WATCH: Axios interviews Sen. Baldwin, Katie Couric and Calley Means
We are hosting conversations with Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.), Oscar Health CEO Mark Bertolini, award-winning journalist Katie Couric, Zocdoc CEO and co-founder Oliver Kharraz, Hers chief medical officer Jessica Shepherd, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), senior White House advisor on MAHA Calley Means and Children's National Hospital's Anthony David Sandler.
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Axios
3 hours ago
- Axios
Utah vaccine exemption rate rises to No. 2 in nation
Utah now has the nation's second highest rate of vaccine exemptions for kindergartners, as the state's share of fully immunized children continues to drop. Threat level: Utah's kindergarten vaccination rates have long fallen below the 95% needed for herd immunity against highly contagious illnesses — and kids are about to return to school amid a measles outbreak. As of fall 2024, just 88.6% of Utah kindergartners were up to date on their measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccines, per new CDC data. Whooping cough was at 88.1%. Meanwhile, whooping cough is spreading in southwest Utah, health officials announced last week. What we're watching: Kindergarten vaccination rates in parts of Utah are dropping toward the 80% herd immunity threshold for polio, per the latest data from the state health department. More than 19% of kindergartners in southwest Utah were not fully vaccinated for polio, with nearly 15% in the central counties. The big picture: Anti-vax sentiments — once considered a liberal trend — gained ground on the political right amid hostility toward COVID prevention measures. A Gallup poll last year found that 69% of respondents viewed childhood vaccines as "extremely" or "very" important, down from 94% in 2001 — a drop researchers attributed to those who lean Republican. By the numbers: More than 10% of Utah kindergartners obtained immunization waivers last fall, up a full percent from the previous year. Only Idaho had a higher rate of exemptions, at 15.4%. The intrigue: Of the 10.3% of Utah kindergartners who sought exemptions, just 0.3% were for medical reasons. About 85% were for "personal" reasons, with "religion" accounting for another 12.5%. Catch up quick: A 2022 Axios analysis of Utah immunization data by ZIP code showed exemptions after 2020 largely spiked in politically conservative areas. Caveat: Vaccine waivers are far more common among online students, covering more than half of the state's nearly 1,500 online kindergartners. Of the 44,000 in-person kindergartners, 9% had exemptions, up from 7.9% a year before. Another 1% were out of compliance — neither vaccinated nor exempt. Flashback: Trump cut more than $30 million in Utah childhood immunization funding in April. Zoom in: Salt Lake County's exemption rate was the lowest of any local health district in the state at 5.5%.
Axios
3 days ago
- Axios
OB-GYN group won't take federal funds over Trump policies
The leading professional association for gynecologists is cutting financial ties with the federal government, citing Trump administration policies it says prevent it from providing evidence-based guidance. Why it matters: The decision by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists appears to be the first time a medical society has divested itself over conditions the administration has placed on government contractors and grant recipients. Professional medical groups routinely contract with the federal health agencies to administer or contribute to public health initiatives. ACOG has about 60,000 members and lists diversity and equity among its core values. State of play: ACOG sent an email to members last week notifying them that it will stop accepting federal funding for current contracts. "After careful deliberation, ACOG has made an organization-wide decision to stop accepting federal funding for all ACOG programs and activities for current contracts," the organization said in a statement shared with Axios. "Recent changes in federal funding laws and regulations significantly impact ACOG's program goals, policy positions, and ability to provide timely and evidence-based guidance and recommendations for care." "We remain fully committed to this critical work and will allocate our own resources to continue it in a way that is centered on patient needs and grounded in evidence." The organization will continue to engage with the federal government on policy advocacy, ACOG said. By the numbers: The ACOG Foundation — the group's 501(c)(3) affiliate — has received $950,000 from Health and Human Services this year to oversee reviews and updates of preventive services guidelines for women, according to an HHS grant-tracking website. ACOG wouldn't elaborate on what aspects of the work its decision will affect. Other medical societies that contract with the federal government include the American Medical Association, which has received $750,000 from HHS this year, per federal records. What they're saying: "This is great news for the American taxpayer," HHS communications director Andrew Nixon wrote in an email to Axios. "ACOG taking itself off the federal payroll might be the most responsible budgeting decision they've made." HHS will make sure the preventive services guidelines "reflect gold-standard, evidence-based science and in partnership with those who can deliver this guidance in accordance with the law," he said. Zoom out: ACOG is one of a few medical associations vocally pushing back against President Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s health policy shifts. Health care during pregnancy has become a flashpoint. Kennedy has removed the recommendation that pregnant people get COVID-19 vaccines, and a recent advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration cast doubt on the safety of antidepressants during pregnancy. ACOG said afterward that the composition of the panel was "alarmingly unbalanced" and that there's robust evidence showing the medications are safe during pregnancy. The American Academy of Pediatrics has also publicly opposed recent HHS actions. The group boycotted a June meeting of Kennedy's handpicked vaccine advisory committee, saying a June purge of the panel's 17 advisers compromised its credibility. What to watch: ACOG left the door open to resuming federal contracting work in the future.
Axios
4 days ago
- Axios
Trump brings back the Presidential Fitness Test in public schools
President Trump will revive the Presidential Fitness Test in public schools, which was phased out more than a decade ago, a White House official confirmed to Axios on Thursday. The big picture: The test — featuring challenges like a one-mile run, pull-ups and the sit-and-reach — was once a rite of passage for America's youth. It was also a source of anxiety and shame for more than a few kids, who ended up feeling like they weren't strong enough for the president's (or Arnold Schwarzenegger ' s) purposes. Trump on Thursday will sign an executive order to reestablish the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, which includes re-establishing the test, as first reported by CNN. Why it matters: The Trump administration has focused on sports and athletics, including banning transgender athletes and hosting major national and international sporting events. State of play: Then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the test in 1956 to assess cardiovascular fitness, upper body and core strength, endurance, flexibility and agility, according to Harvard Health. The test included a one-mile run, pull-ups or push-ups, sit-ups, shuttle run, and sit-and-reach. Children in the top 15% received the Presidential Physical Fitness Award, established by former President Lyndon B. Johnson. President Obama replaced the test after the 2012-13 school year and instituted the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, putting more emphasis on students' health rather than performance, per Education Week. Flashback: Eisenhower originally established the test out of panic over American children being less fit than European children, Vox reported. One of its early iterations was akin to a military training exercise. What's next: The Presidential Fitness test will be administered by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The executive order directs the council to create school programs rewarding excellence in physical education and develop criteria for a fitness award. What they're saying: "President Trump wants to ensure America's future generations are strong, healthy, and successful," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
