Make America Healthy Again - Trump populism comes to health regulation (1 Viewer)

[superchuck500]

This is going to need a thread as we move forward - there are now clear signs that Trump supports a new, critical if not dubious approach on vaccination, and his HHS nominee RFK Jr. regularly espouses eating raw milk and raw meat . . . dietary components most experts agree are more dangerous than their heated counterparts.

Health is certainly one of those areas were anti-institutionalism and turning to popular influencers over medical science comes with genuine risk of harm.

Today Trump provided his most clear indication that he is a vaccine skeptic - claiming (falsely of course) that the USA doesn't "do as well" as other nations that use no vaccines at all.

 

[MT15]

I just read that one of the issues in tracking H5N1 is that it is a version of Flu A, and will show up as such on the rapid tests that are used in most of the clinics, doctor’s offices and home use. Even a lot of hospitals rely on rapid flu tests, rather than the type of tests done by reference labs that can distinguish Influenza A from H5N1.

We are in the midst of the worst Flu A outbreak in 15 years, and H5N1 is looming, with the possibility that if it transitions into human-to-human infection we wouldn’t immediately know, since the rapid tests wouldn’t catch it.

And we are cutting staff that works on it, and have an anti-vaxxer conspiracy nut case at HHS.

Just lovely, right?

 

[fooferdoggie]

RFK Jr. promptly cancels vaccine advisory meeting, pulls flu shot campaign

Kennedy is reportedly planning to remove agency vaccine advisers, too.

arstechnica.com

 

[Optimus Prime]

Preview of what’s to come
======================


An unvaccinated child has died of measles in Texas, the first death in the current measles outbreak in the west of the state and the first in the U.S. since 2015, say health officials.

“The school-aged child who was not vaccinated was hospitalized in Lubbock last week and tested positive for measles,” the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a Wednesday release.…..

Unvaccinated child becomes first death in Texas measles outbreak

School-aged child’s death is the first from measles in U.S. since 2015

www.independent.co.uk

 

[coldseat]

Preview of what’s to come
======================


An unvaccinated child has died of measles in Texas, the first death in the current measles outbreak in the west of the state and the first in the U.S. since 2015, say health officials.

“The school-aged child who was not vaccinated was hospitalized in Lubbock last week and tested positive for measles,” the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a Wednesday release.…..

Unvaccinated child becomes first death in Texas measles outbreak

School-aged child’s death is the first from measles in U.S. since 2015

www.independent.co.uk

Assuming the child was able to get the vaccine that would have prevented their death, it seems like the parents should be prosecuted for negligent homicide.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Assuming the child was able to get the vaccine that would have prevented their death, it seems like the parents should be prosecuted for negligent homicide.

Seem to remember a case years ago (Minnesota maybe?) where a religious couple’s child had a treatable cancer but the parents refused treatment

I’m pretty sure there were charges and lawsuits back and forth

Child abuse/neglect versus parental rights and religious freedom

Don’t remember how it turned out

 

[superchuck500]

RFK Jr. promptly cancels vaccine advisory meeting, pulls flu shot campaign

Kennedy is reportedly planning to remove agency vaccine advisers, too.

arstechnica.com

 

[Optimus Prime]

Fluoride will be banned from Utah water systems by May 7, if Gov. Spencer Cox signs a bill now headed to his desk.

Friday evening, the Utah Senate approved HB81, sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain, prohibiting fluoride from being added to water systems, the latest battle in a war that has been waged in Utah for five decades.

Fluoride is scientifically proven to strengthen the enamel on teeth and prevent cavities. The Utah Dental Association was among the groups that spoke out against the bill.

But Gricius argued that a court in California had also found that it could potentially cause cognitive issues and said the Environmental Protection Agency should reassess its fluoride standards.

Additionally, she said, a majority of residents should not be allowed to decide whether chemicals should be added to everyone’s drinking water.

By eliminating fluoride and making it easier for those who want it to get it from a pharmacy, people can decide for themselves whether they want fluoride or not.

Conservative groups like the Utah Eagle Forum and others rallied to support the bill and succeeded in winning the support to ban it…….

Fluoride will be banned from Utah’s water supplies — but only if Cox signs this bill

The Utah Legislature has passed a bill that will ban fluoride from water statewide.

www.sltrib.com

Utah poised to become the first state to ban fluoride from water systems

Bill pushed through by Republicans awaits governor’s signature to outlaw addition of mineral to water

www.theguardian.com

 

[Optimus Prime]

Preview of what’s to come
======================


An unvaccinated child has died of measles in Texas, the first death in the current measles outbreak in the west of the state and the first in the U.S. since 2015, say health officials.

“The school-aged child who was not vaccinated was hospitalized in Lubbock last week and tested positive for measles,” the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a Wednesday release.…..

Unvaccinated child becomes first death in Texas measles outbreak

School-aged child’s death is the first from measles in U.S. since 2015

www.independent.co.uk

During a Trump administration cabinet meeting, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared to downplay an ongoing measles outbreak in Texas that has killed a child and resulted in over 120 cases of the disease since January.

“We are following the measles epidemic every day,” Kennedy said during the meeting. “Incidentally, there have been four measles outbreaks this year. In this country last year there were 16. So, it’s not unusual. We have measles outbreaks every year.”

He described those hospitalized as part of the outbreak centered near Gaines County as “mainly for quarantine,” though a local official said otherwise.

Dr. Lara Johnson, chief medical officer at Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, toldNBC News that all of the roughly 20 children she’s treated so far have had trouble breathing and none were vaccinated…….

RFK Jr. appears to downplay Texas measles outbreak despite unvaccinated child’s death

Kennedy’s alleged ties to measles outbreak in Samoa were major feature of his confirmation hearing

www.independent.co.uk

 

[bird]

During a Trump administration cabinet meeting, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared to downplay an ongoing measles outbreak in Texas that has killed a child and resulted in over 120 cases of the disease since January.

“We are following the measles epidemic every day,” Kennedy said during the meeting. “Incidentally, there have been four measles outbreaks this year. In this country last year there were 16. So, it’s not unusual. We have measles outbreaks every year.”

He described those hospitalized as part of the outbreak centered near Gaines County as “mainly for quarantine,” though a local official said otherwise.

Dr. Lara Johnson, chief medical officer at Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, toldNBC News that all of the roughly 20 children she’s treated so far have had trouble breathing and none were vaccinated…….

RFK Jr. appears to downplay Texas measles outbreak despite unvaccinated child’s death

Kennedy’s alleged ties to measles outbreak in Samoa were major feature of his confirmation hearing

www.independent.co.uk

Incidentally, RFK, Jr. is a dangerous dilettante with no science-based aptitude or, so far as I know, training.

 

[superchuck500]

“We are following the measles epidemic every day,” Kennedy said during the meeting. “Incidentally, there have been four measles outbreaks this year. In this country last year there were 16. So, it’s not unusual. We have measles outbreaks every year.”

Yeah we do now you jackass - it's because of the anti-vax movement.

 

[faceman]

Preview of what’s to come
======================


An unvaccinated child has died of measles in Texas, the first death in the current measles outbreak in the west of the state and the first in the U.S. since 2015, say health officials.

“The school-aged child who was not vaccinated was hospitalized in Lubbock last week and tested positive for measles,” the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a Wednesday release.…..

Unvaccinated child becomes first death in Texas measles outbreak

School-aged child’s death is the first from measles in U.S. since 2015

www.independent.co.uk

More blood on Trumps hands

 

[coldseat]

Fluoride will be banned from Utah water systems by May 7, if Gov. Spencer Cox signs a bill now headed to his desk.

Friday evening, the Utah Senate approved HB81, sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain, prohibiting fluoride from being added to water systems, the latest battle in a war that has been waged in Utah for five decades.

Fluoride is scientifically proven to strengthen the enamel on teeth and prevent cavities. The Utah Dental Association was among the groups that spoke out against the bill.

But Gricius argued that a court in California had also found that it could potentially cause cognitive issues and said the Environmental Protection Agency should reassess its fluoride standards.

Additionally, she said, a majority of residents should not be allowed to decide whether chemicals should be added to everyone’s drinking water.

By eliminating fluoride and making it easier for those who want it to get it from a pharmacy, people can decide for themselves whether they want fluoride or not.

Conservative groups like the Utah Eagle Forum and others rallied to support the bill and succeeded in winning the support to ban it…….

Fluoride will be banned from Utah’s water supplies — but only if Cox signs this bill

The Utah Legislature has passed a bill that will ban fluoride from water statewide.

www.sltrib.com

Utah poised to become the first state to ban fluoride from water systems

Bill pushed through by Republicans awaits governor’s signature to outlaw addition of mineral to water

www.theguardian.com

I guess they forgot what people's teeth looked like before they started adding fluoride to water. Idiots.

 

[TampaJoe]

I guess they forgot what people's teeth looked like before they started adding fluoride to water. Idiots.

I googled this and found that many home water filters already filter out fluoride and most bottled water doesn’t contain fluoride. I wonder how much fluoride actually gets consumed currently from public water systems. So much of what we drink is either filtered or bottled.

 

[Incumbent]

I guess they forgot what people's teeth looked like before they started adding fluoride to water. Idiots.

Ah, but Nestle can then just sell us crisp, refreshing fluoridated water!

 

[Incumbent]

I googled this and found that many home water filters already filter out fluoride and most bottled water doesn’t contain fluoride. I wonder how much fluoride actually gets consumed currently from public water systems. So much of what we drink is either filtered or bottled.

There are filters that are claimed to do that but from what I've read, typical filters in refrigerator taps, for instance, don't.

 

[TampaJoe]

There are filters that are claimed to do that but from what I've read, typical filters in refrigerator taps, for instance, don't.

Yep. It does depend on the filtration system. Makes sense.

 

[CoolBrees]

Fluoride is the cheapest, most effective oral hygiene treatment for the masses.

Most people buying high end water filtration go to the dentist. People that can't afford dental care are who the fluoride is for.

Why is it so hard for some to think of those in worse socioeconomic situations than themselves? Like people on assistance programs are buying water filtration systems. Critical thinking isn't really that hard.

 

[coldseat]

Fluoride is the cheapest, most effective oral hygiene treatment for the masses.

Most people buying high end water filtration go to the dentist. People that can't afford dental care are who the fluoride is for.

Why is it so hard for some to think of those in worse socioeconomic situations than themselves? Like people on assistance programs are buying water filtration systems. Critical thinking isn't really that hard.

And the thing is there haven't been any negative effects to adding fluoride to water, just positive ones. . Very tangible and visible positive effects. So why do Republicans want to stop doing something that is working well for the whole country and has done so for decades? It's just so stupid and shortsighted.

That should be Republicans new mantra, "Stupid and Shortsighted."