Topic: Public health in the age of MAHA
Public health is going through a period of unprecedented upheaval, catalyzed by policies wrought by the Trump administration, and spurred by the MAHA movement. Long-standing approaches are being reconsidered, with renewed debates around vaccines, shifting attention to unconventional areas of nutritional policy — for example, proposals to regulate ultra-processed foods or expand supplements guidance — and broader questions about the role of expertise in guiding health decisions. These developments present both challenges and opportunities, raising important questions about what drives these shifts and what they might mean for how public health thinks, prioritizes, and acts moving forward.
Pre-reads:
Social media trust predicts lower COVID-19 vaccination rates and higher excess mortality over 2 years. PNAS Nexus, Volume 2, Issue 10, October 2023.Full details to come later.
Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) – Assessment Report (White House, May 2025)
How Jessica Reed Kraus Went from Mommy Blogger to MAHA Maven. The New Yorker. September 15, 2025.