This task force for childhood #vaccines was disbanded 27 years ago. #HHS just revived it.

The #Trump / #RFKJr US Dept of #Health & Human Services said on August 14 it is reinstating its task force on a federal panel for *safer* childhood vaccines after 27 years.

The panel was created by #Congress to improve the *safety, quality & oversight* of vaccines administered to US #children.

#ConspiracyTheories #PublicHealth #Science #medicine
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2025/08/14/hhs-rfk-task-force-childhood-vaccines-safety/85662933007/

Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said: “Disparity programs ask the question: Who are we missing, and why, and what do we need to do to optimize their health?”

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/13/health/nih-grant-cancellations-dei.html

I'm on an #FDA-funded project, which means I need to do #HHS' online compliance training.

I can't tell you how galling it is to be taught all the conditions for the permissible disclosure of personally identifiable information (authorized recipient, need-to-know, etc etc.) knowing that it's all out the window when #BigBalls shows up at your desk.

US Health and Human Services centralized medical database – Uh oh
 
This week the Health and Human Services (HHS) agency and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are announcing an initiative to create a centralized database of individual’s health information. The stated rationale for this effort is to improve access to innovative health solutions and improve user access and security. A part of this initiative will include updates to the HIPAA regulations. The effort will be led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz (Really). There is a pretty aggressive schedule to have the initial work completed by early 2026. The announcement is here:
 
https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/white-house-tech-leaders-commit-create-patient-centric-healthcare-ecosystem
 
My initial thoughts:
 
HIPAA already guarantees users ability access to their health data and regularly penalizes health organizations who do not comply. This seems to be a made-up problem.
 
Privacy of health information is also enforced by current HIPAA regulations. Organizations who violate patient privacy are already penalized under the regulations.
 
The aggressive timeframe for the creation of a centralized database is unrealistic. Further, staff reductions at HHS will make this a riskier endeavor.
 
The dangers of implementing a central database are large. It becomes a target for well-funded state and criminal hackers. It can be easily abused by a punitive state regime (see IRS data being used against immigrants). It can open the door to organizations selling quack treatments and abusing susceptible patients. Nothing in this press release points to better health care support for those who need it. Further, it appears that the lead technology organizations are among those that most abuse personal privacy for profit. None of this is encouraging.
 
I don’t see anything good coming from this, and the potential for abuse is enormous. If you are at-risk individual be sure to download copies of your medical records, and have a discussion with your health providers about your concerns. If you are an IT security specialist or developer in the health sector, be sure you know what options you have in regards to sharing patient information, and be sure that your management team understands the risks.
 
#HIPAA #InfoSec #Security #Privacy #HHS #CMS #OCR

"MAGAtrusts RFK more than they trust their dr bc RFK tells them that doctors have a FIN incentive to push #vaccines. This is a lie. Most practices either loseor just break even on vaccinations. When it comes to the health of your family, trust your dr."
-Dr J Reiner

Many MAGA believed anti-vaxxers then Trump made his #RFKJr #HHS Sec. It's easier to control the masses when they're sick, poor, imperiled... & it enriches the oligarchs, when they're dead. Their ideology is short-sighted.
#USPol

In case you missed it, this is Jim O'Neill, RFK Jr's #2 at the Department of Health and Human Services, at DEF CON 33 on August 8, 2025.

He gave remarks before the AI Cyber Challenge awards ceremony, which awarded $8.5M to the winning teams. One of his remarks: he wants to...

"Make the US healthcare system great again."

O'Neill is an investor, has no medical background and is closely associated with Peter Thiel. Platforming, in action.

We need better discourse, leadership, & action to protect #PublicHealth wkrs.

This tragedy isn't an isolated eventa reflection of ever-escalating threats PH wkrs face: misinfo, politicization, & inflammatory rhetoric.

>18 hrs: for #HHS Sec #RJKJr to issue a public stmt condemning the violent act. CDC employees: already demoralized by DOGE-led budget & staffing cuts felt abandoned.

Falsely claimingthese #vaccines: inherently dangerous: mislead +endanger lives.
#USPol https://www.statnews.com/2025/08/09/cdc-shooting-anti-vaccine-violence-rhetoric-public-health-workers/

Vinay Prasad returns to the FDA, weeks after his ouster https://www.byteseu.com/1272444/ #America #biotech #FDA #hhs #Pharma #Politics #RFKJr #STAT+ #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #US #USNews #USA #USANews

The CDC Shooter Was Obsessed With Vaccine Conspiracy Theories. RFK Jr. Was Predictably Slow to Respond.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/08/the-cdc-shooter-was-obsessed-with-vaccine-conspiracy-theories-rfk-jr-was-predictably-slow-to-respond/

https://www.europesays.com/2315987/ Vinay Prasad returns to the FDA, weeks after his ouster #Biotech #FDA #Headlines #HHS #News #pharma #Politics #RfkJr #STAT #TopStories

“'Kessler has given the FDA a way to define the vast majority of ultra-processed foods. In doing so, he has handed RFK Jr a huge gift on the path to regulating these products. It’s just what MAHA has asked for. I hope they take it seriously,' Marion Nestle, the Paulette Goddard professor emerita of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, said in an email."

https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/07/health/ultraprocessed-foods-kessler-fda-petition-wellness

How #RFKJr #mRNA crackdown affects #vaccine making and future #pandemics. The #Trump administration is terminating #biodefense #research funding for mRNA projects, raising concerns about the nation’s ability to fight future #pandemics. #publichealth #medicine #healthcare #science #pathogens #flu #birdflu #HHS #taxpayers #RNA #biology #variants https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/08/06/rfk-jr-mrna-vaccine-criticism/

When you've lost Trump's surgeon general...

'Going to cost lives': Trump's ex-surgeon general sounds off on RFK's 'dangerous' move
https://www.rawstory.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr-2673864301/

“I don’t think I’ve seen a more dangerous decision in public health in my 50 years in the business”

RFK Jr. cancelling $500M in funding for mRNA vaccine research affecting 22 projects on viruses such as bird flu and COVID-19.

File this under you can't fix stupid! https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-vaccines-mrna-pfizer-moderna-1fb5b9436f2957075064c18a6cbbe3c9 #HHS #Vaccines #COVID19 #BirdFlu #mRNA #Fail #RFKjr #Idiot #PublicHealth #youcantfixstupid