Donald Trump's NIH Pick Just Launched a Controversial Scientific Journal
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Summary
Trump nominees Marty Makary and Jay Bhattacharya are among the editorial board members of the newly launched Journal of the Academy of Public Health.
Immunologist Gigi Gronvall comments that “this seems like more of a club newsletter than a scientific journal” and experts believe it could become a scientific mouthpiece for the Trump administration.
The journal, funded by the conservative political organisation Real Clear Foundation and linked to right-wing news site RealClearPolitics, has been set up as a platform to publish the views of scientists who promoted herd immunity for Covid-19, as well as those who have criticised pandemic-era public health measures and downplayed the virus.
It has published articles such as a review of a paper examining the association between vaccines and asthma, and a critique of Covid vaccine trials.
Experts are concerned that the existence of journals closely aligned with a certain political view will deepen the politicisation of science.