Impacts of the 2024 change in US government on ME/CFS and Long Covid

The Atlantic: 'The NIH’s Grant Terminations Are ‘Utter and Complete Chaos’

'The Trump administration is rapidly canceling hundreds of grants, in the most aggressive attack yet on American science'

One NIH official put it more bluntly: “It is such utter and complete chaos.”

"The environment at the agency has become suffocatingly toxic. “People are being screamed at, bullied, harassed..."
 
Jaybee00 said:
How a quack TV doctor made it to Washington.
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Those efforts have culminated in Dr. Oz’s nomination by President Trump to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Senate hearings are to begin Friday. If confirmed, his appointment would be yet another signal to a new wave of charismatic health personalities that science and evidence are negotiable in the service of ambition.
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https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/nih-grants-mrna-vaccines-trump-administration-hhs-rfk/

Scientists Say NIH Officials Told Them To Scrub mRNA References on Grants

The mRNA technology is under study at the NIH for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, including flu and AIDS, and also cancer. It was deployed in the development of covid-19 vaccines credited with saving 3 million lives in the U.S. alone — an accomplishment President Donald Trump bragged about in his first term.

A scientist at a biomedical research center in Philadelphia wrote to a colleague, in an email reviewed by KFF Health News, that a project officer at NIH had “flagged our pending grant as having an mRNA vaccine component.”

“It’s still unclear whether mRNA vaccine grants will be canceled,” the scientist added.

NIH officials also told a senior NIH-funded vaccine scientist in New York state, who does not conduct mRNA vaccine research but described its efficacy in previous grant applications, that all references to mRNA vaccines should be scrubbed from future applications.

Scientists relayed their experiences on the condition of anonymity for fear of professional retaliation by the Trump administration.

A senior official at the National Cancer Institute confirmed that NIH acting Director Matthew Memoli sent an email across the NIH instructing that any grants, contracts, or collaborations involving mRNA vaccines be reported up the chain to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s office and the White House.

Memoli sent a similar message ahead of the agency canceling other research, such as studies of vaccine hesitancy.

Memoli’s email on that topic bluntly stated that NIH was not interested in learning why people shun vaccines or in exploring ways to “improve vaccine interest and commitment.”

More at link: https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/nih-grants-mrna-vaccines-trump-administration-hhs-rfk/
 
From the Columbia University NIH funded Centre thread
Columbia University has agreed to a list of demands by the Trump administration i
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Columbia University signals it will comply with Trump administration's demands
From that link:
The administration's nine demands include that Columbia ban masks, "complete disciplinary proceedings" for some student protesters, formalize a definition for antisemitism, reform its admissions process and place its Middle East, South Asian and African Studies department under "academic receivership," among other priorities, according to the letter the administration sent to Columbia last week.
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Obviously there's a lot to be concerned about, and I guess banning masks is not as bad as some things. But, what does 'banning masks' actually mean?

I found this article:
Caving to Trump’s Demands, Columbia University Says It Will Ban Mask-Wearing
While Columbia does claim its mask ban allows for “medical exemptions,” it’s unclear whether this is for people with existing health issues or for people who currently have an infectious disease, similar to the North Carolina law.
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As I reported, North Carolina passed the first state-level ban on masks in response to pro-Palestinian protestors. That was followed by a ban in Nassau County, New York, where police officers did not receive adequate training on what health exemptions could look like.
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There are reasons for concern that a mask ban on a university campus could likewise be poorly implemented. “You’re not allowed to interrogate somebody about their private health information, or family member’s or loved one’s health information,” New York Civil Liberties Union senior attorney Beth Haroules told me previously, a fact Nassau County officials had apparently overlooked.
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At this point it is not at all clear what a ban on mask-wearing in a university or more generally means or how it could be enforced. Surely people with a medical reason to wear a mask won't be prohibited from doing so, but there seems to be laws that prevent people having to provide details about private health information or that of their family and friends.
Edited to add - so a mask wearer could be challenged as to their reason for wearing the mask, and they could say that it is for medical reasons, and, then what?
 
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Dr Jeremy Faust writing in Inside Medicine (Substack) — Scoop: HHS Office of Long Covid Research and Practice to close this week.

The Office of Long COVID Research and Practice will close as soon as this week, according to an internal HHS email obtained by Inside Medicine. The authenticity of the email was confirmed by a government employee familiar with the situation.
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Here is the text of the email:

Dear Colleagues,

We are writing to let you know that the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice will be closing as part of the administration’s reorganization coming this week. We are proud of what we have accomplished together in advancing understanding, resources, and support for people living with Long COVID.

Over the last 3+ years, we have built meaningful connections and fruitful collaborations across the federal landscape to support this work. While our office is closing, we hope that the work we have been dedicated to will continue in some form. Updates will be shared as they become available.

Thank you again for your collaboration and commitment.

Best regards,

Ian Simon, Ph.D.

Director, Office of Long COVID Research and Practice

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health​
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Edit: and propagating on social media [1] [2] [3]
 
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Jaybee00 said:
https://wapo.st/4c2BMPr

Vaccine skeptic hired to head federal study of immunizations and autism
A long-discredited researcher and vaccine skeptic will conduct a government study on whether vaccines cause autism.

When does this end?
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It doesn't. This is a profound shift in the culture of public funding of research in the richest nation. There will never be a wholesale switch back to the previous relatively secure position of accademics deciding what is or isn't science, or is or isn't accademic probity. Ownership now lies with political demand and in a country with a huge anti science set of politically motivated beliefs which in turn means the political voice of 'anti science' will have a lasting influence on the culture of science. Health and health research advocacy is going to have to adapt to this cultural change where potentially all illnesses are contested diseases.
 
Yann04 said:
Also does the post deserve it’s own thread. I feel like it’s pretty big news about the Columbia ME/CFS shutting down.
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I haven't heard yet about the other NIH-funded ME/CFS centers, but I assume they'll all be shut down. Of course, the president has particular animus for Columbia because they rejected his offer to sell them property for $400 million back when, according to the NYT. So maybe others are spared so far.
 
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