Trump Picks Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to Lead National Institutes of Health
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen health economist Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates, to lead the National Institutes of Health, the nation’s leading medical research agency.
About Dr. Jay Bhattacharya
Dr. Bhattacharya, a 56-year-old physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, will work in cooperation with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, “to direct the Nation’s Medical Research, and to make important discoveries that will improve Health, and save lives.”
About the Great Barrington Declaration
Bhattacharya was one of three authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, an October 2020 open letter maintaining that lockdowns were causing irreparable harm. The document promoted “herd immunity,” the idea that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. Protection should focus instead on people at higher risk, the document said.
What does this mean for the future of public health?
The decision to choose Bhattacharya for the post is yet another reminder of the ongoing impact of the COVID pandemic on the politics of public health. His nomination would need to be approved by the Senate.
What are Dr. Bhattacharya’s views on vaccines and mandates?
Bhattacharya has argued that vaccine mandates that barred unvaccinated people from activities and workplaces undermined Americans’ trust in the public health system. He is a former research fellow at the Hoover Institution and an economist at the RAND Corporation.
About the National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health falls under HHS, which Trump has nominated Kennedy to oversee. The NIH’s $48 billion budget funds medical research on vaccines, cancer, and other diseases through competitive grants to researchers at institutions across the nation. The agency also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at NIH labs in Bethesda, Maryland.
What are some notable advances supported by NIH funding?
Among advances that were supported by NIH money are a medication for opioid addiction, a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, many new cancer drugs, and the speedy development of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
### Conclusion
The appointment of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health is a significant development in the ongoing debate over the best strategies for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. While some have praised his work on the Great Barrington Declaration, others have expressed concerns about his views on vaccine mandates and the potential impact of his leadership on public health initiatives.
### FAQs
* What is the Great Barrington Declaration?
The Great Barrington Declaration is an October 2020 open letter maintaining that lockdowns were causing irreparable harm.
* What are Dr. Bhattacharya’s views on vaccines and mandates?
Bhattacharya has argued that vaccine mandates that barred unvaccinated people from activities and workplaces undermined Americans’ trust in the public health system.
* What is the National Institutes of Health?
The National Institutes of Health is the nation’s leading medical research agency, with a $48 billion budget that funds medical research on vaccines, cancer, and other diseases through competitive grants to researchers at institutions across the nation.
