RFK Jr. is making an attempt to make COVID nice once more

Certainly one of Well being and Human Providers Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s targets on his anti-vax to-do checklist may be getting checked off prior to later. 

Meals and Drug Administration head Marty Makary is reportedly planning to axe Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for younger youngsters from the FDA approval checklist. 

Regardless of main the FDA, Marty Makary has joined Kennedy’s efforts to axe COVID-19 vaccines.

Ought to Makary and Kennedy undergo with it, vaccines like Moderna and Novavax will likely be left as an alternative, however they’re solely accepted for youngsters in that age group if they’ve sure underlying well being circumstances. 

In 2021, Kennedy made a plea for the FDA to drag Pfizer’s vaccine for youthful youngsters far—earlier than he was main HHS. And whereas Makary doesn’t share the identical beliefs as his boss—just like the disproven conspiracy that vaccines trigger autism—he does share some similarities with Kennedy, together with an extended monitor file of questioning the FDA. 

Now the 2 are working collectively in opposition to vaccine producers.

In June, Makary instructed COVID vaccine producers to replace their warnings checklist with a uncommon facet impact that may affect younger males. On one hand, vaccine skeptics could applaud the push for medical transparency. However consultants warned that this particular method might need been the improper strategy to deal with addressing a uncommon—and short-term—facet impact.

A cartoon by Clay Bennett.

And whereas individuals are nonetheless not sure of whether or not or to not get the jab when COVID instances are on the rise, Kennedy and Makary determined to cease recommending the vaccine for pregnant girls and kids. 

Nevertheless it’s not simply warning labels which might be altering. Since Kennedy began on the job, greater than $500 million for vaccine analysis was lower, whereas consultants learning vaccines had been additionally let go. 

Then once more, Kennedy and his colleagues consider that the pandemic is over, so there’s no purpose to organize for any potential future crises.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is over, and HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago,” the HHS stated in an announcement in March when asserting extra analysis cuts. 

It continued, “HHS is prioritizing funding tasks that may ship on President Trump’s mandate to handle our power illness epidemic and Make America Wholesome Once more.”