Senate Confirms Bhattacharya as NIH Chief

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who was an outspoken critic of measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, gained Senate confirmation to head the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in a vote of 53–47 on March 25. Bhattacharya is aligned on multiple issues with his new boss, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including addressing the nation’s chronic disease epidemic. A physician and former Stanford University professor, Bhattacharya first drew public attention in 2020 for his criticism of COVID-19-era interventions such as mask mandates, lockdowns, and school closures. In their Great Barrington Declaration, Bhattacharya and others argued for “focused protection” of vulnerable people while allowing low-risk groups to resume normal activities....