Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his allies are trading their chisels for a sledgehammer when it comes to vaccine policy, delighting the "Make America Healthy Again" faithful.

Why it matters: Trump health officials and like-minded outside advisers are taking the most concrete steps yet to enshrine Kennedy's criticism of vaccines as official government policy, with changes to recommended childhood immunizations expected within days.

Driving the news: Kennedy's handpicked vaccine advisory panel is due to wade into the decades-old federal childhood vaccination schedule and the use of aluminum compounds as vaccine ingredients — topics that have long been catnip for vaccine skeptics.

• The committee will also vote on ending the practice of vaccinating all newborns for hepatitis B and will examine whether childhood immunizations are collectively driving a rise in allergies and autoimmune disorders, the committee's new chair told the Washington Post.

Where it stands: The meeting on Thursday and Friday follows other recent changes to federal vaccine policy, including the CDC bannering debunked claims that vaccines may cause autism on its website.

Key voices within the MAHA and anti-vaccine movements have portrayed the changes as hard-won validation of their views.

• Many had close ties to Kennedy prior to his entry into government and were growing impatient with the pace of change.
• "We've been working for this for many, many years. Thank you @SecKennedy," Brian Hooker of Children's Health Defense posted on X after the CDC website change. CHD was founded by Kennedy.
• "This is a revolution, the likes of which I never expected to see in my lifetime," Robert Malone, the vaccine advisory panel vice chair, wrote on his Substack.

Yes, but: Though the federal government is laying the groundwork for even bigger changes to how vaccines are developed and administered, it remains unclear whether any of the panel's nonbinding recommendations this week will translate into concrete policy shifts — or even how much of a real-world impact moves like the CDC's autism stance will generate.

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The FDA's top drug regulator abruptly announced plans to retire yesterday after just weeks in the post, in the latest sign of upheaval at the agency.

Why it matters: Longtime oncology specialist Richard Pazdur was widely seen as a reassuring presence to pharmaceutical interests and investors. He was the fourth person to head the FDA's drug center this year, only agreeing to take the post last month at the urging of commissioner Marty Makary.

• But Pazdur had concerns about the legality of a new program to award priority drug reviews, as well as Makary and top FDA vaccine regulator Vinay Prasad inserting themselves into drug review decisions, Stat reported.

Threat level: Pazdur's planned departure at the end of this month "will likely cause significant concerns for investors who care about innovation in the space," Raymond James analyst Chris Meekins wrote in a note.

• "The reality is that FDA has more drama than the Real Housewives shows and at some point, political leaders at HHS or the White House will have had enough."
• "We are at a tipping point. It is time to right this ship," said John F. Crowley, CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization.

Pazdur succeeded George Tidmarsh, who resigned in November amid a lawsuit alleging he used his position to get revenge against a former business associate. Tidmarsh has denied the charges and suggested he was retaliated against for raising concerns about speeding some drug approvals.

An FDA spokesperson said: "We respect Dr. Pazdur's decision to retire and honor his 26 years of distinguished service at the FDA."

The effort to set first-ever federal minimum staffing standards for nursing homes is officially dead after the Trump administration yesterday put out a notice formally repealing the Biden-era regulations.

Why it matters: The standards were billed as necessary to improve safety and quality of care in institutional settings.

• But nursing home operators argued the requirements were unworkable, and that CMS lacked that authority to create the policy. A federal judge in Texas agreed and vacated the rule in April.
• Congress subsequently used the GOP tax-and-spending bill to delay any new standards until 2034.

Where it stands: Tuesday's notice from CMS was largely a formality.

• "Safe, high-quality care is essential, but rigid, one-size-fits-all mandates fail patients," Kennedy said in a statement.

The policy would have required most nursing homes starting next year to have a registered nurse on-site at all times, and provide at least 33 minutes of care from an RN per patient per day.

What they're saying: "We mark today's victory, but we move forward. ... Our nation's aging population demands that we find a better way to build the caregivers for tomorrow," said Clif Porter, CEO of the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living.

The Supreme Court yesterday took up a faith-based pregnancy center's challenge of a New Jersey state probe over whether it misled people about its reproductive health services.

Why it matters: The outcome of the case could influence whether such "crisis pregnancy centers" are protected from oversight on free speech grounds.

Driving the news: The case centered on a New Jersey attorney general's subpoena to First Choice Women's Resource Centers for information about its fundraising.

• The technical question before justices was whether the center could challenge the subpoena in federal court.
• First Choice argued that access to federal court is needed when government investigators are accused of misusing state power.
• The high court's conservatives and liberal justice Elena Kagan appeared skeptical of the state's arguments that the information it sought would only have been used to ask donors whether they had been deceived about First Choice's services, per AP.

Context: Crisis pregnancy centers led by anti-abortion advocates have tried to expand into reproductive care as abortion bans lead to clinic closings around the country.

• The centers are mostly nonprofits with religious affiliations. Abortion rights advocates say they could limit patients' ability to get accurate information in the post-Roe landscape.
• A decision in the case is expected in June or July.

⚖️ A judge blocked the Trump administration from enforcing in 22 states a provision of the GOP tax-and-spending law that would cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood. (The Guardian)

🥼 Senate health committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) is demanding that the American Medical Association explain how it helps set industry payment rates, adding to a fight over doctor reimbursements. (WaPo)

🥤 San Francisco filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit accusing ultra-processed food and beverage manufacturers of selling products that are addictive and harmful to the American public. (Bloomberg Law)