The problem with "shared decision making" on vaccine recs - 31 May 2025
Two cryptocurrency selling regimes in the Americas join together to leave world health behind and form their own bs wellness org.
CDC ACIP doctor already explained the problem with "shared decision making" on vaccine recommendations.
And I quoted this in my CDC ACIP public comment.
CIDRAP - CDC revises recommendation for COVID vaccines in kids Chris Dall, MA May 30 2025 at 4:05 p.m. The changes partly reflect a new position on COVID vaccine recommendations for healthy children announced earlier in the week by Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., though they do not go as far as Kennedy had suggested. Clinical judgment, personal preference - The CDC childhood immunization schedule now says that healthy children ages 6 months to 17 years, when the parent expresses a desire for their child to vaccinated, "may receive COVID-19 vaccination, informed by the clinical judgement of a healthcare provider and personal preference and circumstances."
So not really a win for public health. And pro-vaccine people advocating for public health ought to know better than to parrot these anti-vax right-wing talking points about personal choice.
Meeting the anti-vaxxers halfway to hell just means we’re closer to hell and further away from public health.
🗞️ In the news
CIDRAP Woman dies from brain ameba after flushing nose with RV water Jim Wappes May 30 2025 at 2:39 p.m. "In addition, the pathogen might have been present at the time of sampling but at levels below the detection limit. Whether the municipal water system or the RV potable water tank was the source of contamination is unknown, because the tank might have contaminated the RV potable water system before connection to the campground municipal water system." They conclude, "This case reinforces the potential for serious health risks associated with improper use of nasal irrigation devices, as well as the importance of maintaining RV water quality and ensuring that municipal water systems adhere to regulatory standards."
There’s no magic in any of the covid tests on the market.
Getting what’s convenient (and legal) for yourself is the way to go. There are no silver bullets available anyhow. You still need a multi-layered strategy. There’s no a la carte option if you want to, or need to, avoid covid.
I have heard that people are contemplating or suggesting switching to pet covid tests just to get their preferred brand because they have loyalty to a brand that’s been, I’ve noticed, cultivated with creating a community around it, high pressure sales tactics, and over rosy promises. This is not reasonable and people should get advice from medical professionals and certainly not randos on social media. Get human covid tests if you’re testing humans, and get pet tests for pets.
If you care about infectious disease mitigations, you can call or write to your representatives in government if you don’t think there are enough options. The politicians you vote for, who consider you a constituent may actually listen if they hear from people in their districts / states. Just make sure you’re spending your time doing advocacy that matters for your life and makes sense in these troubled times, and you aren’t just being duped into wasting your precious time doing lobbying for some foreign entities who just see rousing Americans to act rashly as a cheaper option than buying Trump crypto.
I have also heard that people think they can bring contraband products into the US, or personally ship contraband products to Americans and make some money at distributing it or make it some kind of a “swap” of in kind goods. The FDA has rules for “personal importation” also, meaning “a product not for further sale or distribution into U.S. commerce.” Or distribution into US commerce. And those rules have their own set of criteria as well: https://www.fda.gov/industry/import-basics/personal-importation
If you want to know what the government is requiring, consult the government official documentation, don’t rely on people in zoom meetups and social media group chats. Call the office of your representatives. Politicians employ staff to help people navigate government policies. If you’re planning on doing commerce or doing something as a business though, you might be best consulting a lawyer in that case.
The headline we should be seeing: Two cryptocurrency selling regimes in the Americas join together to leave world health behind and form their own bs wellness organization.
Unfortunately the media isn’t doing a great job with this one.
Quote:
“I don’t think people should be taking medical advice from me.” — RFKJr