Amid dueling autism meetings, HHS cancels

Summary: The government just canceled a major meeting about autism. Why? Because a new, independent group of scientists decided to hold their own meeting on the exact same day. This new group formed after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. added people to the official government committee who share his false beliefs that vaccines cause autism.

In other health news, a new study shows that people with epilepsy who have suicidal thoughts are much more likely to stop responding to their seizure medications. Also, a recent fix to a kidney transplant formula has helped more Black patients get the life-saving transplants they need. Oh, and one reporter's hot take to start the day: McDonald's coffee easily beats Dunkin' and Starbucks!

For more details, see STAT at statnews.com/2026/03/10/health-news-amid-dueling-autism-meetings-hhs-cancels/ (opens in new tab)

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