A wave of outrage is sweeping the scientific and medical world after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to stop recommending routine Covid-19 vaccines for healthy children and healthy pregnant women.
“Last year, the Biden administration urged healthy children to get yet another Covid shot, despite the lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children,” Kennedy said in a video on X.
It comes a week after Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary set stricter standards for approving shots for healthy Americans.
Digital physical therapy company Hinge Health debuted on the New York Stock Exchange last week in the sector’s first major public exit in several years.
Prior to its IPO, Hinge had raised more than $1 billion from investors including Insight Partners, Atomico, Tiger Global Management and Coatue Management.
The medical and scientific community is in a state of indignation following Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. decided not to recommend routine Covid-19 vaccinations for pregnant women and children in good health.
The Covid vaccine has been taken off the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended immunization schedule for those groups, announced Kennedy, a well-known vaccine skeptic, on Tuesday.
Kennedy stated, “Despite the lack of any clinical data to support the repeat booster strategy in children, the Biden administration urged healthy children to get yet another Covid shot last year,” in a video released on X. To support the modification of the recommendations, he provided no scientific proof.
Kennedy is the latest to alter and possibly jeopardize vaccinations in the United States. S. . Ever since he became the head of the Department of Health and Human Services, which is in charge of the federal organizations that control and advise vaccinations.
Stricter requirements for approving vaccinations for healthy Americans were established by Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary a week prior.
The withdrawn recommendation, according to some medical experts, could have disastrous effects, especially for expectant mothers and their unborn children.
According to the CDC website, both are thought to be at a higher risk of serious complications from Covid-19 infections. Pregnant women may experience kidney damage, heart problems, blood clots, and preterm labor and delivery.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ president, Steven Fleischman, issued a statement saying, “As ob-gyns who treat patients every day, we have seen firsthand how dangerous COVID-19 infection can be during pregnancy and for newborns who depend on maternal antibodies from the vaccine for protection.”.
“The science remains unchanged,” he underlined. “.”.
Fleischman stated, “Since this announcement, we are concerned about our patients going forward, who might be less inclined to choose vaccination during pregnancy despite the clear and conclusive evidence demonstrating its benefit.”.
According to studies, the Covid-19 vaccine lowers the risk of hospitalization for pregnant women and infants under six months old due to the virus.
Concerns regarding patients’ access to vaccines after Kennedy’s ruling were also voiced by Fleischman and other specialists. In order to determine which vaccinations insurance plans should cover at no cost to patients, the CDC’s recommendation is essential.
The recommended vaccines must be provided to patients at no cost under Medicare and Medicaid. All vaccines suggested by the CDC’s external committee of vaccine advisors and director must be covered by private insurers under the Affordable Care Act. The government-run Vaccines for Children Program provides necessary vaccinations to uninsured children at no cost.
On their websites, the CDC states that Pfizer and Moderna are charging up to $150 per dose for their respective Covid shots before insurance.
Tina Tan, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said in a statement that the decision could make it much more difficult for millions of Americans to get the vaccines they desire for themselves and their families.
Tan continued by saying that Kennedy’s decision-making process deviates from the custom of allowing federal panels of experts to publicly discuss and vote on scientific evidence regarding vaccination policies. The director of the CDC usually receives advice on vaccines from a group of outside experts.
The Senate has yet to confirm Susan Monarez, Trump’s choice to serve as acting director of the CDC.
In a statement, Sean O’Leary, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases, said, “This decision ignores the expertise of independent medical experts, including members of CDC committees that are examining the evidence regarding the vaccine to make recommendations for the fall, and it circumvents a long-established, evidence-based process used to ensure vaccine safety.”.
Additionally, he stated that the ruling might “strip families of choice,” denying vaccinations to those who desire them.
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That was the collective sigh of relief from the digital health industry. Did you hear it?
In the industry’s first significant public offering in a number of years, digital physical therapy startup Hinge Health made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange last week.
Since late 2021, when exorbitant inflation and rising interest rates drove investors away from riskier assets, the larger tech IPO market has been in a drought. Additionally, there hasn’t been much IPO activity in the digital health space.
Established in 2014, Hinge provides software to assist patients with chronic pain and acute musculoskeletal injuries. It also facilitates remote post-surgery rehabilitation.
On Thursday, the stock opened at $39.25, up 23% from its $32 IPO price. At $37.56 per share, it closed up 17%, increasing its market capitalization to over $3 billion. The price of shares is over $41 as of Wednesday afternoon.
Insight Partners, Atomico, Tiger Global Management, and Coatue Management were among the investors who contributed more than $1 billion to Hinge before its initial public offering.
About 30 days following its launch, the majority of analysts will formally begin covering the stock. Before Hinge went public, however, analysts at Roth offered some preliminary opinions earlier this month. Crucially, their report did not initiate coverage, offer a recommendation, or take part in the offering.
In a note on May 16, the analysts stated, “We watched HNGE’s IPO roadshow presentation and were impressed by the AI products underpinning the platform and rate of care expansion,” which goes beyond musculoskeletal conditions.
Hinge reported that its first-quarter revenue increased by 50% to $123.08 million from $82.07 million in the same period the previous year. The company’s fourth quarter revenue of $117.3 million was 44% higher than the same period in 2023.
According to Roth’s analysts, the company’s recent fundamentals—such as its improved operating margins and accelerating revenues and billings—are encouraging. The competitive landscape of digital therapy, the company’s reliance on peer-reviewed data, and regulatory overhang are some of the risks it faces, they said.
Another digital health startup is getting ready to enter the market following Hinge’s launch. Omada Health submitted an IPO application earlier this month, but it has not yet disclosed any additional information regarding the anticipated cost or schedule.
Omada supports patients with chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and prediabetes with virtual care programs.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on this offering, just like we did with Hinge, so check back for updates!
Please feel free to email Ashley at ashley . capoot@nbcuni . com with any advice, ideas, story concepts, or data.
