I write a substitution focused on primary care.
I also want your reaction to that.
Some readers specifically asked me for no longer evoking politics in my writing. They just want “edifying” things to continue. I aim to keep this tone when I can, but The decline of American public health institutionsFormerly considered among the best in the world despite imperfections, forces a reactionary tone.
As a family doctor who cares about prevention and community health, it would be loose to look in the other direction, or even worse, to normalize the many flagrant affirmations of centralized power and the agenda on the truth and the expertise distributed.
Some examples Last week::
-
Communication checks: Federal health agencies, including CDC, FDA and NIH, have been condemned to stop all external communications, including scientific reports, website updates and health opinions. This included the suspension of the weekly ratio of morbidity and mortality of the CDC (MMWR) and other public health updates. Information sheets on the public domain vaccine that we use primary care every day to advise patients have disappeared – Instead, we get an error message “page you are looking for has not been found”. Some critical information on the H5N1 epidemic has simply been deleted.
-
Research and meetings canceled: Scientific meetings and subsidy examination panels have been abruptly canceled, delaying critical research on issues such as the bird flu epidemic. NIH travel and training workshops have also been suspended. Not traveling affects the ability of scientists to present their work. The NIH Clinical Center can no longer recruit patients in clinical trials due to canceled meetings and silence -reduced information on clinical trials.
-
Approval restrictions: All public documents, including regulations, press releases and publication on social networks, now require the approval of a policy before dissemination.
-
Work with who stopped: Federal health agencies were responsible for arresting collaborations with the World Health Organization (WHO), following an executive decree withdrawing the United States from the organization. About the moment, the International WHO RĂ©union on the Bird Flu will lack CDC representatives, which potentially limits America’s ability to access the crucial global data on the evolution and spread of the virus, This could hinder efforts to prevent human infections and develop treatments.
-
Gel hiring: A government -scale job gel was imposed, with canceled job advertisements and offers drawn in agencies like NIH.
-
Work warrant: Federal health workers had to return to work in person, exacerbating the shortages of labor.
-
Global rule of reinstated gag: The administration has restored restrictions on the financing of international genesic health services.
-
RFK Junior for the secretary in HHS: It is such a waste of time to even consider this type of candidates, chosen for their lack of qualifications and generally antithetical agendas to the missions of institutions. But focusing at least on vaccines, Kennedy claimed to support vaccines during confirmation hearings, contradicting his incredibly long and well -documented story Promote disinformation of vaccinesIncluding demystified complaints connecting autism vaccines. Senators highlighted his previous declarations and actions, such as his non-profit anti-vaccine sale, the millions of dollars he wins personally with anti-vaccination organizations and prosecution, which all raise doubts about his sincerity.
Any of these items are not ok. Nothing is normal.
It is not a “disturbance” in a potentially positive and constructive way. It is just destruction for the sole purpose of centralizing power in our information networks to the detriment of truth, surveillance of public health in real time and open communication.
It is not Going well … But you will not know that it is not ok unless you continue to read the words of those who have real expertise, the decentralized network of scientifically enlightened truth which is now forced to a reluctant resistance. This further calculates the concept of science policy and still merges a conservative tribe against public health, even if we try to defend them with evidence, data and truth. Communication. More provocative doctors, nurses, public health workers, scientists, researchers, elected leaders. Good people.
We can only hope for luck, a certain bravery, a little awakening.
A little regret.
~ ~ ~
Join me and my friends from the Resistance.
~ ~
Sources for the examples cited: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (13)