In Good Health: Vaccines, Menopause, And Cardiovascular Disease

Enlarge this image toggle caption Noam Galai/Getty Images for STRIPES Noam Galai/Getty Images for STRIPES

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised not to touch vaccines during his confirmation hearing earlier this year. But it’s not a promise he appears to be keeping.

Last week, Kennedy announced the U.S. would not renew its $1.2 billion commitment to the global vaccine agency Gavi.

The U.S. is one of its largest donors, funding roughly 13 percent of Gavi’s budget. The new Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also met for the first time last week since Kennedy fired and then replaced its members. That’s the committee that recommends vaccines to Americans.

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We talk about the outlook for U.S. vaccine policy both at home and abroad.

Then, we switch gears to discuss the link between menopause and an increased risk of cardiovascular illness.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women in the U.S. according to the American Heart Association. What’s the link between heart health and menopause? And how can awareness help curb the risks associated with that connection?

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