Trump appoints Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead National Institutes of Health

President-elect Donald Trump has selected Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford professor known for opposing COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates, to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This appointment reflects ongoing debates about public health policies from the pandemic. Bhattacharya co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration, which argued against lockdowns and promoted herd immunity. His nomination requires Senate approval. Trump also named Jim O'Neill as deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Bhattacharya has faced social media restrictions for his views and has criticized vaccine mandates. The NIH, with a budget of $48 billion, funds significant medical research, including COVID-19 vaccine development.