White House blames ‘formatting issues’ in health report that cited non-existent studies

The “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) report, overseen by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has come under scrutiny after news organization NOTUS discovered that some of the studies cited in the report did not actually exist. While the report cited hundreds of studies, NOTUS found that seven of them were non-existent, and some others were misinterpreted.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged the formatting issues with the MAHA report and stated that it will be updated. However, Leavitt emphasized that the substance of the report remains valid and transformative. Despite the discrepancies, the White House expressed complete confidence in Kennedy.

Among the inaccuracies found in the report, epidemiology professor Katherine Keyes and psychiatry professor Robert L. Findling were falsely attributed as authors of studies that they did not write. This led to the removal of these studies from the report.

Kennedy’s history of questioning vaccine safety has raised concerns within the scientific and medical communities regarding his policies as health secretary. Since taking office, there have been significant layoffs at federal health agencies and cuts to biomedical research funding. The MAHA report, which is intended to inform policy recommendations, has faced criticism from public health officials.

In a controversial move, Kennedy announced that COVID-19 vaccines are no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women, going against the advice of public health experts and the CDC advisory panel. This decision was questioned for disregarding established scientific review processes and potentially putting vulnerable populations at risk.

The report also highlighted the cancellation of $766 million in funding to Moderna for vaccine development, raising concerns about the potential impact on efforts to combat emerging infectious diseases like bird flu. Scientists fear that continued mutation of the virus could lead to increased virulence or transmissibility.

Overall, the MAHA report’s credibility has been called into question due to the inaccuracies and misinterpretations found within it. It remains to be seen how the White House will address these issues and whether the report will be used to shape future health policies.