Is Voldemort tacking away from the crazy vaccine stuff?
- snitzoid
- Mar 25
- 2 min read
I think vaccine deniers are ridiculous and kids should continue to be inoculated. I also think starting at age 3 every child should be given a shot of Ozempic just to make sure they don't turn into a fricken Manatee.
HHS openings may bring course shift
By Peter Sullivan, Axios News
March 26, 2026
Multiple high-level vacancies at federal health agencies are giving the Trump administration a chance to pivot from contentious vaccine policies to a more mainstream public health strategy.
Why it matters: The anticipated nomination of a new CDC director and selection of a top FDA vaccine regulator will be closely watched for signs the White House wants to break from the drama that characterized much of the past year.
Driving the news: The CDC pick could be imminent since acting director Jay Bhattacharya's appointment expires on Thursday unless a permanent nominee is named.
That pick will have to be confirmed by the Senate — a potentially tall order in an election year after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other Trump health nominees antagonized some of the chamber's Republican centrists.
The FDA also is picking a successor for Vinay Prasad, a polarizing figure who oversees vaccines and biologics and picked fights with patient advocates and biotech investors. Many are pushing for a more mainstream choice.
The upheaval is also reaching the CDC's vaccine advisory committee, whose work has been temporarily frozen after a federal judge invalidated Kennedy picks. It's unclear whether a new slate of advisers will be chosen.
Another question mark is surgeon general nominee Casey Means, a Kennedy ally and wellness influencer, who declined to fully urge vaccinations in her confirmation hearing. She remains in limbo, stalled by concerns from some GOP senators.
The big picture: The openings come amid signs the White House is eager to avoid further controversial health moves ahead of the midterm elections.
Chris Klomp, a well-respected former health care investor who's now effectively chief operating officer of HHS, is involved in the sensitive personnel decisions.
Klomp said at a Stat event last week that he wants a CDC director with "unassailably high moral integrity who is deeply experienced and ... is qualified to lead a staggeringly complicated and essential government agency."
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