Dr. Erica Schwartz, nominated by President Trump to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has received an important endorsement from Senate Health Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.). Cassidy expressed confidence in Schwartz’s ability to make sound decisions following her confirmation hearing.
During the hearing, Cassidy pressed Schwartz on whether she could protect the agency from political interference and resist any unsound directives from Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Schwartz’s previous evasive responses led to Cassidy’s frustration.
Cassidy, who previously faced a primary election defeat backed by President Trump, stated his current trust in Schwartz’s judgment, emphasizing that she would oppose decisions not grounded in scientific evidence. He cited the CDC’s recent modification to its vaccines and autism webpage as a gesture of good faith from the HHS. This alteration followed a directive last year by Kennedy, which contradicted established scientific consensus that vaccines do not cause autism.
Despite the change, the webpage still maintains the statement that studies have not disproven a link between vaccines and autism, while asserting that research supporting a connection has been disregarded by health authorities. Notably, a footnote under the headline ‘Vaccines do not cause autism’ no longer mentions Cassidy or any agreement with the Senate Health Committee chair. The revised version states the undetermined root causes of autism and promises page updates with emerging evidence.
Cassidy acknowledged that though further efforts are necessary to repair public health response, this step marks progress.
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Essential Reads
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- The congressional Democratic caucus submitted an amicus brief to a federal appeals court to maintain current FDA rules on abortion pill prescriptions, opposing in-person requirements.
- A cycling outbreak caused by cyclospora, responsible for severe diarrhea, is under FDA investigation without links to previously recalled lettuce, affecting 72 cases.
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