Doctors and public health organizations sue Kennedy over vaccine policy changes
The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association and four other groups — along with an unnamed pregnant doctor who works in a hospital — filed the
lawsuit
in federal court in Boston.
U.S. health officials, following infectious disease experts' guidance, previously urged annual COVID-19 shots for all Americans ages 6 months and older. But in late May, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
announced
he was removing COVID-19 shots from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women.
A number of health experts decried the move as confusing and accused Kennedy of disregarding the scientific review process that has been in place for decades — in which experts publicly review current medical evidence and hash out the pros and cons of policy changes.
The new lawsuit repeats those concerns, alleging that Kennedy and other political appointees at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have flouted federal procedures and systematically attempted to mislead the public.
'This administration is an existential threat to vaccination in America, and those in charge are only just getting started,' said Richard H. Hughes IV, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs. 'If left unchecked, Secretary Kennedy will accomplish his goal of ridding the United States of vaccines, which would unleash a wave of preventable harm on our nation's children.'
HHS officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Also joining the suit are the American College of Physicians, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Massachusetts Public Health Association and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Graduate overcomes life-changing injuries to fulfil dream of becoming a doctor
A mature student has graduated from university as a doctor a decade after a motorbike accident as a teenager left him with catastrophic injuries. Paul Edwards was 17 and studying for his A-levels when he was knocked off his motorbike, suffering multiple fractures. He had to put his studies on hold and delayed his university ambitions for a decade while he recovered. Fast-forward 16 years and, despite living with debilitating pain, Mr Edwards, now aged 32, has graduated in front of his proud parents Charlie and Denise, girlfriend Aesha, close friends and tutors. It was not just his injuries he needed to overcome, as Mr Edwards grew up in Lawrence Weston where only around 15% of students at his secondary achieved five GCSEs. Encouraged by his parents and supportive teachers, he set his sights on studying medicine at the University of Bristol. Prior to his accident he was accepted on to the now obsolete Government-run gifted and talented programme, which sought to help talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds. But in October 2009 a car overran a junction and Mr Edwards collided with the car at 30mph. He suffered catastrophic injuries, including two fractured thighs, multiple fractures to his neck and back, a lacerated liver and head trauma. Mr Edwards spent years in recovery, undergoing multiple surgeries and battling constant pain. In 2014, he had what he calls his 'sink or swim' moment, and with the help of his GP weaned himself off opioid medication. 'I remember my GP saying: 'You can either stay on these drugs and be stuck here, or come off them and find out what life might still offer you',' he said. He enrolled in an access to higher education course and completed the equivalent of three A-levels in nine months. In 2017, Mr Edwards was offered a place to study neuroscience at Bristol, but switched to medicine during the Covid-19 pandemic. 'My sister is a paramedic, and my GP and consultants were so amazingly supportive during my recovery from my accident. I realised I wanted to help. I wanted to give back,' he said. He studied while managing with 'endless and debilitating' pain as a consequence of his injuries. 'I use over-the counter painkillers to treat the pain and I do lots of activity including endurance running and triathlons,' he said. 'I know I'll be in pain anyway, but I would rather be active and in pain, than sedentary and still in pain.' He has recently completed his elective period of study in anaesthetics and will soon begin his foundation doctor training at an NHS hospital on the Isle of Wight. 'I owe the university a lot regarding my success,' Mr Edwards said. 'I have been incredibly well supported, and I really appreciate everything the staff have done for me. 'They really help you achieve the absolute best you can be. I count myself lucky to have met so many wonderful people along the way, who are now absolute friends for life. 'Who knows, maybe the accident was part of a bigger plan – directing me to a path of becoming a doctor> 'I want to let people know that anything is possible if you are determined enough. It's never too late, and Bristol is a great place to be.'
Newsweek
36 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Ritz Peanut Butter Cracker Recall Sparks Nationwide Warning
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Mondelēz Global LLC is recalling multiple carton sizes of Ritz peanut butter cracker sandwiches due to fears the product may be mislabeled. Newsweek reached out to the company via email Tuesday for comment. Why It Matters Numerous recalls have been initiated in 2025 due to the potential of damaged products, foodborne illness, contamination and undeclared food allergens. Millions of Americans experience food sensitivities or allergies every year. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the nine "major" food allergens in the U.S. are eggs, milk, fish, wheat, soybeans, Crustacean shellfish, sesame, tree nuts and peanuts. People with a sensitivity or allergy to peanuts may experience "serious or life-threatening allergic reactions" if they consume the recalled product, the FDA warns. Accidental ingestion can lead to anaphylaxis, a rapid and life-threatening allergic reaction that requires immediate medical intervention. Even trace amounts of peanuts can cause symptoms from hives and swelling to difficulty breathing and shock. What To Know In the alert, the FDA says the products were manufactured in the United States and sold nationwide. The Ritz Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwiches in eight-pack, 20-pack and 40-pack cartons as well as the 20-pack Ritz Filled Cracker Sandwich Variety Pack cartons are being recalled due to the possibility of the individually wrapped packages inside the carton potentially being labeled cheese, the FDA says. "All outer cartons affected are labeled correctly and provide an allergen advisory statement indicating that the product 'contains peanuts,'" the FDA notes. No other Mondelēz Global LLC products or Ritz products are impacted by the recall. In the alert, the FDA posted a chart with corresponding best if used by dates along with retail UPC numbers. The alert also has pictures of the affected products. Ritz cheese cracker sandwiches, peanut butter cracker sandwiches and Ritz filled cracker sandwich variety packs with different best by dates and UPC numbers are also not affected by the recall. There have been no reported illnesses or injuries as of Tuesday, the alert says. Mondelēz Global LLC reaffirms the recall was initiated as a precaution. A grocery store aisle in Brooklyn is pictured on May 13 in New York City. (Photo by) A grocery store aisle in Brooklyn is pictured on May 13 in New York City. (Photo by) What People Are Saying The FDA in its alert, in part: "The recall was initiated after Mondelēz Global LLC discovered that film packaging rolls used to package individually wrapped products containing peanut butter may contain defects due to a supplier error. Corrective actions are being taken to help ensure this issue does not recur." What Happens Next Customers with questions or concerns may contact the company around the clock via phone at 1-844-366-1171.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Women are twice as likely to suffer from Alzheimer's as men. Scientists have figured out why
Experts have long known that women are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. They're twice as likely to be affected as men. Now scientists say they may be on their way to understanding why that's the case - pinpointing two stark differences between men and women. Firstly, women have different chromosomes than men. They also undergo menopause: a process that occurs when a woman's reproductive hormones naturally decline starting in her 40s and 50s. One in three older Americans dies with Alzheimer's, or another dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer's disease are women. 'Epidemiologically, we see that for almost all neurological diseases, there are differences in how many biological women and men are affected,' Anna Bonkhoff, resident and research fellow in neurology at Harvard Medical School and Mass General Brigham, explained in a recent interview. 'There's a tendency, for example, in [multiple sclerosis] and migraine for more females to be affected, while it's the contrary for brain tumors and Parkinson's.' 'Just based on these numbers, you get the feeling that something needs to underlie these differences in terms of the biology,' she added. Looking inside the body, while women have two 'X' chromosomes, men have an 'X' and a 'Y.' Chromosomes are thread-like structures of DNA inside our cells that carry hundreds or even thousands of genes. Genes determine a person's physical characteristics. Differences between genes held on the X and Y chromosomes may give women an increased chance of developing Alzheimer's disease. Recent research has shown that genes on the X chromosome are related to Alzheimer's disease, including that women with Alzheimer's live longer than men with the disease due to their second X chromosome. 'A lot of genes for the immune system and regulating brain structure are located on the X chromosome, so the dosages differ to certain degrees between men and women. That seems to have an effect,' said Bonkhoff. Women's different dominant hormones — such as estrogen, which acts on the brain — could also play a role. 'Menopause is part of the puzzle, probably one of the bigger ones,' Bonkhoff said. 'I'm not saying it's the only one — aging is relevant by itself, and there's a lot of interesting research looking at what aging does to the immune system that seems to have implications for cognitive changes.' During menopause, when ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone, some women turn to hormone replacement therapy. The practice offers relief for symptoms of lower hormone levels in menopause such as hot flashes. But for some women it may increase their risk of dangerous medical conditions, including heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, blood clots and gall bladder disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Women who received hormone replacement after age 70 also have significantly higher levels of the protein known as 'tau,' according to Rachel Buckley, associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School. The accumulation of tau is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. They also suffered higher cognitive decline. Buckley published those findings last March in the journal Science Advances. But further research is needed to understand these associations. 'We work with a lot of secondary data that already exists, and that's great but there are limitations to what we can do with it,' Buckley said. 'We're trying to see if we can set up a new study design where we can really look at the time of menopause, what is changing in the blood, what is changing in the brain, what is changing in cognition, and how that might be associated with later life risk.'
