Kennedy’s Replacement of Entire Vaccine Advisory Committee Causes Widespread Alarm

Heather Hazzan, SELF Magazine

Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP), the body of experts that reviews vaccine safety and efficacy data and makes recommendations on vaccine scheduling as well as precautions and contraindications to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In a June 9 news release, HHS announced the dismissals, claiming it as a “bold step to restore public trust in vaccines.” In a post the next day on the social media platform X, Kennedy accused the committee of financial corruption and of “malevolent malpractice” for allegedly not requiring placebo-controlled trials for childhood vaccines, a misleading and inaccurate claim he has made frequently in the past.

Refuted and misleading claims.

In a May ‘Fact-Checked’ news release, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) refuted his claims, stating that most childhood vaccines were tested originally in randomized clinical trials that included placebo or comparison groups. AAP also noted that when testing a replacement for an existing vaccine, the comparator is the existing vaccine, not an inert placebo, because “when a safe, effective vaccine already exists against […]

2025-06-13T08:31:49-04:00June 13th, 2025|COVID-19, infectious diseases, Nursing, pediatrics, Public health|0 Comments
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Navigating Shifts in Health Equity Research Funding Priorities: A Nursing PhD Candidate’s Perspective

“I don’t mention my background to suggest that I’m unique, but rather to show how my experiences reflect those of many patients who would benefit from research designed by people who understand their needs.”

AJN has recently discussed the impacts of research budget cuts in The Repercussions of Trump Administration Cuts to NIH and Research Funding and Maternal Health: Funding Cuts Amid an Ongoing Crisis. As a third year in Columbia University’s nursing PhD program, I have also been directly impacted from recent government funding changes.

An application withdrawn without review.

The F31 is a predoctoral fellowship through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that provides funding for dissertation research and training. I applied for the version designated for applicants from underrepresented backgrounds, following the application guidance at the time. But a few weeks ago, I was notified that my application had been retroactively withdrawn without review, as it no longer aligned with the current administration’s research priorities. My application was not transferred to the general F31 pool for funding consideration, which made the decision feel especially unfair.

I spent well over 100 hours on this F31 grant proposal. In collaboration with my research mentors, I focused on the following research question: How do nurses help patients manage […]

2025-05-29T12:11:08-04:00May 29th, 2025|equity, Nursing, nursing research|0 Comments
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On-Demand Nursing Jobs: And Other Recommended Reading from AJN’s June Issue

The June issue of AJN is now live.

What factors are predictive of hypoglycemia among inpatients with type 2 diabetes? Read Timple and colleagues’ Original Research article, “Predictors of Hypoglycemia in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in Acute Care Settings: A Retrospective Correlational Study,” to learn more.

This month’s CE article, “An Adolescent with Undiagnosed Inattentive-Type Attention Deficit–Hyperactivity Disorder and Comorbid Migraine: A Case Report,” describes an adolescent with inattention and migraine who was not diagnosed with ADHD until age 14, when the teen established care with an NP experienced in treating ADHD.

“Professional Licensure: Protecting Your Nursing Livelihood, Part 3,” the final article in a series on protecting one’s nursing license, discusses the public nature of disciplinary action, collateral implications, and suggestions for maintaining one’s license in good standing.

Read about the flexibility, autonomy, and risks of gig nursing in our June AJN Reports, “On-Demand Nursing Jobs.”

In “The Impact of a Low-Technology Medication Organization System on Hospital-at-Home Medication Errors,” the authors describe an interdisciplinary quality improvement project to mitigate errors resulting from misplaced or misused medications among hospital-at-home patients.

“Librarian Partnerships in DNP Education,” the sixth article in a series on how to teach and facilitate […]

2025-05-22T10:58:39-04:00May 27th, 2025|Nursing|0 Comments
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Shingles: The Disease, the Vaccine, and the Role of Nurses in Vaccination Conversations

Shingles: The Disease

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a painful viral condition caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), the same virus responsible for chickenpox. While anyone with a history of chickenpox is at risk of developing shingles, the likelihood increases with age and in those with weakened immune systems. The disease can lead to significant morbidity, including postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), a debilitating complication characterized by persistent nerve pain. Fortunately, effective vaccination exists, and nurses play a critical role in raising awareness, educating patients, and promoting vaccine acceptance.

Image © Shutterstock

Shingles occurs when the varicella-zoster virus, which remains dormant in the dorsal root ganglia after a person recovers from chickenpox, reactivates. This reactivation typically happens decades later, often due to age-related decline in cell-mediated immunity or immunosuppressive conditions. Upon reactivation, the virus travels along sensory nerves to the skin, causing a painful, blistering rash.

Clinical Manifestations

2025-05-21T09:33:47-04:00May 21st, 2025|Nursing|1 Comment
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Maternal Health: Funding Cuts Amid an Ongoing Crisis

Photo © Shutterstock

The United States continues to grapple with a maternal health crisis characterized by significant racial and ethnic disparities in morbidity and mortality. Maternal mortality rates here are at least double (and sometimes triple) those of most other high-income countries, according to a 2024 Commonwealth Fund report. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 80% of U.S. maternal deaths are preventable.

Recent data show some improvement in mortality and morbidity but persistent disparities in who is at greatest risk. Pregnancy-related deaths in 2023 decreased to 18.6 deaths per 100,000 live births from a rate of 22.3 the year before, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Yet the maternal mortality rate for Black women and American Indian and Alaska Native women continues to be more than three times that of White women.

Federal changes threaten efforts to improve care and disparities 

As nurses and other maternal health providers work to address the complex underlying causes of these disparities, their efforts have been challenged in recent months by rapid and unprecedented federal funding and infrastructure cuts. The Trump administration has suspended Title X family planning and preventive health services funding, initiated widespread layoffs of federal health agency […]

2025-05-14T09:36:15-04:00May 14th, 2025|health care policy, Nursing, Public health, women's health|0 Comments
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Views expressed on the blog are solely those of the authors or persons quoted. They do not necessarily reflect AJN’s views or those of Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
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