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EVERYTHING
Ex-CDC Leaders Say RFK Jr. Pressured Vaccine Guidance, Call for His Resignation
What: Former CDC officials Dir. Susan Monarez and Debra Houry told senators that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushed them to alter childhood vaccine policy with evidence, censored science, and threatened firings. Houry testified that she urged him to resign. Senators also debated hepatitis B vaccine guidance and transparency over possible recordings of Kennedy’s conversations with officials.
Key Line: "'I was prepared to welcome him,' Houry said. 'After seeing his Senate Finance testimony, and the number of misstatements, seeing what he has asked our scientists to do and to compromise our integrity, and the children that have died under his watch, I think he should resign.'
Source: CBS News
Want to Fight Chronic Disease? Focus on Women (Finally)
What: Former NIH official Sarah Temkin has an op-ed in JAMA arguing that if MAHA is serious about fighting chronic disease, they should know that women are more likely to have chronic diseases compared to men. But, of course, less than 10% of NIH funding goes to women’s health research, despite women carrying higher burdens of chronic disease and conditions like endometriosis, PCOS, and gynecologic cancers that disrupt daily life and productivity.
Key Line: "Female biology is also a primary driver of chronic disease in women. Many conditions, including mood disorders and migraines, are influenced by the menstrual cycle. The second X chromosome regulates the development of the female immune system and, therefore, the disproportionate burden of autoimmune disease among women. Disorders diagnosed during pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, are associated with subsequent development of chronic diseases. Little is known about how female responses to viral infections, metabolism of processed foods, and breakdown of environmental pollutants affect long-term health. The effects of hormonal shifts at the time of menopause on risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, and osteoporosis as women age are important, underexplored scientific questions."
Source: JAMA
PREGNANCY + POSTPARTUM
The Autism–Tylenol Fight Is Part of Paternalism in Pregnancy
What: Despite headlines suggesting Tylenol use in pregnancy might cause autism, Stat has an op-ed arguing there’s no scientific proof of a causal link. The real issue is how “safety” rules and research gaps undermine autonomy and care for pregnant women.
Key Line: "Instead, multiple imperfect studies have found conflicting evidence: Some show non-causal associations between Tylenol use in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders; others show no association at all. Another way of saying this is: There’s no proof that taking Tylenol while pregnant causes autism. But we can’t say conclusively that it doesn’t. This is true of many common drugs. What, then, are pregnant women (and their doctors) to do? Is it safe to treat their headache, depression, nausea, etc. — or not? I would argue that we should be asking a different question, particularly at this moment of crisis for reproductive rights in the U.S.: What does it mean to regard safety as the sole measure of a drug’s acceptability in pregnancy? Whose safety are we really concerned about — and whose well-being and autonomy are we willing to sacrifice in order to protect it?"
Source: STAT News
ABORTION ACCESS
Collecting the Receipts on Widespread Social Media Censorship of Abortion Content
What: The Electronic Frontier Foundation writes that they gathered nearly 100 examples of abortion posts removed by major platforms—even though most did not violate their stated rules. Meta was the main culprit, often misusing its “Restricted Goods” policy.
Key Line: "The company frequently claimed that posts violated policies on Restricted Goods and Services, which prohibit any 'attempts to buy, sell, trade, donate, gift or ask for pharmaceutical drugs.' Yet in Lauren’s case and others, the posts very clearly did no such thing. And as Meta itself has explained: 'Providing guidance on how to legally access pharmaceuticals is permitted as it is not considered an offer to buy, sell or trade these drugs.'"
Source: EFF
METABOLISM + WEIGHT LOSS
FDA Issues Warning on Unofficial Weight Loss Drugs
What: The FDA sent over 100 warning letters, including to Hims & Hers, for promoting compounded weight loss drugs as if they matched FDA-approved medications like Wegovy and Ozempic. Regulators also flagged misleading drug ads, including a 42-minute infomercial featuring Oprah Winfrey.
Key Line: "The FDA recently determined that GLP-1 drugs no longer met the criteria for a shortage. That should have ended the compounding, but there is an exception: The practice is still permitted when a prescription is customized for the patient. Hims and other companies have taken to offering 'personalized' dosages and formulations for certain patients, arguing they offer extra benefits."
Source: AP via PBS NewsHour
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