RESOURCES

After a year of relentless attacks on the health of Americans from the highest levels of government, Defend Public Health believes it is critical to not just fight back against those attacks, but to articulate a positive vision for what U.S. public health can and should be in the future. In our view, we can't just rebuild what has been broken. We must build something better, more expansive, that truly gives everyone in the U.S. access to what they need for a healthy life.

The Trump administration has released new dietary guidance, include recommendations to consume more fat, red meat, and high-fat dairy, and fewer fruits and vegetables.

These recommendations don't align with what the report from expert scientists said. You can read more about it here.

Defend Public Health has filed an amicus brief in support of the lawsuit filed against RFK Jr. by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Public Health Association, and three other health organizations.

RFK Jr. is demolishing the US vaccine program and must be stopped.

Defend Public Health member Mary Canales, PhD, RN shares her thoughts on the attacks on public health, and why it is time for medical professionals to speak truth to power.

In comments submitted for consideration by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at its December 2025 meeting, DPH laid out the value of including hepatitis B vaccination during infancy. DPH urged the committee not to change the current hepatitis B vaccination protocol, which has proven safe and highly effective.

In response to claims by the Trump administration that COVID19 vaccines caused 25 pediatric deaths, Defend Public Health reviewed the scientific evidence from rigorous vaccine safety surveillance systems and expert published reports to demonstrate how we know that COVID19 vaccines do not cause pediatric deaths, and why the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) alone cannot be used to claim that vaccines cause adverse events.

With Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promising to announce what he believes are the causes of autism this month, Defend Public Health is preemptively warning the public not to trust anything that he says on the subject without confirming with other sources. To arm the public with the facts, DPH has released a summary of what is known about the risk factors for autism spectrum disorder, including the extensive evidence that vaccines are not to blame.

As an alternative to HHS Sec. Kennedy's flawed, dishonest "MAHA Report," Defend Public Health offers some key policies to truly improve Americans’ health. While certainly not exhaustive, our report outlines evidence-based approaches we believe would make a real difference. We pay close attention to social determinants of health -- economic and social factors often related to poverty and discrimination -- that play a huge role.

A volunteer network of about 350 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention alumni and concerned citizens with broad expertise has created this series of evidence-based talking points for reaching elected officials about opposing proposed cuts to the CDC.

Defend Public Health is honored to partner with them to make this information available to the public. Please share and amplify.

Scientific training may not prepare you to communicate scientific and medical information to the public -- skills that have become crucial as we work to combat misinformation and disinformation. In this video, immunologist and science communicator Aimee Pugh Bernard, Ph.D., walks us through the basics of communicating scientific information through media interviews.

This slide deck covers the crucial role of Medicaid, drastic cuts to it contained in the House budget bill, and key House and Senate targets for advocacy.

Learn how to shape public opinion and drive action through compelling op-eds and letters to the editor.