Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he will ban government scientists from publishing in leading medical journals and proposed creating an \u201cin-house\u201d publication by the department.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are probably going to stop publishing in the Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA and those other journals because they are all corrupt,\u201d Kennedy said during an episode of \u201cThe Ultimate Human\u201d podcast. <\/p>\n
Kennedy said such publications are \u201cvessels\u201d for pharmaceutical companies. <\/p>\n
The three publications Kennedy named have published original, peer-reviewed research since their respective foundings in the 1800s. They are all consistently ranked as the top medical journals in the world and are critical in sharing scientific information to millions of people across the globe.<\/p>\n
JAMA alone receives more than 30 million visits to its website a year.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the New England Journal of Medicine told The Hill it had an “impeccable record of scientific rigor and independence.” <\/p>\n
“We use rigorous peer review and editorial processes to ensure the objectivity and reliability of the research we publish,” they added. <\/p>\n
JAMA and the Lancet did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Hill. <\/p>\n
Kennedy said agencies within the HHS will create their own \u201cin-house\u201d journals that will become the preeminent journals in their field. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey are going to become the preeminent journals, because if you get NIH [National Institutes of Health] funding it is anointing you as a good, legitimate scientist,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Kennedy\u2019s comments on the podcast come shortly after he announced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will stop recommending the COVID-19 vaccine for children and pregnant women. As of Wednesday, the agency had not updated their vaccine schedule to reflect Kennedy\u2019s announcement<\/a>. <\/p>\n His appearance on the podcast also comes a week after the Trump administration released its MAHA report which contradicted many medical conventions, including on vaccines and medications that have long been deemed safe. <\/p>\n In the report, the administration expressed concern over children taking too many medications. <\/p>\n \u201cThere is a concerning trend of overprescribing medications to children, often driven by conflicts of interest in medical research, regulation, and practice,\u201d the report reads. \u201cThis has led to unnecessary treatments and long-term health risks.\u201d <\/p>\n Kennedy\u2019s comments and the report come as the scientific community grows increasingly worried the Trump administration will further roll back scientific progress. <\/p>\n