Here are a couple of photos of Robert Kennedy Jr. at President Elon Musk’s cabinet meeting this week. Kennedy is head of Health and Human Services, which gives him broad oversight over the Centers for Disease Control, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (in case of emergency health crises), the National Institutes of Health, the Office of Global Affairs, and the Food & Drug Administration. That’s just a fraction of HHS’s purview, but those are some of the biggest parts of Kennedy’s job. One of the first items on Kennedy’s agenda was mass layoffs at the CDC, NIH and FDA.
Just this week, there’s been an abundance of Kennedy wingnuttery all around vaccines. The Trump administration wants to pull funding for Moderna’s development of a bird flu vaccine. Kennedy also paused a multimillion-dollar project to develop a Covid-19 vaccine which could be taken orally. But nothing is stupider than this: Kennedy is f–king with the development of this year’s flu shot.
The scheduled meeting to begin planning this fall’s flu vaccine has been canceled by the Food and Drug Administration. Members of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), who advise the FDA on expected flu strains to be targeted by the vaccine, said they were told the meeting was canceled, the New York Times reports.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says VRBPAC “makes the final decision about which vaccine viruses to include in the composition of domestic flu vaccines,” using research on which flu strains are “most likely to spread and cause illness.”
Formulating the vaccines takes time, committee member Dr. Paul Offit of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told the NYT. “It’s a six-month production cycle. So one can only assume that we’re not picking flu strains this year.”
The reason for the cancellation was not given. The news has sparked concern about the fate and effectiveness of the upcoming vaccines, given Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. controversial statements criticizing vaccines, likening vaccine schedules to “Hitler’s Germany.”
The whole reason why “annual flu shots” are a thing is because every year, the CDC and FDA work for months to tailor the flu shots to the different strains of influenza going around that year. It’s literally one of the best parts of modern medicine – people can get a little shot once a year and they won’t die of influenza. For most people, the flu shot is even free! The reality that Kennedy’s unhinged anti-vaxx wingnuttery extends to FLU SHOTS is beyond immoral. Also: it really feels like the Trump administration has decided to pursue a plan of action which will kill off as many seniors as possible as quickly as possible. Seniors are the ones who most need an annual, updated flu shot. They’re the ones most at risk of dying from the flu.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
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- Washington, WA – President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House as Elon Musk’s call for federal employees to justify their roles faces resistance within the administration. Pictured: Donald Trump BACKGRID USA 26 FEBRUARY 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Washington, DC – United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner, top right, prays with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US President Donald Trump, and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington. Elon Musk’s demand that more than two million federal employees defend their work is facing pushback from other powerful figures in the Trump administration, in a sign that the billionaire’s brash approach to overhauling the government is creating division. Pictured: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. BACKGRID USA 26 FEBRUARY 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Washington, DC – United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner, top right, prays with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US President Donald Trump, and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington. Elon Musk’s demand that more than two million federal employees defend their work is facing pushback from other powerful figures in the Trump administration, in a sign that the billionaire’s brash approach to overhauling the government is creating division. Pictured: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. BACKGRID USA 26 FEBRUARY 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
So this is how it ends!!!! We will all die from the flu. My god what a f**king idiot. Please American military a coup is desperately needed. Come take the lunatics away!!!
Remember, economic black out day today! Don’t buy from the oligarchs today. Don’t buy from companies who have give money to Trump, and/or are abandoning DEI. No ordering from Amazon, Walmart, Target, Tj Maxx, etc. Costco is still on the right side of history, but please don’t buy from them today either. We need to send a message with our wallets.
I remember when the refrain from people downplaying COVID was “way, way more people die from the flu” and it’s true many, many older people and a not insignificant number of children, the immunocompromised, and others are hospitalized and die from the flu every year. It’s very deadly and just like COVID, people can pass it along without having symptoms or knowing they are sick yet (combined with how the US incentivizes going to work or school when you’re sick due to poor sick leave options, this is a problem). I believe nearly 20,000 have died just this flu season alone. 20K!
But the reason we don’t see flu pandemics (such as in the early 1900s) killing millions globally is because we’ve mastered identifying which strains are likely to be problematic and enough people (particularly in the most vulnerable populations and those who care for them) get vaccinated to keep things in check.
Not having the right strains in the vaccine, not promoting uptake, and making it harder for people to find, get, or afford those vaccines will absolutely kill people.
Contact your representatives and senators about this non-medically trained screwball! Today! All of them! Especially if any of your senators belong to the tRumpublican cabal that voted for this nutjob to mess with your health.
If he persists in this then every person who has a relative die from the flu or suffer aftereffects needs to bring a lawsuit.
If we’re all going to die from the flu, I hope his stupid ass goes first.
…or third.
Oh, I’m hoping for something more…lingering for the others.
Would be karmic justice but you know these dishonest fools are secretly protecting themselves and their families.
This is true. Remember when Trump got the COVID vaccine and was booed by his supporters for doing so! This man is the definition of doublespeak
You don’t have to pay Medicare and Social Security to dead seniors. This is short-sighted population control.
Correct. Culling the old and expensive. And how many of them voted for all of this.
Exactly, Kiki. Apparently my aunt complained to my mom that soooo many people were coming down with the flu and stomach flu in her nursing home. Turns out, you get what you pay (vote) for.
Yep. Seniors are out of the baby making years and fiscally make no significant contributions to the economy, in the view of this government.
I work retail PT and our shopper demographic trends older. Anecdotally, the last 3 months we are seeing significantly higher numbers of people masked up than we have in the last 3 years. A lot, not all, also think Felon47 and RFK Jr are idiots (and that’s being kind). And they are ready to revolt if they touch their Medicare or SSI.
I was talking with a friend of mine who works at CMS a few months ago (after the election) and she was talking about potential cuts to Medicare and I said something like “so many people are going to die” and she said “and that’s exactly what they want.”
Chilling but true.
To be fair guys, seniors did vote for Kamala. She edged Trump out slightly for seniors voting for her by 2% according to a nytimes/Siena poll. Yes, older voters still show a preference for Trump, but I want to arm my fellow Celebitchers w knowledge and let’s not sell grandma down the river yet!
The youth vote was what surprised us!
Yep. It also frees ups jobs that can have salary reductions for new hires and housing.
Cruelty is the point.
Plane crash, preventable disease, unmonitored nuclear silos, they don’t care how, they just want us to die.
You are absolutely correct..
I guess that’s one way to cut Social Security and Medicare.
I am terrified for my toddler daughter. She goes to daycare – the flu is going around like crazy this year. Her ped said that people who are vaccinated are not getting severe symptoms. My daughter already uses an inhaler for respiratory issues for which she’s been hospitalized in the past. What are we going to do in the fall?
Could they use the 2024-25 model? From the statistics I’ve seen it’s about 45% effective. Actually, it doesn’t seem they’re more successful than that in predicting what flu strain to target. Other years have been less successful – 2018 was just 29%. But I still get my flu shot.
Stay home. But it isn’t feasible. 6 of 10 voted for this freak. 6 of 10. Blows my mind
I sincerely doubt the outcome of the election. There’s enough evidence that Trump didn’t win that I can only scratch my head as to why Harris didn’t request manual recounts.
Only the freaks wanted this, and nothing will convince me otherwise. Otherwise why would Trump have bragged about the little twitter hair plugs guy knowing “all about the vote counting machines.”
It wasn’t quite the blowout that the media initially claimed and the MAGA continues to claim. The raw margin of his win in the popular vote was pretty low so it wasn’t the mandate they claim. 150M eligible voters didn’t vote at all so, ultimately it’s about a third of the US that was actively for this crap and a third that didn’t care because they figured they weren’t the ones who’d get hurt – yes, this is a complete indictment of the American people but some of those who didn’t care, are gonna start caring when their kids/grandkids get measles, the flu/COVID/RSV lands them in the hospital (and they have to pay for that admission) and/or they realize that dying of TB isn’t as romantic as they may have thought from watching movies.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/the-size-of-donald-trumps-2024-election-victory-explained-in-5-charts
@pottymouth I think some of the ones who didn’t vote don’t like DT but couldn’t bring themselves to vote for a woman. I wonder how much was voter suppression by DT and his minions also. Maybe scaring people away.
It was only 24% of Americans voted for Trump, that’s what happens when eligible voters don’t show up at the polls. You get this!
Sh@t is going to get real if countries make if mandatory for Americans to get certain vaccinations.
Scheduled my measles booster for next week, just in case that happens. I may start getting my flu shots when I travel now.. luckily I travel to Detroit often and it’s easy for me to get to Canada.
Same here. You can get tested to see if measles antibodies are in your blood (or whatever–I’m not a doctor) but if they are not, I’m getting a booster for measles.
Sounds like it’s time to start protesting about flu shots for fall. I’m constantly around people for my job and I’m not ready to die because an anti-vaxxer with a face like old leather is in the job.
@bluesky, I hope they start doing it soon. Wouldn’t it be hilarious if for Trump’s “unprecedented” second state dinner only a small percentage of the US contingent would be allowed into the UK for lack of vaccines?! 🤣
Hoping that after the disgraceful display today with Zelensky the state visit invite gets revoked.
All instances of national/regional disease control work together for things like developing flu vaccines, with the WHO.
Australia/New Zealand/Japan, to a lesser extent South America too, report what has worked, and how strains are evolving, and then North African CDCs plus the EU, and associates like Switzerland and Norway, join with the US and Canada. I do hope Canada send their own delegation to us, and I hope there are people in the US who are still employed in places where they can make decisions.
This antivaxxer lunacy goes beyond the US, sadly, even if it will hurt the US most, but the damage to global public health will be immense, and it will take *decades* afterwards to clean it all up and recreate a functioning network.
This esoteric quackery will cost many lives, not only in the US.
IDK I could see it hurting everyone equally, which is both a sad and terrifying thought.
USAID in particular plays a critical role in preventing and controlling infectious diseases. It funds programs to strengthen health systems and provide essential support research and development of vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics to other countries. Without that crucial funding, it will be much harder to control and monitor outbreaks that might start in other countries and spread to the rest of the world.
If only our oligarchy had an ounce of shame…..
What you say makes so much sense because OF COURSE the oligarchs want as many people dead in rare mineral rich countries. I think there are a few African nations that have minerals oligarchs want and the less resistance there is to taking those resources, the better.
I still don’t think the GOP won the election, but there are way too may stupid people who fell for right wing propaganda and really think this is about “personal rights” and “free speech.” And probably eggs, but those mouth breathers have gone quiet for some reason…
EXACTLY, Betsy. If we’re talking Africa alone: Zimbabwe, Mali, Democratic Republic of Congo all have a large lithium reserve. Madagascar, Burundi, Tanzania and oh look! South Africa all are involved in rare mineral production. I wonder if there’s a South African in our government–perhaps one who’s father owned an emerald mine in Zambia– who might be familiar with such things….
And to your other point, even if you believe this was a free and fair election (I have my doubts) it’s still a difference of Trump getting 2M more votes which really ain’t shit. We need to always remind ourselves that at least half of this country has always hated him and always will. He will never EVER have more than 50% of the country supporting him. It’s a small consolation given our current hellscape but it’s still nice to know that those numbers will never move.
Just look at that face.. ravaged by bitterness and addiction and more…. The face of health? I think not
If you told me he was 85, I’d believe you.
It’s the face of pure evil.
As a senior this is particularly terrifying for me. All I can do now is hope and pray that the researchers still quietly formulate the vaccine. Horrors!
Imagine voting for a president who is assembling an administration that is actively trying to kill it’s country’s citizens. Shuttering rural hospitals, decimating critical veterans’ services, courting another pandemic, decimating social safety programs for the poor and elderly, inviting another terrorist attack…so many different ways for us to die with these fucking psychopaths at the helm.
💯. Multiple pathways to death, as I commented below.
Forgot about the airplanes…thanks for reminding me to add it to the list. It’s never felt safer to be an American! *sob*
I have multiple family members traveling by plane over the next few days and I am terrified. Never was before.
Honest question – i don’t know how these things work – can’t these organizations have zoom meetings and email chains where they can figure this stuff out? Doesn’t need to be an actual physical conference does it? Can RFK actually prevent a shot from being developed? He’s not at these institutions day to day. I realize he can cut staffing and funding but surely some enterprising people can work in the shadows to work this out? 🤷🏻♀️
These are really sick people who’ve come into power. It’s like a horror movie.
The only way any of this makes sense is to simply accept the fact that they are trying to kill us all. If the flu doesn’t get us, an airplane crash will. They are opening multiple paths to death for the ordinary citizen. Best of luck to all my fellow Americans here!
The red state magats are still rejoicing their tangerine false idol while not grasping that most states receiving Medicaid funds rename the program a name specific to their state to conceal the federal origins (TennCare here). Dear lort.
I’ve seen many people crowing about Medi-Cal getting cut, specifically. Medi-Cal IS state funded, there are actually people who want to stick it to California, where their state is actually federally funded. It is a disaster!
As the Turkish proverb says, ‘When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus!’
This is an extinction burst that we have to figure out a way to survive. If we survive and get to the other side of it, there’s a major reckoning to be had if we’re going to have a future at al–a hopeful future I mean, not just a future where humans doggedly persist through a dark age, focused on nothing but daily survival, It’s that bleak to me.
Same, lanne.
I’m immunocompromised. I work from home, and have the resources to get health care, etc., but so many other people don’t. I don’t see how we come out of this intact as a nation.
Remember the national boycott today. No spending today!
I work in healthcare as a respiratory therapist and flu shots are essential! Flu A has been awful this year with most patients admitted to the hospital testing positive. I’m safer at work with my annual flu shot (and masked up) and will be beyond upset if the upcoming flu shot is derailed. This is so dangerous
Public Health Nurse here from a Federally Qualified Health Center serving the Latino population (yes, we are GRIPPED): OK, so hospitals will now be overloaded with cases because preventative care is being defunded. Not to mention death rates. These super rich people will never feel the consequences of their actions, which is, of course, the point.
Is there anyone still working at the CDC? I thought President Musk fired them all.
Yes! I work at CDC. About 700 of us were fired on Valentine’s Day/President’s Day weekend, but most of us are still on the job. Federal agencies have been told to submit plans by March 13 for another round of mass firings and a reorganization, and the government is only funded through March 14 so another shutdown is looming. We are proud to serve our country through our work at CDC, but it’s been hard to focus on our jobs because we are all terrified and demoralized. (Which is EXACTLY what this administration wants.) If you have time, please call your senators and representatives and ask them to protect federal employees. We just want to do our jobs!
LK, thank you for your service, especially now. You’re a hero.
Fed here, too, @LK. I feel for you. I have today off–and I’m staying out of the stores!–and I’ll call all my reps. This insanity has to stop!
I read somebody talking about the time when a football player in England whose last name was Kennedy missed an easy goal and his manager said at the time “they shot the wrong Kennedy”, I believe that quote would imply very well here.
😂
“apply” not “imply”, damnit ! I was so happy with my joke only to end up pulling an Hillaria Baldwin !
Despite getting the flu shot this year, I still got the flu. Roughly 24 of hell where I thought I was going to die, at the very least thinking my daughter and I might share a hospital room.
The next 48 was still difficult, weak, couldn’t eat, etc. I am so thankful for the stupid shot, thinking of how much worse it could have been.
I cannot imagine not getting a Vax this year.
Sadly, this is only the beginning. It won’t stop with the flu vaccine, but updated covid boosters too. Then, they will try to find ways to slow down production or development of other vaccines. I wouldn’t be surprised if some vaccines get pulled off the market for dubious reasons — RFK and his brain worm have it made it know they have disdain for the HPV vaccine, which has been such a game-changer. If you have kids at least 11 years old and haven’t gotten them their HPV vaccine yet, please do it soon.
Dr. Zachary Rubin MD (Pediatrics and Allergy/Immunology) is a good one to follow for infectious diseases news.
He said his biggest concern is whether flu vaccines will be ready on time this year. He said FDA typically follows WHO guidance so expects that would be the case (he did not address whether this might not be the case since the executive order to withdraw from the WHO, but hopefully we still would have access to this info even if we don’t contribute to the body of info).
https://open.substack.com/pub/drrubin/p/will-there-be-a-flu-vaccine-ready
Can’t the Kennedy family do something to rein in this fool?! I know Caroline denounced him in every way she could and his appointment as head of the HHS. I just wish they fought him harder, or did something to come out in support of vaccinations in this country. The Kennedy name used to mean something to this country, something good. Maybe they’re just as discouraged as the rest of us with what’s going on, and are hunkering down for the next 4 years, who knows? I know it’s meaningless, that with this administration, if you cut off one’s head, another even ghastlier one will just sprout up in its place. I was so relieved when Biden won the presidency in 2020. Four more years of living with this constant stress and fear. People dying unnecessarily. If I had the means, I would leave.