Newsroom | Defend Public Health

Private sector, philanthropy can’t replace Trump administration science cuts

Defending Public Health coordinating committee members James Alwine and Gregg Gonsalves discuss the scope of science funding cuts proposed by the Trump administration and why private philanthropy cannot fill the gap.

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ACIP Approves Several Vaccines but Reveals Serious Problems

At this week’s meeting of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, members voted to approve influenza vaccine as well as monoclonal antibodies for RSV prevention despite several of them apparently struggling to understand the data presented by scientists. Members of Defend Public Health said today that while these votes were encouraging, going forward, healthcare providers and insurers should be wary of relying on ACIP for decision-making related to which vaccines to offer or cover.

The 11-Mile Drive That Revolutionized Science

Virologist and DPH coordinating committee member James Alwine discusses key moments in his career, the power of NIH research funding, why “silly science” saves lives, and the Trump administration threats now dismantling the foundations of health research. This is part 1 of a 2-part conversation -- part 2 will be out in early July.

Ohio newborns and their families will pay the price for Medicaid cuts.

DPH member Teri Mills and co-author Eileen Gordon review the impact proposed Medicaid cuts in the Trump budget bill will have on care for pregnant women, newborns, and seniors in Ohio.

The nation

Bill Cassidy: A Profile in Cowardice

DPH Coordinating Committee member Gregg Gonsalves profiles Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Senator and physician, whose unwillingness to stand up for his principles has paved the way for RFK Jr to implement his anti-vaccine crusade.

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As Predicted, HHS Secretary RFK Jr. Spreads Dangerous Public Health Disinformation

On the CounterPoint radio show, DPH Coordinating Committee member Elizabeth Jacobs discusses her alarm at Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s changes to COVID vaccine recommendations for pregnant women and children; as well as removing all 17 sitting members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee.

RFK Jr. vaccine panel puts nation at risk

In this syndicated piece that ran in over 20 outlets nationwide, DPH coordinating committee members James Alwine and Elizabeth Jacobs lay out the potentially lethal consequences of HHS Secretary Kennedy's sudden replacement of the entire Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and analyze his "ludicrous" justifications for this reckless action.

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Defend Public Health Responds to SCOTUS Decision on Gender-Affirming Care

DPH calls the Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Skrmetti "a sad day for transgender young people and their families in Tennessee, as well as those in other states that have passed or are considering these sorts of unscientific bans" and reiterates that we consider gender-affirming care to be "essential healthcare and a necessary part of public health.”

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Humanizing Public Health: A Q&A with Dr. Perry N. Halkitis

Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH, is the Dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health. A leading public health psychologist, researcher, and advocate, Halkitis has been a vocal critic of health disparities and the politicization of public health, emphasizing evidence-based interventions to address infectious diseases. His forthcoming book, Humanizing Public Health: How Disease- centered Approaches Have Failed Us, to be published by Johns Hopkins University Press in 2026 explores the historical and contemporary challenges of public health through a socio-political lens.

Dismantling the CREID Network Is a Dangerous Gamble with Global Health

DPH member Aimee Pugh Bernard and colleagues lay out the potentially disastrous consequences of the administration's decision to shut down the Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases (CREID) Network, "our early warning system" for new disease threats.

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Don’t be confused by RFK Jr.’s federal COVID-19 vaccine policy – protect yourself and your loved ones by getting vaccinated

DPH member Jeoffry B. Gordon discusses how RFK Jr's firing of CDC's vaccine advisory panel and other policy decisions could undermine public confidence in vaccinations and the need to support ongoing vaccinations to maintain public health.

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The future of vaccine recommendations

In an abrupt move this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr fired all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisory panel and replaced them with new members saying it will restore public trust in the shots. Dr. Perry Halkitis, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health, shares more.