Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: RFK Jr.'s Proposed Vaccine Testing Change Will Be Deadly; Fear Of ICE Is Harming Kids' Mental Health
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in his hearing before Congress last week doubled down on his plans to revamp the vaccine approval process. The health and human services secretary claimed that no vaccines other than the coronavirus shots had been tested against a placebo, which he vowed to “remedy.” (Leana S. Wen, 5/20)
The other day, I was walking through a school and overheard a student say to a classmate, “Shut up, before I have to call ICE on you.” You hear murmurs about what’s going on in schools across our nation. But I heard this negative comment in a school in Connecticut. It shows just how much these types of antics and negative behavior have become the norm in our society under the current administration. These types of comments make people feel unwelcome and unsafe. (Kevin L. Booker Jr., 5/19)
One in five Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70. Yet regulators in the United States have not approved sunscreens that can more effectively prevent the disease. Such safetyism makes little sense. Americans receive more diagnoses for skin cancer than for all other forms of cancer combined. (Sally C. Pipes, 5/20)
News of former President Biden’s aggressive and incurable prostate cancer has surprised the public (and presumably him). Based on the public record of Biden’s medical care and standard medical recommendations, as recently as a year ago there was no reason to perform screening tests for the disease, despite his age, 81 at the time. The diagnosis underscores the fact that cancers can sometimes pop up suddenly, even among recipients of the most sophisticated care doctors can offer. (Lawrence K. Altman, 5/19)
For decades, mainstream nutrition guidelines have recommended that Americans replace animal fats like butter or lard with polyunsaturated fats, especially seed oils such as soybean, corn, and sunflower oils. These oils are rich in omega-6 fatty acids and now make up a significant portion of the fat consumed in the standard American diet. But recently, the conversation has shifted. (Jane Zhao, 5/20)
