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EVERYTHING
RFK Jr.'s Panel Recommends Banning Thimerosal in Flu Vaccine
What: The new vaccine panel appointed by HHS Sec. Kennedy met, despite Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy's reservations today. The panel suggested flu vaccines with the preservative thimerosal should not be given to Americans due to safety concerns, but past studies have shown thimerosal is safe. But because just a small fraction of flu vaccines in the US contain thimerosal, the decision will likely have little impact on vaccine availability.
Key Line: "That lack of expertise was on display in the new committee’s two-day meeting, which concluded Thursday. One member, Robert Malone — described as a vaccinologist, scientist, and biochemist but seemingly without a current professional appointment — referred to the 2024-2025 flu season’s death toll among children as relatively “modest.” In reality, the toll, which now stands at 250, is the highest single-year tally of pediatric deaths due to flu since the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic."
Source: Stat News
MENSTRUATION
ADHD Link to Higher Risk of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder Uncovered
What: Research found women with ADHD are three times more likely to experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), especially when they also have anxiety or depression. The study highlights the importance of screening for PMDD in women with ADHD.
Key Line: ""Our findings also suggest that further research is needed to improve understanding of the link between ADHD and times of hormonal change, including the menstrual cycle, and to reduce health inequalities and diagnostic bias in women and girls with ADHD,” said Thomas Broughton, PhD, BSc, MSc, postdoctoral researcher at Queen Mary University of London."
Source: Contemporary OBGYN
BIRTH CONTROL
How the Pill Impacts the Brain
What: BioTechniques talked to researcher Carina Heller, who famously scanned her own brain for weeks on and off hormonal birth control. Heller wants to look at endometriosis and PCOS next.
Key Line: “I’m not trying to tell anyone what to do. We know so little at the moment that I just want to provide scientific information that can be used to help inform people about what method of contraception is best for them. Hopefully, by drawing attention to the topic, we can develop more methods of contraception, because it’s not a one-size-fits-all, and everyone deserves a contraception method that works for them.”
Source: BioTechniques
ABORTION ACCESS
The Supreme Court’s devastating decision on Medicaid and abortion
What: Thanks to an anti-abortion case brought by the state of South Carolina, the Supreme Court ruled today that Medicaid patients can't choose their own healthcare provider, going against years of federal law and precedent.
Key Line: "Thursday’s decision, in other words, is likely to have sweeping implications for low-income Americans’ health care, even if it was handed down solely to wound Planned Parenthood. Federal Medicaid law is riddled with provisions governing how states must operate their Medicaid programs, including requirements governing who must be covered, and rules governing patient safety. [A previous] case, for example, concerned a law which prohibits nursing homes from using psychotropic drugs “for purposes of discipline or convenience” when they are “not required to treat the resident’s medical symptoms.” Under [this new ruling], many of these laws may now be rendered unenforceable.
Source: Vox
MENOPAUSE
Women in Menopause Don’t Care
What: The New York Times profiles Melani Sanders, who is leading a movement of women in perimenopause and menopause who are embracing self-acceptance and letting go of societal expectations.
Key Line: "Unpainted toenails. Chin hairs. Separating laundry by darks, lights and colors. Dress codes. What do women in perimenopause and menopause have to say about these things? We do not care. ...In viral videos, Ms. Sanders rattles off their responses. She peers out from behind her reading glasses (with another two pairs tucked into her T-shirt collar) and deadpans: “We do not care about arm fat. It’s not our fault our muscles grow down and not up.” She looks down at her notebook, checking off that submission with a pen before moving onto the next one."
Source: New York Times
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