Melinda Willingham MD FAAP

On the cover of The Lancet: Editorial — “Robert F Kennedy Jr: 1 year of failure” Read the latest issue: spkl.io/6011Aa3Et

Fantastic day at the Capitol for Leg Day! 🏛️ As Chair of @GAChapterAAP Leg committee, I was proud to meet w/ our #PCPC coalition & legislators to strengthen primary care and improve health outcomes for kids. Our work helps to ensure a healthier future for kids. 🩺👶

Wow, this chart is simply unreal. How is this even possible in a developed country in the twenty-first century?

States are starting to cut Medicaid as revenues fall and federal cuts loom, making lots of different cuts to spread the pain and ease the politics. But work requirements and the $1T in federal Medicaid cuts have not hit yet. on.kff.org/45rYOND

One of the vaccines being DROPPED from the CDC schedule is for meningitis MENINGITIS One of THE most horrific, deadly infections you wouid ever have the misfortune to see It can -and does - kill kids within hours Dropped To satisfy anti vaccine fantasies. Sick.

I joined eight former CDC directors—spanning Republican and Democratic administrations—to share this warning: our nation’s health is at risk.  The very systems that protect us from disease, cancer, and future health threats are being dismantled. nytimes.com/2025/09/01/opi…

🚨 BREAKING: Georgia just canceled 471,000 voter registrations. 👀 Don’t get caught slipping—check your status NOW on the My Voter Page to make sure you’re still good to vote ✅🗳️

Today Sec Kennedy tells the American public that doctors make medical decisions based on what makes them the most money. Another day, another insult. And one other thing. Pediatricians vaccinate kids not because it makes them rich. They vaccinate kids because they don’t want them to get sick.

Vaccine experts and people steeped in pandemic preparedness expressed horror at the news that RFK Jr. has shut the door in U.S. investment in mRNA vaccine research. trib.al/a0ajvU6

#Breaking: The United States has now recorded more confirmed measles cases this year than in any year in well over a quarter-century. trib.al/eudQbxJ

17 million people losing health coverage and becoming uninsured is not "minutiae."

Being asked by reporters to respond to this announcement. Here are my thoughts: 👇🏽 The decision to remove the COVID-19 vaccine from the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women raises significant concerns, as it overlooks both available evidence, and the complexities of public health. 1. Evidence of Benefit for Pregnant Women and Children: Data from multiple studies, including those published in peer-reviewed journals like The Lancet and JAMA, demonstrate that COVID-19 vaccines reduce morbidity and mortality for pregnant women and their infants. Vaccination during pregnancy has been shown to confer protective antibodies to newborns and reduce risks of severe outcomes, including hospitalization and preterm birth associated with COVID-19 infection. With rising obesity rates and older maternal age—both risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes—and the U.S. already facing one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the developed world, categorizing most pregnant women as “low risk” oversimplifies a complex reality. This policy risks limiting access to a proven protective measure for a vulnerable population. 2. Unintended Consequences for Vulnerable Populations: Many pregnant women, particularly those with underlying health conditions, may not seek prenatal care until later in pregnancy, delaying their ability to be classified as “unhealthy” and thus eligible for vaccination under this policy. This is particularly concerning given that approximately 50% of U.S. pregnancies are covered by Medicaid, and proposed Medicaid cuts could further restrict access to prenatal care and vaccinations. These barriers could disproportionately harm marginalized communities, exacerbating health inequities and leaving both mothers and infants at higher risk of preventable complications. 3. Neglecting Circumstantial Risks: The policy appears to focus solely on individual medical risk factors, ignoring occupational and environmental risks. For example, healthcare workers, including nurses who care for COVID-19 patients, face heightened exposure. Excluding “healthy” nurses from recommended vaccination could undermine their safety and the broader healthcare system’s resilience, especially during future surges of COVID-19 or similar respiratory illnesses. 4. Overlooking Long-Term Morbidity: The risk-benefit analysis behind this decision seems to prioritize mortality over long-term health impacts, such as Long COVID. Research, including studies from the NIH and CDC, indicates that Long COVID can cause persistent symptoms—fatigue, cognitive impairment, and respiratory issues—that significantly affect quality of life, even in young and healthy individuals. By discounting these risks, the policy fails to account for the broader public health implications of unvaccinated populations. Shifting from vaccine mandates to outright prohibitions does not reflect medical freedom; it represents a different form of government intervention, one that restricts individual choice and access to evidence-based care. A balanced approach would prioritize informed decision-making, ensuring that vaccines remain available to those who need them while respecting personal autonomy. Hoping as this policy change is implemented, anyone who is truly high risk can still easily get a vaccine, and that we don’t let politics trump science, health, and previous proclamations about “personal choice.”

Our new report on the role of Medicaid for women of child-bearing age in rural areas is out! We have state by state data. Rural areas have been losing labor + delivery units at a rapid clip. Medicaid cuts will make this scary situation even worse for moms and babies.

In research, you start by asking a question. You don’t start with a conclusion. And you cannot guarantee an outcome, especially in such a short time. Whatever this is - it isn’t scientific research.

Changing the Perception of #ADHD in the Black Community | MedPage Today ⁦@QbtechADHD⁩ medpagetoday.com/opinion/second…

I can’t believe that we are at the point where we need to constantly remind everyone that children aren’t meant to die from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Critical and timely discussion at #SCCM2025 about pediatric influenza necrotizing encephalopathy, which we are seeing more of this season and is proving to be rapid and deadly. Take home points: -elevated IL-6 and plasma and CSF - flu + altered mental status = CT scan, knowing we will overscan, but pts only survive if caught early - treat aggressively with pulse steroids, IVIG, plasma exchange, and tocilizumab (Cincinnati protocol below shared by @mommimaya and @pccm_doc) - ask for flu sub typing as H5 is associated - consider testing patient and siblings for RANBP2 mutation - report to CDC: severeflu@cdc.gov #PedsICU #ICU

Growing measles outbreak in Texas now at 24 cases, all in unvaccinated individuals. The county where the outbreak is located has a very high Kindergarten vaccine exemption rate. Learn more about the outbreak at publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/3…

2 more measles cases confirmed in metro Atlanta, public health officials say atlantanewsfirst.com/2025/02/07/2-m… This is so unnecessary. Measles is a vaccine-preventable disease.

The rate of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections among children has been increasing in recent months and remains high among those ages 2-17 years, @CDCgov data show. publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/3…