WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last week unveiled a rapid series of major policy shifts across science leadership, long-term care regulation, pediatric medical rights, artificial intelligence strategy, and national immunization guidance — a cascade of decisions that could reshape public health oversight for years to come.
In a high-profile appointment on Dec. 1, HHS named biostatistician and epidemiologist Martin Kulldorff, Ph.D., as chief science officer for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. Kulldorff, a former chair of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and longtime Harvard Medical School professor, will serve as chief architect for the department’s internal research and policy analytics.
“Martin Kulldorff transformed ACIP from a rubber stamp into a committee that delivers gold-standard science for the American people,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said in announcing the appointment. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya praised the move as accelerating an evidence-based shift that “now permeates HHS.”
Kulldorff, who helped build federal vaccine and drug-safety surveillance systems, said he looks forward to driving “science-based public health policies” across the department.
HHS Repeals Nursing-Home Staffing Mandate
On Dec. 2, HHS rolled back key provisions of a controversial Biden-era rule requiring minimum staffing levels in Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes, citing disproportionate burdens on rural and Tribal facilities.
“Rigid, one-size-fits-all mandates fail patients,” Secretary Kennedy said. CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz added that underserved communities could not meet federally imposed staffing ratios amid severe workforce shortages.
The now-rescinded standard had required 3.48 nursing hours per resident per day, including 0.55 hours from registered nurses and 2.45 hours from nurse aides, and a 24/7 RN presence. Tribal leaders, including Oneida Nation Chairman Tehassi Hill, said the repeal protects access to elder care that would otherwise have been threatened.
The move aligns with President Trump’s deregulatory executive order directing agencies to eliminate rules that restrict community-level decision-making.
Federal Investigation Targets Pediatric Consent Violations
On Dec. 3, HHS launched a federal investigation into a complaint that a Midwestern school vaccinated a child without parental consent, allegedly violating a religious exemption under state law. The Office for Civil Rights will examine whether the Vaccines for Children Program was improperly administered.
“Today, we are putting pediatric medical professionals on notice: you cannot sideline parents,” Secretary Kennedy said.
HHS simultaneously issued guidance reinforcing parents’ rights to access their children’s medical records under HIPAA and directed HRSA to require that all federally funded health centers comply with state and federal parental-consent laws. Compliance reviews of several large health-care providers are underway.
HHS Unveils Department-Wide AI Strategy
On Dec. 4, HHS released a sweeping artificial intelligence strategy meant to unify AI modernization efforts across CDC, CMS, FDA, NIH, and other agencies. The initiative emphasizes governance, infrastructure, workforce training, reproducible research, and modernized care delivery.
“AI has the potential to revolutionize health care and human services,” Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill said, calling the strategy a catalyst for transparency, innovation, and improved outcomes. Congressional AI leaders applauded the plan, saying it reflects a measured approach to safeguarding public trust and health data.
The “OneHHS” framework marks the department’s first attempt to build a shared AI infrastructure for internal use, while laying groundwork for collaboration with private-sector developers.
ACIP Shifts Hepatitis B Guidance Toward Parent-Led Decisions
On Dec. 5, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 8–3 to endorse individual-based decision-making for parents determining whether infants born to hepatitis-B-negative mothers should receive the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine.
For families opting not to receive the birth dose, the first shot should occur no earlier than two months of age, ACIP said.
The committee emphasized tailored discussions between clinicians and families based on household circumstances — including whether infants live with someone who has hepatitis B or have frequent contact with individuals from high-prevalence regions.
ACIP also recommended that parents consult health-care providers about whether antibody testing may help determine the need for later doses.
The votes followed scientific briefings showing that much of the decline in hepatitis B transmission since the 1980s stemmed from improved blood screening, dialysis practices, and needle-exchange programs, rather than universal newborn vaccination. ACIP experts noted the U.S. remains an outlier among low-prevalence countries in recommending a birth dose.
Deputy Secretary O’Neill, serving as Acting CDC Director, said families benefited from “rigorous discussion about the appropriateness of a vaccination in the first few hours of life.”
Once adopted by the CDC director, the recommendations will be added to the national immunization schedule.
Together, the week’s actions signal a dramatic recalibration of federal health policy — one centered on scientific realignment, regulatory rollback, parental authority, AI modernization, and individualized medical decision-making.
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