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Welcome to The Logoff: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is dropping a Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention suggestion that wholesome pregnant folks and kids obtain the Covid-19 vaccine, a regarding signal for vaccine availability and the nation’s public well being companies.
What occurred immediately? Kennedy, the Well being and Human Providers secretary, mentioned in a video posted to X on Tuesday morning that the Covid vaccine would now not be included within the CDC’s advisable immunization schedule for wholesome pregnant folks and kids. Being pregnant can result in elevated dangers from Covid-19, and really younger infants (who might be protected if their mom is vaccinated throughout being pregnant) even have increased charges of hospitalization.
What does that really imply for vaccine availability? Although the change gained’t straight forestall anybody from receiving the vaccine, it is going to virtually actually make it tougher to entry by creating new value obstacles. Insurers are required to cowl advisable vaccines however not others, and a Covid vaccine prices about $140 out of pocket.
What else ought to I do know in regards to the change? Tuesday’s announcement represents an finish run round regular coverage course of for vaccine suggestions within the US, specialists instructed Stat Information. Whereas Covid vaccine suggestions had been already beneath assessment, Kennedy seems to have circumvented the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in making his announcement Tuesday, opposite to a promise he made when he was up for Senate affirmation earlier this 12 months.
What’s the large image? Kennedy has a lengthy historical past of anti-vaccine advocacy; his resolution to change suggestions across the Covid vaccine with out full enter from nonpartisan specialists on the CDC represents a regarding politicization of public well being, one that might have well being penalties for Individuals.
And with that, it’s time to log out…
I hope you had a superb vacation weekend, pricey reader. Now that we’ve handed the unofficial begin of summer time, it’s possible you’ll be searching for a seaside learn — and the New York Instances has this glorious primer on Sir Terry Pratchett’s sprawling Discworld sequence from over the weekend. Columnist Olivia Waite describes it as a sequence “not about methods to be good, however about methods to do good, and why even the smallest acts of kindness matter.” Plus, it’s uproariously humorous — what may very well be higher?
