Top in ID: Trump's health nominees; RFK Jr. HHS confirmation hearing
Healio spoke with experts about how the new administration could affect a range of important health issues, including vaccines, nutrition, chronic conditions, insurance and reproductive health care.
They also discussed the impact that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and President Donald J. Trump’s other nominees for top positions may have on the nation’s health.
“Am I nervous? For sure,” Angela Chaudhari, MD, associate professor and vice chair in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told Healio. “But as a physician, I have weathered a lot of ups and downs in my 20 years of practice and cared for a lot of patients under multiple administrations. My biggest concern is for the long-term well-being of patients around the country — that people will make decisions that have a lifelong impact for themselves, and their families based on the rhetoric that has come out of this most recent election and the concern that this change will impact federal law.”
It was the top story in infectious disease last week.
Another top story was the first of two scheduled hearings to assess the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next U.S. health secretary.
Read these and more top stories in infectious disease below:
RFK Jr. hearing kicks off test of Trump’s health nominees
The Senate held the first of two scheduled hearings to consider the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the nation’s health care apparatus as HHS secretary. Read more.
Senators grill RFK Jr. in HHS confirmation hearing
Senators interrogated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about his views on vaccines, abortion and other health-related matters in a frequently contentious hearing to evaluate his nomination to lead HHS. Read more.
‘People are going to die’: US foreign aid pause hits life-saving HIV, malaria programs
A 90-day review of U.S. foreign aid spending ordered by President Donald J. Trump has halted global health programs, including the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the President’s Malaria Initiative. Read more.
Uganda officials confirm Ebola outbreak in capital; one person dead
Health officials in Uganda confirmed there is an Ebola virus outbreak in the capital city and that one person has died. Read more.
Study: Higher cefazolin dose does not reduce SSIs among obese patients
A higher cefazolin dose was not associated with decreased rates of surgical site infections among obese patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery, study data showed. Read more.