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Infectious disease experts are expressing concern about President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choices to lead the country’s health agencies and how they will manage a future pandemic.
Written by Sheryl Gay Stolberg
Writing from the nation
Before announcing his selection of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health, President-elect Donald J. Trump had already caused concern within the public health and biomedical community. This announcement further unsettled experts in infectious disease, especially in light of increasing worries about a potential bird flu outbreak.
Dr. Bhattacharya, a medical economist at Stanford University who disagrees with lockdowns, mask mandates, school closures, and other Covid-19 prevention measures, along with other health advisors chosen by Mr. Trump, share similar beliefs. They are all seen as going against mainstream views on Covid-19, which leads to uncertainty about how they would manage a public health crisis related to infectious diseases.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the person chosen by Mr. Trump to be the health secretary, has expressed his desire for the N.I.H. to prioritize chronic diseases rather than infectious diseases for the next eight years. Dr. Martin Makary, the president-elect’s pick to lead the FDA, made an inaccurate prediction in 2021 by stating that the country was heading towards a very low level of infection.
Dr. David Weldon, a Republican ex-congressman chosen by Mr. Trump to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has supported the incorrect belief that thimerosal, a mercury compound in some vaccines, leads to autism. During his time in Congress, he proposed a bill that would remove the C.D.C.’s responsibility for ensuring vaccine safety, claiming that the agency’s promotion of vaccination created a conflict of interest.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, a talk show host chosen by Mr. Trump to oversee Medicare and Medicaid, urged officials in the initial Trump administration to grant emergency approval for the use of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine in treating Covid-19. However, the FDA later rescinded this authorization after studies revealed that the drug posed risks, such as causing severe heart problems, for patients with coronavirus.
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