Meidas Health is a groundbreaking new MeidasTouch series hosted by renowned physician, public health expert, and MSNBC contributor Dr. Vin Gupta. The series shines a spotlight on the public health threats posed by Donald Trump and his extremist allies. New episodes can be found on the MeidasTouch Podcast audio feed and here on the Meidas+ Substack.
In the latest episode of Meidas Health, host Dr. Vin Gupta is joined by two of the nation’s foremost experts on pediatric healthcare—Dr. Fiona Havers, former medical epidemiologist at the CDC, and Dr. Kenneth Michelson, Associate Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Lurie Children’s Hospital—for a sobering conversation on the dangerous decline of science-based healthcare in America.
The episode lays bare a coordinated assault on childhood vaccine access and pediatric care, driven by Trump-aligned extremists and conspiracy theorists like RFK Jr. Dr. Havers, who recently resigned in protest from the CDC, details how RFK Jr. has effectively taken control of the committee responsible for national vaccine recommendations—replacing medical experts with anti-vaccine ideologues. The result, she warns, is that Americans—especially children—will die from entirely preventable diseases.
Dr. Michelson reveals that pediatric inpatient care is rapidly disappearing across the country. Since 2008, the U.S. has lost 30% of its pediatric hospital units, largely because hospitals are choosing profits over children. With Medicaid already underfunded—and now facing more than $1 trillion in cuts thanks to Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful” budget—access to lifesaving care for millions of kids is in jeopardy.
The conversation highlights a broader crisis: a government abandoning data and expertise in favor of political propaganda. While pediatricians remain highly trusted and vaccines are widely supported by families, the erosion of institutional trust and funding is creating a perfect storm—one that threatens to undo decades of public health progress.
Havers and Michelson both emphasize that Medicaid is not a fringe benefit. It is the dominant source of coverage for children in the U.S., and gutting it would devastate pediatric care, especially in rural and underserved areas.
The episode underscores the urgency of the moment: health policy isn’t just about spreadsheets and acronyms—it’s about whether children live or die from diseases like the flu, RSV, or measles. With RFK Jr. flooding the zone with disinformation and Trump targeting healthcare access in his budget, the public must not look away.
This powerful discussion is a call to action. The majority of Americans do not support this sabotage of our healthcare system—but awareness is critical. Watch the full episode of Meidas Health to understand what’s happening, what’s at stake, and why the fight for science-based, equitable healthcare for all children has never been more important.
Listen to all episodes of Meidas Health:
