Conspiracy theorists are hijacking once trusted health sources. Don’t believe them | Editorial

This editorial is the fourth in a series by the Akron Beacon Journal Editorial Board exploring the impact federal budget cuts and policies are having on this region and its residents.

Remember when we relied on agencies like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to provide unbiased health guidance based on science and fact?

Today, anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists increasingly are hijacking these and other once trustworthy and credible government agencies — and vulnerable Americans could end up paying the ultimate price.

In recent months, a series of questionable recommendations has been issued by federal health leaders and the president of the United States. 

Take, for instance, the recent Tylenol blowup.

During a press conference last month, President Donald Trump said the Food and Drug Administration is warning about a supposed link between taking acetaminophen during pregnancy and autism.

“Don’t take Tylenol,” Trump said repeatedly. “Fight like hell not to take it.”

The announcement was promptly criticized by health experts, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Dr. Ellie Ragsdale, an OB-GYN and director of fetal intervention at UH Cleveland Medical Center, went on social media to explain that the study referenced by Trump and the FDA “is fraught with many complications,” particularly its lack of control for genetic causes.

Larger studies that did control for genetics found no association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and any neurologic issues with children, she said.

“We have to think about facts,” she said. “The first thing that we know is fever is detrimental in pregnancy. It is associated with birth defects. Significant times of stress and inflammation and pain are associated with preterm labor and other pregnancy complications. Tylenol is really the only safe and effective pain medication and fever reducer that we have that we can use in pregnancy.”

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s vaccine panel also recently voted to change recommendations for the MMRV vaccine, no longer recommending that children younger than 4 take the combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine. The new recommendations state children ages 12-15 months should receive a separate MMR vaccine from the varicella vaccine.

Typically, health experts recommend combination formulations, like the MMRV vaccine, because they target more than one pathogen with fewer shots. Research has shown patients are more likely to complete a recommended vaccine series when fewer shots are required.

In late August, the FDA updated its approval for COVID-19 vaccines, saying they are only recommended for those over 65 and people with existing health problems.

Health insurance companies have vowed to cover the COVID-19 vaccines “with no cost-sharing for patients through the end of 2026,” according to America’s Health Insurance Plans.

What happens after that is unclear.

Most large employers that provide health insurance benefits for workers and their families will continue to cover Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccines, James Gelfand, president and CEO of the ERISA Industry Committee, told USA TODAY.

However, there are no similar guarantees for the millions of Americans covered by the government-run Medicare and Medicaid programs.

We’ve heard the “my body, my choice” argument that people have the right to decide which vaccinations they receive. But what about the rights of those who want to follow the science and get vaccinated? 

If certain vaccines are no longer covered by government insurance programs because FDA recommendations change, many people who want to be protected might not have the choice anymore.

None of this is surprising. Kennedy has a history of advocating against vaccines, saying they are not safe or effective and could potentially lead to autism, despite numerous studies debunking that assertion.

Do we really want to forgo medical advances that have helped extend the average lifespan from 69.7 in 1960 to 78.4 years today? The World Health Organization estimates vaccinations prevent 4 million to 5 million deaths annually.

Northeast Ohio is home to some of the nation’s top-rated medical institutions. And we’re pleased to see our region’s physicians are speaking out.

The Academy of Medicine of Cleveland & Northern Ohio, one of the largest regional medical associations in the country with more than 7,500 physician members, issued a statement last month urging everyone to continue routine vaccinations rather than following what it calls the “unscientific advice” of RFK Jr.

The physician group also called for Kennedy’s resignation, to “protect the public’s health” and to stop him from “undermining the public’s confidence in American medical science.”

Unsure what to believe?

Talk to your doctor. Listen to advice that’s grounded in science.

Your health could depend on it.

This piece was written by Akron Beacon Journal Executive Editor Cheryl Powell on behalf of the editorial board of the Beacon Journal. Editorials are fact-based assessments of issues of importance to the communities we serve. These are not the opinions of our reporting staff members, who strive for neutrality in their reporting. 

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Conspiracy theorists are hijacking once trusted health sources. Don’t believe them | Editorial