Recently, the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement has been buzzing with quite a bit of activity. A lot of this has to do with President Donald Trump’s latest nominee for Surgeon General, Dr. Casey Means, and her brother Calley, who serves as an adviser to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Some individuals within the MAHA coalition have expressed worries about their ties to biotech firms, while others criticize the lack of focus on vaccines. Unsurprisingly, media outlets on the far left seem to be enjoying this spectacle, publishing articles that feel more at home on entertainment channels than on serious platforms.
In the midst of all this noise, some significant victories for MAHA are getting overlooked.
FDA Wins
The FDA recently announced that it would require the removal of three highly controversial food dyes from processed products. Plus, they will be carrying out a review of all chemicals added to food. In a press release, the FDA outlined plans aimed at “increasing transparency and ensuring the safety of chemicals in food.” Their strategy includes a modernized prioritization system for reviewing existing chemicals and expediting the evaluation of those currently under review.
Surprisingly few traditional media outlets reported on these developments, let alone celebrated them. During a tense hearing last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had to defend his record to Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat from Connecticut, who was criticizing his efforts regarding HHS reforms. He remarked, “You say you’ve spent 20 years working to eliminate food dyes. I achieved it in just 100 days!”
He emphasized a point that he has made often: “There are no Republican or Democratic children; there are just kids, and we should all be concerned for them.”
Following the FDA’s recent changes, various companies are hastening to meet the new regulations. For instance, Tyson Foods announced that it would eliminate petroleum-based dyes by the end of this month.
In addition, last week, Kennedy instructed the FDA to assess the widely used abortion pill, mifepristone. Data indicates that around one in ten women report serious adverse events within 45 days of taking the pill, including severe complications like sepsis and hemorrhaging. The actual rate of these serious events is at least 22 times higher than the “less than 0.5 percent” figure presented in the clinical trial data.
Vaccine Recommendation Changes
The FDA is set to introduce a new review system for future vaccines, mandating placebo testing—a significant win for MAHA advocates.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary expressed his endorsement for this initiative. He noted, “We want vaccines that are accessible to high-risk groups, but we also desire solid scientific backing and clinical data.”
The agency is starting with existing reliable data. After years of ineffective COVID policies and underreported side effects associated with mRNA vaccines, health officials are finally taking action. In a recent announcement, Makary, alongside Dr. Vinay Prasad, stated that federal agencies would discontinue recommending COVID vaccinations for children and teenagers.
Moreover, the guidelines for who should receive ongoing vaccinations have been narrowed down to just high-risk and older populations. It’s a small shift but marks a historic re-evaluation of the CDC’s pediatric vaccination schedule, which typically expands over time.
For years, Trump has championed his health initiative, Operation Warp Speed, as a major success. Thus, there was speculation regarding whether he’d hinder Kennedy’s reassessment of COVID vaccines. Yet, all of the president’s public remarks seem to align with Kennedy’s reevaluation, even if it involves reconsidering previous policies in light of new findings.
Earlier in the year, Kennedy suggested that HHS would examine the entire childhood vaccine schedule, but, at this stage, that remains to be seen.
End of Gain-of-Function Research
Another achievement for MAHA occurred on May 5 when Trump signed an executive order prohibiting federally funded gain-of-function research on biological agents in countries deemed concerning. Kennedy described this action as a significant and groundbreaking step.
Even though the executive order has a narrow focus, it’s evident that key health officials acknowledge the dangers of this type of research, regardless of location. During the signing, HHS Secretary Kennedy remarked, “No lab handles this responsibly; none are free from the risk of leaks.”
Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the National Institute of Health, noted, “Engaging in this research does not safeguard us against pandemics, as some claim. Any country participating in this jeopardizes not just its own population but the entire world, as seen during COVID.”
“Gain-of-function research is where scientists essentially play God,” Kennedy explained in an interview. “They take dangerous viruses and enhance their transmissibility and lethality.”
Some within the MAHA community feel these policies are insufficiently aggressive—and maybe they have a point. Still, each represents a departure from approaches that were previously considered unchangeable. Among supporters of MAHA, the prevailing view seems to be that Kennedy, Makary, and Bhattacharya are sensibly opting for a careful, step-by-step method. It’s worth remembering that they have only been in their roles for a few months.
Keeping track of President Trump’s health policy changes has been a challenge, but if the MAHA coalition remains focused and determined, there’s good reason to believe that the vision of improving American health can succeed.
