“He hides his smile in every school photo,” Jayden’s mother told me, holding up a picture of her 6-year-old son. I first met Jayden – not his real name –…
Tag: Children’s health
I’m a physician who has looked at hundreds of studies of vaccine safety, and here’s some of what RFK Jr. gets wrong
In the four months since he began serving as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made many public statements about vaccines that…
A preservative removed from childhood vaccines 20 years ago is still causing controversy today − a drug safety expert explains
An expert committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines is meeting for the first time since Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly replaced the…
RFK Jr’s shakeup of vaccine advisory committee raises worries about scientific integrity of health recommendations
On June 11, 2025, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a slate of eight new members to serve on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the Centers…
Teens say they can access firearms at home, even when parents lock them up, new research shows
More than half of U.S. teens living in households with firearms believe they can access and load a firearm at home. Even when their parents report storing all firearms locked…
Game theory explains why reasonable parents make vaccine choices that fuel outbreaks
When outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles occur despite highly effective vaccines being available, it’s easy to conclude that parents who don’t vaccinate their children are misguided, selfish or…
1 in 4 children suffers from chronic pain − school nurses could be key to helping them manage it
Joint pain, headaches, stomachaches, fibromyalgia – the list sounds like an inventory of ailments that might plague people as they age. Yet these are chronic, painful conditions that frequently affect…
RFK Jr. says annual COVID-19 shots no longer advised for healthy children and pregnant women – a public health expert explains the new guidance
On May 27, 2025, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer include the COVID-19 vaccine on…
MAHA report on children’s health highlights harms of ultraprocessed foods – a food scientist explains the research
On May 22, 2025, the White House released a new report highlighting what it claims are the causes of chronic disease in children. The report fleshes out many of the…
Teens of any age who drink alcohol with their parents’ permission drink more as young adults, new research shows
Children and teenagers of any age who sip or taste alcohol with their parents’ permission are more likely to engage in risky drinking in young adulthood. That was the finding…
