PS x ...3? WOW, What a Crazy Turn of Events Today! (UPDATED)

It was almost overshadowed by the Minneapolis shootings (as perhaps it should be), but this is also a huge story that we really should be watching/care about.

Again, just to catch you up, the FDA approved the new COVID booster, but only for people over 65 or with underlying health conditions. 

However - the CDC has the authority to broaden the FDA's restrictive label in practice through their guidelines - thus the reason for the big shakeup at the CDC today.

Because RFK Jr. demanded the advisory board follow suit with the new FDA label in their guidelines or else quit or be fired, so 3 advisory board members quit. 

Then, though the CDC announced the new CDC Director, Susan Monarez, had "departed" as well,  her lawyers are now saying she refused to quit!

Reminder -  RFK Jr. has absolutely no background in medicine, science or healthcare whatsoever. He was an environmental attorney.

Now - though I respect the stand she's taking, let's hold our applause - because remember, Susan Monarez is Trump appointed, as well as that she is the first CDC director since the 1950s to NOT be an actual MD (Medical Doctor). 

I suspect what she's doing is letting Trump make the call between them, choosing between herself and RFK Jr. on the vaccine issue.

The Surgeon General -  Navy Nurse, Denise Hinton,  who authorized the emergency release and government reimbursement of the vaccines in 2020 - should back her up, IF requested. 

And yet that may not make a difference, because Trump always goes with who can garner/has garnered him the most support -  which would be RFK Jr.

Which means, they will fire her - and the surgeon general, too, if she backs her up - and when they do, they will find some unqualified quacks to replace them, who will agree with RFK's unscientific, reckless, socially irresponsible antivax nonsense. 

If that's the case, I hope that Monarez, the Surgeon General, and actual MDs from academia AND the community file a lawsuit against the federal government over access to vaccines. 

So what these doctors and scientists do before launching a drug or approving a drug is weigh the benefits versus the risks - because no drug on the market, including over-the-counter medications, is 100% safe - they have all had uncommon or rare adverse events, even aspirin and Tylenol.

In the case of the COVID vaccines, the benefits far outweighed the risks - by a long, long way.

Also, though many have tried, there is zero evidence to support that vaccines cause autism, and in fact, nonvaccinated children have autism too.

So doctors should win - but considering Trump-appointed judges have been going along with Trump over politics and loyalty, rather than truth, fact OR what constitutional, federal and state law actually says, who knows?

But at present, it's not looking good - we may no longer even have a choice to get vaccinated or not - the government says not unless we're over 65 or have underlying health conditions.

Again -  what happened to all the whining about big government and freedom of speech and choice, Trumpers?

I guess y'all only meant it when it's something important to you.

Ya know, the really, really important, unselfish, noble stuff, like...

-  The right to refuse to wear a mask at work or your doctor's waiting room during a deadly virus outbreak.

-  The right to be a rude, loud-mouthed, racist, bigoted a-hole without consequence, playing the victim if someone calls you on it.

-  The right to own semi-automatic rifles, so you can shoot as many people as possible within 30 seconds.

-  The right not to have a person born biologically male who identifies as female, on your female swim team.

You know, really, REALLY important shit like that.

*sarcasm*

😂

Meanwhile, still sick, here.

Gonna take my 2nd COVID test tomorrow, now that the fever is going up instead of down, because I know that sometimes the first test is negative.  If this isn't COVID, it's similar - maybe flu?

Regardless, night night!

________________________

8/28/2025

Yep, Trump fired her. 

Interestingly, the Surgeon General, Denise Hinton - who emergency released the vaccine in 2020 - did not weigh in (likely she was not asked and did not want to overstep her bounds.)

The guidelines have not been updated yet at the CDC website, but expect they will be soon, to reflect RFK's wishes, matching exactly the FDA's restrictions - only people over 65  unless you have an underlying health condition.

Unless doctors and/or states step in and sue the federal government  to at least give us a choice, I honestly do not know what we're going to do.

Because COVID mutates and evolves so quickly, in a year or so, we'll be right back in pandemic mode or close to it.

I asked my pharmacist yesterday if we could get the old boosters then, but he said they don't have but 4 or 5 doses left and once they're gone, they're gone.