies. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has campaigned on dietary guidelines and food dye elimination while avoiding discussion of vaccination schedule changes. The FDA reversed its initial decision to decline reviewing Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine application, reportedly following White House pressure, indicating political considerations are influencing vaccine-related decisions.
#vaccine-skepticism #trump-administration #public-health-policy #election-politics #hhs-personnel-changes
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