Expert Roundup: Key Insights on Vaccines, Cannabis, and Public Health This Week

This week in medical news, experts weighed in on a range of critical public health issues, from vaccine policy to dietary guidelines and chronic disease management.

Paul Offit, MD, of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, commented on childhood immunization claims made by President Trump in a recent executive order, stating, “Maybe he’s not the guy to go to, to get the best medical information.”

David Fleischer, MD, of the University of Colorado Anschutz, expressed skepticism about the viability of the only FDA-approved oral immunotherapy for pediatric peanut allergies following its discontinuation, saying, “I just don’t know if it was ever a model that was going to work.”

Nora Volkow, MD, of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, highlighted rising data on cannabis use disorder, noting, “These data … indicate that actually a much higher percentage of people that get exposed to cannabis are becoming addicted to it.”

Gregory Marcus, MD, of the University of California San Francisco, addressed the health claims of energy drinks, asserting, “There’s really no evidence that these energy drinks improve health … in any circumstance,” as experts called for the NCAA to cut marketing ties with energy drink manufacturers.

Bryan Blissmer, PhD, of the University of Rhode Island, cautioned against oversimplifying health metrics in older adults, stating, “Our results should not be interpreted as recommending weight gain or suggesting that obesity is harmless in later life,” regarding findings that body mass index alone inadequately stratifies mortality risk.

Brian DeVeaux, DPT, of Northwell STARS Rehabilitation and Hofstra University, discussed the potential of creatine supplements for enhancing strength gains, remarking, “I think it can help enhance strength gains.”

Christopher Gardner, PhD, of Stanford University, criticized the handling of dietary guidelines, saying, “Standard scientific and political procedures are not being followed, and you can’t let that lie,” in reference to a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services.

José Pagán, PhD, of the NYU School of Global Public Health, emphasized the challenge of health literacy, noting, “It’s a twin responsibility — providing it and making sure [it’s done] in a way that people can understand it,” as patients often struggle to comprehend online medical test results.

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