1 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:05,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Wellness on Mass. I'm doctor Nicole Sapphire and 2 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 1: this is your weekly rundown. Now, let's start with a 3 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 1: bold and controversial move out of Washington. D C Health 4 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:16,120 Speaker 1: Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior has officially disbanded the CDC's 5 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:21,480 Speaker 1: longstanding Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, commonly known as ASIP, 6 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: and appointed eight new members in its place. Now, ASIP 7 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: is the group that makes key recommendations on vaccine use 8 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 1: in the United States, guiding everything from school vaccine requirements 9 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: and insurance coverage to which vaccines are offered free under 10 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: programs like Vaccines for Children. Now, this is not a 11 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: small move. Some of the newly appointed members have questioned 12 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: the safety of the COVID vaccines as well as some 13 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:49,520 Speaker 1: other vaccines, and have pushed for more individualized vaccine schedules. 14 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,559 Speaker 1: Supporters of the overhaul say it's about restoring transparency and 15 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: eliminating potential conflicts of interests, but many in the medical 16 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: community are concerned that replacing excs experienced public health experts 17 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: with more ideologically driven voices could undermine public trust and 18 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: lead to inconsistent, politically motivated guidance. Now, my take on 19 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: this is I do think that it is incredibly important 20 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 1: that we remove some of the existing AST members because 21 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 1: their transparency and their motivations were called into question during 22 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 1: the COVID pandemic. Because during the COVID pandemic, it seemed 23 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: that they ignored some of the emerging data when it 24 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: came to the safety and really the efficacy of these 25 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 1: vaccines in our younger, healthier populations, and rather they continue 26 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,480 Speaker 1: to push forward with their universal recommendations in vaccines and 27 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 1: boosters when other countries were not, and when it didn't 28 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 1: seem the data was there to support it. So I 29 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: am in favor of removing some of the members, if 30 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: not all of the members, and replacing them with new 31 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: members that have a fresh perspective on things. But I 32 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 1: do want to say that it's important that we don't 33 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 1: swing that pendulum too far the other way so that 34 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: it creates incredible distrust in the institution. When the goal 35 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: is to restore transparency and gain public trust, you have 36 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,079 Speaker 1: to be careful not to swing that pendulum too far 37 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: the other way because it can have the same effect. 38 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: The new ASIP is expected to convene later this month, 39 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: and decisions made at that meeting could shape the upcoming 40 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: vaccine recommendations for the school year and fall winter virus season. 41 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: It's something every parent and provider should be watching coostly. 42 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: I certainly will, and I will be keeping you informed. Now, 43 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: let's quickly shift to a new study that should be 44 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: on every family's radar. Researchers published in the Journal of 45 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: the American Heart Association found that adolescence with higher levels 46 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: of pfas, also known as those forever chemicals, had significantly 47 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: increased blood pressure. Now, pfas are synthetic compounds used in 48 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: nonstick cookware, stain and water resistant fabrics, food wrappers, and 49 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:57,399 Speaker 1: even some cosmetics. They don't break down easily, and they've 50 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 1: already been linked to hormone disruption, immune to function, and 51 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: certain cancers. And what this new study is showing us 52 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:07,639 Speaker 1: is it's also increasing our risk of cardiovascular disease and 53 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:11,239 Speaker 1: it can be happening as young as kids who are teenagers. 54 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: This is a new and troubling layer because these forever 55 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: chemicals are raising the risk of cardiovascular disease during the 56 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 1: teen years before symptoms even appear, and with high blood 57 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: pressure in youth often going undiagnosed, This could be a 58 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: hidden driver of chronic disease later in life. So here's 59 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: what we can all do. Switch to cast iron or 60 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: stainless steel cookware. Filter your tap water using activated carbon 61 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: or reverse osmosis. Cut back on fast food and packaged 62 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: snacks because these are often come in pfas coded wrappers. 63 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: Your waistline will be happy about it too. And check 64 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: household and personal care products for ingredients containing the words 65 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: fluoro or per floro. These small conscious changes can actually 66 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:58,120 Speaker 1: make a big difference. That's your wellness Unmass weekly rundown. 67 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to Wellness Unmass on America's number one 68 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: podcast network, iHeart. Follow Wellness on Masks with doctor Nicole 69 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: Saffire and start listening on the free iHeartRadio app or 70 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts, and we will catch you 71 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: next time.