Federal Court quashes Justice Department (DOJ) subpoena for youth medical records. Federal district Judge Mark A. Kearney found that the DOJ lacked the authority to subpoena names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, home addresses, and clinical notes from patients receiving gender-affirming care at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Judge Kearney wrote that the privacy concerns of patients and their families “far outweigh” the DOJ’s investigative interests. Federal Government does not commemorate World AIDS Day for the first time. The World Health Organization (WHO) created World AIDS Day in 1988 to remember the millions of people who died of AIDS-related illnesses and commit to fight the epidemic. The Trump Administration’s decision not to commemorate World AIDS Day marks the first time since its creation that the United States government has not done so. The lack of any official commemoration of the annual event comes amidst the Administration’s steep funding cuts for global AIDS awareness and prevention efforts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) panel votes to change Hepatitis B vaccine recommendations. A panel of vaccine advisors selected by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. voted 8-3 on December 5th to lift the decades-long recommendation that all newborns receive the Hepatitis B vaccine. Medical and public health experts widely criticized the move, citing the fact that, while babies born to uninfected mothers are unlikely to contract Hepatitis B, not all mothers are tested, some mothers receive false negatives, and others become infected shortly after testing. Hepatitis B carries serious health risks including permanent liver damage, cancer, and death. The vote provides a recommendation that goes to the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for final approval before implementation. |
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