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Jerome Adams, Donald Trump's former surgeon general, has become a vocal critic of the president's second-term public health decisions and policies.
In recent weeks, Adams has shared his criticisms online against Trump's latest surgeon general nominee, as well as Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to fire members of a key vaccine advisory panel.
“While I typically try to focus on policies over personalities, it has become necessary to directly address the role of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the head of HHS,” Adams said in a statement to The Hill.
“His position means he is directly involved in shaping the policies that affect national and global public health, which is why my most recent Times op-ed and social media posts specifically mention him,” he added. “However, I remain focused on the broader implications of these policies rather than solely on RFK's motivations and actions as an individual.”
Soon after Trump backed Casey Means as his surgeon general nominee, Adams called out her lack of credentials compared to past surgeon generals. Means, who is the sister of RFK Jr. advisor Calley Means, founded Levels, a health technology company that focuses on tracking health information through devices, after leaving a five-year residency program in Oregon. Critics of Casey Means' nomination have called attention to her decision not to complete her residency program and how her medical license has lapsed.
“The Surgeon General’s position as a trusted public health authority and physician makes full training and licensure a critical expectation in addition to an implicit legal requirement,” Adams tweeted.
“I do not know and have nothing against Dr. Means – but I feel strongly that the person who is leading America’s Public Health Service should be held to the same standard as the people he or she is leading,” he later added online.
In an op-ed published by Stat, Adams, a licensed anesthesiologist, noted how the past four U.S. Surgeon Generals had extensive experience and training in public health policy.
“Given the critical nature of this role, it is imperative that the surgeon general possess the requisite qualifications and experience,” he wrote. “While the president has the prerogative to nominate individuals for public office, the Senate holds the responsibility to confirm these appointments.”
Adams has also condemned Kennedy's decision to cut the entire sitting Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“ACIP has been a trusted, science-driven body that ensures vaccines are safe and effective, saving countless lives through its transparent recommendations. Its members, rigorously vetted for expertise and conflicts of interest, provide independent guidance critical to public health. Removing them without clear evidence of misconduct risks replacing qualified scientists with less experienced voices,” Adams wrote in an op-ed for Time.
Last week, Kennedy announced eight new picks to replace the ACIP members he fired, which included known spreaders of COVID-19 misinformation.
“We are witnessing what appears to be a coordinated effort to dismantle the United States’ vaccine infrastructure,” Adams told The Hill. “This trend, which began with changes at the FDA, is now extending to the CDC and encompasses issues beyond just COVID-19 vaccines.”
“I have heard concerns from health and medical colleagues, Republican donors, and individuals on Capitol Hill regarding the direction we are headed, and am trying to help give voice to those concerns,” he added.
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