President’s Letter from Bill Steinbach – 3 Focus Areas for Pediatric ID

Going to the St. Jude/PIDS Pediatric Infectious Diseases Research Conference is always a rewarding time. We are all together, learning and laughing and enjoying our pediatric ID world. I hope everyone who got to attend left with some key takeaways. Here was one that stood out to me: the number of presentations that ended with acknowledging the role NIH funding played in enabling the work to be done. If you’re a sports fan, it felt like it was the “hi, mom” of each applicable presentation, seemingly ubiquitous and done with great joy.

But there was a reason NIH funding was getting all that attention. It is under threat in our current political environment. Politics, not evidence or exploration, may soon dictate what is funded. Whether it is due to indirect cost, the language used in setting up the grant application, or the science itself, the well-established, dispassionate approach to scientific research we have come to celebrate may no longer be the common practice.

(Incidentally, PIDS shared some of its thoughts on the leadership needed at NIH and CDC in a letter to the Senators on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. You can read the letter here.)

NIH funding does not find itself in this position all alone. Medicaid and vaccines are on the block too. That is why I was pleased to learn the PIDS Advocacy Task Force has split their group into those 3 focus areas: NIH funding, Medicaid and vaccines. Without question, these areas are of immense importance to pediatric ID and our Society.

Cutting Medicaid – which covers nearly 40% of children in this country – could have dire consequences for our profession and our patients. It would lead to more financial strain, more uncompensated care, maybe even hospital and practice closures, particularly in rural areas. Part of the lift I see here is helping everyday Americans know that Medicaid goes by different names in different states, like Medi-Cal (California) and Buckeye Health Plan (Ohio).

Sadly, we have been losing ground on vaccine-preventable diseases since before the pandemic. This has brought us to the outbreak of measles in Texas and New Mexico that has easily surpassed 200 cases and now includes one pediatric death. This is tragic, but that is not the only area facing the disease. CDC has confirmed cases in 10 other states, as well. And none of the cases or deaths that may result were necessary thanks to the vaccine.

We have a long road ahead of us. But with these 3 areas to center us and drive our priorities, I believe we are going in the right direction as a Society and for our patients. Let’s tackle these efforts with the gusto that carries us across those 3 days we spend in Memphis each year. Let’s be proud of the work we do and elevate the discussion in this country on what we know to be important in promoting the health and well-being of children through the prevention and control of infectious diseases worldwide: NIH funding, Medicaid, and vaccines.