US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has announced plans to significantly restructure the federal government’s Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP), sparking concerns about vaccine promotion and prevention efforts.
As part of a broader 20,000 position-cutting plan, OIDP staff will be laid off, with some sources estimating around 60 former employees at its peak. This move affects several initiatives, including the “Let’s Get Real” campaign aimed at boosting lagging childhood vaccination rates nationwide.
Other offices overseen by OIDP include the National Vaccine Program and the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the US program. However, it remains unclear what will happen to these programs as part of the restructuring.
The new Health America Agency (AHA) is expected to absorb several HHS agencies, including Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Health Resources and Services Administration. While details on AHA’s leadership are scarce, officials have been informed that HRSA’s administrator Thomas Engels may take the helm in the short term.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-to-gut-vaccine-promotion-and-hiv-prevention-office-sources-say