Weldon’s long history of criticizing vaccines — and the CDC

President Trump’s nominee to lead the CDC, Dave Weldon, will face senators this morning. The Florida-based physician has kept a low profile since leaving Congress in 2009, but that hasn’t stopped him from questioning vaccine safety and the agency’s role in recommending shots over the years.

Those views put him in line with RFK Jr. and Andrew Wakefield, author of the long-since-retracted MMR vaccine study that ignited panic about autism in 1998.

A STAT review of thousands of pages of Weldon’s congressional archives shows a long association with Wakefield, including efforts to federally fund his autism center. The documents also chronicle the pushback Weldon received from federal health officials and the scientific community.

Today, with an ongoing measles outbreak in Texas and building concerns over RFK Jr.’s vaccine messaging, senators are sure to question where Weldon stands now. More from me on what I learned from his archives.

But first: The Senate’s health committee votes this morning to advance the nominations of Marty Makary as FDA Commissioner and Jay Bhattacharya as NIH director. Refresh yourself on Makary’s commitment to “assess” DOGE cuts and Bhattacharya’s weaving around vaccine studies.

And wait, there’s more: Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump’s pick to lead CMS, appears for his confirmation hearing this Friday. If you haven’t already, check out this deep dive on Oz’s myriad healthcare views, and businesses, from STAT’s Tara Bannow.

vaccine research

HELP chair seeks details on CDC vax study

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said last week that a study on potential links between vaccines and autism would be a waste of time and money, because research has already shown no link. Now, with reports that CDC plans to do precisely that kind of study, Cassidy’s support for Trump health nominees meets its first major test.

The HELP chairman said Tuesday that he’s not sure if the CDC truly intends to launch such a study. A spokesperson told STAT’s John Wilkerson on Wednesday that the senator was still looking for clarity “regarding the accuracy of recent reporting on the supposed CDC study.”

The subject will surely come up in this morning’s hearing with Weldon, who could soon be overseeing such a project. More from John.

addiction policy

Top addiction researcher on NIH cuts, and optimism

The last few weeks of NIH shakeups and policy changes “have increased my blood pressure and heart rate,” Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, told STAT’s Lev Facher in a wide-ranging interview at the NIH’s Bethesda headquarters last week.

But Volkow also sees some bright spots. The longtime addiction researcher shared why she thinks overdose deaths are dropping, including (but not only) more access to medicines for opioid use disorder.

Volkow also shared her thoughts on RFK Jr.’s approach to addiction treatment and what he calls the “gold standard” for care. More from Lev.

at the agencies

HHS reorganizes legal office

HHS announced Tuesday that an FDA lawyer, Robert Foster, is taking on a newly created role as HHS chief counsel for food, research and drugs. Hilary Perkins, most recently at the Department of Justice, will become chief counsel for the FDA. At the same time, HHS said it would whittle its regional offices across the country down to four from 10.

"We’ve been able to recruit higher quality personnel to HHS than in any time in its history,” the secretary said in a statement on the latest hires. But the announcement raised some eyebrows among STAT sources, especially considering RFK Jr.’s attacks on a “revolving door” between government and industry.

Foster was a legal advisor and board member at two biotech companies as recently as this January, according to his LinkedIn profile. Perkins spent years at Jones Day, which has a sizable corporate health care practice.

More recently while at DOJ, Perkins helped defend the Biden administration’s policies regarding mifepristone access, according to Axios. That could put her at odds with some Trump appointees and supporters, though RFK Jr. has said Trump doesn’t have a stance on those policies right now.

telemedicine

Telehealth companies caught in Congressional crosshairs

A group of senators this week sent letters to five telehealth companies that have close relationships with Pfizer and Eli Lilly. The senators are trying to suss out whether contracts between pharma and telehealth companies could violate the federal anti-kickback statute, STAT’s Katie Palmer reports.

The group sent similar letters to the two drugmakers in October. Pfizer said at the time that it paid a one-time setup fee for the website, and payments don’t change based on prescriptions — a key factor in potential kickbacks. Lilly told senators there are guardrails around patient data, too.

The latest round of questions to telehealth companies highlight the regulatory gray area created when virtual care providers market specific drugs, Katie writes. Read more.

maha movement

MAHA makes its White House debut

An array of federal government officials and “Make America Healthy Again” moms convened Tuesday for the first meeting of RFK Jr.’s commission to tackle chronic diseases.

President Trump’s education secretary, agriculture secretary, legal advisers, and press secretary were among those who met with RFK Jr. and MAHA advocates in a closed-door session. Trump last month tasked the commission with drawing up an “initial assessment” of chronic diseases within 100 days and a strategy to combat their prevalence within 180 days.

Leaders of the FDA, NIH, and CDC are expected to join the group once confirmed. More from Isabella Cueto on the inaugural MAHA session.

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