All articles tagged with #hhs policy
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivered a keynote at the Children’s Health Defense conference, reaffirming his anti-vaccine stance and promising continued federal scrutiny of vaccine safety. He cited a hepatitis B package insert to question efficacy data, despite ongoing measles deaths. The speech followed remarks by discredited figures and occurred as the U.S. faces its worst measles outbreak in 35 years.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has not yet decided whether to distribute newly approved pediatric COVID vaccines through the Vaccines for Children program, leaving approximately half of American children without free access to the shots. While the Food and Drug Administration approved updated doses nearly three weeks ago, the federal government has not made them available to uninsured, underinsured, or Medicaid-eligible families. Pediatric doses remain accessible only for children with private insurance or those whose parents can pay out of pocket. A spokesperson for the department confirmed the delay on Wednesday, citing a lack of decision on program inclusion. This gap in access occurs despite recent warnings from pediatricians about the risks of vaccine hesitancy and rising hospitalizations in some regions.
The CDC is bypassing traditional processes to grant temporary telework accommodations for employees with disabilities due to new HHS policies that restrict such accommodations, leading to concerns about legal compliance and employee rights, especially amid a backlog of cases and staff reductions.