President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford doctor and economist identified for his critiques of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates, to function director of the Nationwide Institutes of Well being (NIH).
Bhattacharya gained prominence as a co-author of the Nice Barrington Declaration, a controversial 2020 manifesto that opposed widespread lockdowns, advocating as a substitute for “centered safety” of susceptible populations whereas permitting the virus to unfold amongst lower-risk teams to attain herd immunity.
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The declaration, broadly criticized by mainstream scientists and public well being officers, framed Bhattacharya as a divisive determine in public well being debates.
If confirmed by the Senate, Bhattacharya will oversee the NIH’s $48 billion finances and 27 institutes, which fund vital analysis on ailments like most cancers and diabetes, the New York Occasions writes. He has referred to as for important reforms to the NIH, arguing that the company suffers from “groupthink” and overreach by entrenched civil servants, an NPR report provides.
“Collectively, Jay and RFK Jr. will restore the NIH to a Gold Customary of Medical Analysis as they study the underlying causes of, and options to, America’s greatest well being challenges, together with our Disaster of Power Sickness and Illness,” Trump wrote in a Fact Social put up.
Nevertheless, critics fear his management might undermine public belief in science, given his previous positions on COVID-19 insurance policies. Dr. Francis Collins, former NIH director, beforehand dismissed Bhattacharya’s views as “fringe.” Nevertheless, he has acknowledged that pandemic methods could have over-prioritized public well being targets on the expense of financial and social concerns.
Bhattacharya’s partnership with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s choose to steer the Division of Well being and Human Companies, has additional fueled issues. Kennedy’s historical past of selling unscientific theories about vaccines and different well being measures raises questions on how NIH analysis priorities would possibly shift beneath their management.
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