Flu Vaccines Should Not Be This Hard
A federal judge’s March ruling suspended the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), leaving the United States without its traditional advisory body for seasonal flu and COVID‑19 vaccines. Despite the pause, the FDA has already approved updated flu and COVID formulations, and manufacturers have placed pre‑orders for the upcoming season. The Trump administration is exploring ways to issue recommendations without ACIP, including a possible direct CDC directive, while insurers signal they will still cover the shots. The uncertainty threatens the Vaccines for Children program and could delay access for vulnerable populations.
Marty Makary Set the Conditions for His Own Downfall
Marty Makary, the FDA commissioner appointed by President Biden, is under fire from vaping advocates, pro‑life groups, industry, and former agency officials. Critics allege he politicized the new National Priority Voucher program, overruled career staff on abortion‑pill safety and COVID‑vaccine...
A ‘Barbaric’ Problem in American Hospitals Is Only Getting Bigger
A personal account of a dying husband’s prolonged stays in emergency‑department (ED) boarding highlights a growing crisis in U.S. hospitals. Patients are often kept on stretchers in hallways for 24‑plus hours because inpatient beds are scarce, a problem that has...
How the Whole-Grain Trend Went Wrong
The whole‑grain movement, propelled by 1990s nutrition advice and reinforced by the Dietary Guidelines, turned wheat, oats and rice into a health‑selling label. Yet definitions of a "whole‑grain food" differ among the FDA, the Whole Grain Council and government guidelines,...
The Peptide Boom Is Getting Out of Hand
The Atlantic outlines a surge in off‑label and experimental peptide use, noting that Vyleesi—approved for women’s hypoactive sexual desire disorder—is being bought by men through “research use only” listings and online pharmacies. Compounding pharmacies and telehealth firms now market customized...