Robert Califf Heads FDA Again Despite Financial Ties to Pharma
Robert M. Califf, MD was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by a vote of 50-46 on Feb. 15, 2022. Dr. Califf’s financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry was cited by some Senators as a reason they could not support his appointment. Similar concerns were expressed […]
Air Force Cadet’s COVID Vaccine Religious Exemption Denied
Opinion | Last month, a United States Air Force Academy cadet was informed by a superior officer that upon returning from the Cadet Wing’s spring break, he would receive an ultimatum: Receive the Department of Defense (DoD) mandatory COVID vaccine or be expelled from the academy upon return. Shortly thereafter, the order became official, giving […]
Cleveland Clinic Denies Boy Kidney Transplant Because He Didn’t Get COVID Shot
As of October 2021, the Cleveland Clinic will not permit patients who have not gotten COVID-19 vaccine to undergo lifesaving organ transplants, either as a recipient or a living donor. The clinic’s reasoning is that the recipient, who receives immunosuppressant drugs post-transplant, could be at high risk of contracting SARS-Cov-2. The unvaccinated will not be […]
SMART Health Card Digital Proof of Vaccination Launched in More Than 20 States
In April 2021, the Biden administration made an announcement that the federal government would not be mandating a vaccine passport system in the United States. White House press secretary Jen Psaki stated: Let me be very clear on this, I know there’s been lots of questions. The government is not now, nor will we be, […]
Some American Companies Dropping Vaccine Mandate for Employees After Supreme Court Ruling
Several large corporations across the country including Starbucks, General Electric, Intel and Adidas are dropping COVID-19 vaccine mandates and weekly testing policies.1 The policy changes came following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down COVID vaccine mandates for companies with more than 100 employees, which were put into place by the Biden administration. The administration’s […]
I Will Not Force a Medical Treatment on Anyone
Opinion | I’ve always loved the holidays, but last year was bittersweet. As 2021 came to a close, I walked away from a comfortable career where I once did good in the world. Unsure of how we would make ends meet and wondering if I’d just made a huge mistake, I knew only that I […]