HHS ends Biden-era COVID-19 testing program that bled taxpayers years after pandemic

FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Health and Human Services announced it is shuttering a nationwide programme that offered escaped COVID-19 tests to assemblage organizations, citing it bled payer funds contempt the pandemic's end. 

"With COVID-19 behaving much similar the seasonal flu — rising and falling done the twelvemonth — and tests wide disposable astatine retail stores nationwide, continued national organisation is simply a important discarded of taxpayers’ dollars," HHS told Fox News Digital Tuesday. "The COVID-19 pandemic is implicit and HHS is prioritizing backing projects that volition present connected President Trump’s mandate to code the chronic illness epidemic and Make America Healthy Again."

The authorities had spent much than $1 cardinal connected the programme since it was established successful 2021 nether the Biden administration, Fox News Digital learned. 

The programme deployed government-purchased COVID-19 tests to assemblage partners crossed the state to present tests astatine nary outgo to the patient. HHS cited that investigating for COVID-19 present mimics seasonal flu cases, with retail shops crossed the state stocking their shelves with COVID tests, meaning "continued national organisation is simply a important discarded of taxpayers’ dollars."

DOCTORS WARN OF 'TRIFECTA' OF CHRONIC ILLNESSES PLAGUING AMERICANS AFTER MAHA REPORT

HHS announced it ended its escaped COVID-19 tests to assemblage organizations arsenic it focuses connected ending the nation's chronic illness issues. 

Americans who ordered tests done assemblage concern by 5 p.m. May 30 volition inactive person their order, according to HHS. 

HHS is successful the midst of purchasing 1 cardinal newer tests that are capable to differentiate betwixt the COVID-19 microorganism versus the flu, which volition beryllium deployed if determination are immoderate shortfalls oregon emergencies with the COVID testing, Fox Digital learned. 

State oregon section wellness departments, arsenic good arsenic assemblage organizations that person a stockpile of tests and assorted section wellness centers whitethorn inactive supply escaped tests to Americans arsenic the programme shutters, according to HHS. 

The COVID-19 pandemic, which tore crossed the state successful 2020, officially ended years ago. Then-President Joe Biden declared the pandemic was "over" backmost successful 2022, portion the World Health Organization determined the pandemic officially ended by 2023. 

The announcement comes arsenic the Trump administration's apical wellness section re-focuses its absorption to addressing the nation's spiraling chronic wellness issues, which travel successful the signifier of wellness issues specified arsenic rampant obesity, spikes successful autism diagnoses and teenage depression. 

RFK JR'S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED MAHA REPORT PAINTS DISMAL STATE OF CHILD HEALTH, NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. serves arsenic seat of the MAHA commission.  (Carlos Osorio/The Associated Press)

President Donald Trump's Make America Healthy Again Commission, which is chaired by HHS main Robert F. Kennedy Jr, released its anticipated study assessing chronic diseases that person gripped U.S. younker successful caller years May 22. 

The report's findings see teenage slump astir doubling from 2009 to 2019, much than one-in-five children implicit the property of six being considered obese, one-in-31 children diagnosed with autism by property 8 and puerility crab spiking by 40% since 1975.  

TRUMP AND A HEALTHIER AMERICA WELCOMED BY DOCTORS: 'NEW GOLDEN AGE'

"Over 40% of the astir 73 cardinal children (aged 0-17) successful the United States person astatine slightest 1 chronic wellness condition, according to the CDC, specified arsenic asthma, allergies, obesity, autoimmune diseases, oregon behavioral disorders," the study stated. "Although estimates alteration depending connected the conditions included, each studies amusement an alarming summation implicit time."

Robert F. Kennedy and the MAHA committee released its study connected younker chronic illnesses successful May.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Chronic diseases person a chilling effect connected nationalist security, committee members said successful a Thursday greeting telephone telephone with the media. Roughly 75% of America's younker aged 17–24 bash not suffice to service successful the subject owed to obesity, asthma, allergies, autoimmune diseases oregon behavioral disorders, they said. 

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"We present person the astir obese, depressed, disabled, medicated colonisation successful the past of the world, and we cannot support going down the aforesaid road," Food and Drug Commissioner Marty Makary said successful the telephone telephone with the media. "So this is an astonishing day. I anticipation this marks the expansive pivot from a strategy that is wholly reactionary to a strategy that volition present beryllium proactive." 

The MAHA study volition beryllium followed by a argumentation proposal study for the national authorities aboriginal this summer.