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yesterday

HHS Cancels Seven AAP Grants, Escalating Clash Over Pediatric Health Policy

HHS says the awards no longer align with its priorities, a rationale the pediatrics group disputes as it weighs legal action.

A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sign is carved at the entrance to the Hubert H. Humphrey Building on June 2, 2025 in Washington, DC.
A man casts a shadow as he walks toward the Hubert H. Humphrey Building, headquarters of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 1, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
Members of U.S. President Donald Trump's cabinet (L-R) Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attend a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on December 2, 2025 in Washington, D.C.

Overview

  • The American Academy of Pediatrics says seven grants were terminated this week, affecting programs on sudden infant death, early autism identification, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, adolescent and rural health, and mental health.
  • An HHS spokesperson said the AAP grants were cut along with others because they no longer align with the department’s mission or priorities.
  • Internal materials reported by multiple outlets show officials flagged AAP grant language referencing racial disparities and the term “pregnant people” as not aligned with current HHS and CDC priorities.
  • The canceled awards include three CDC grants and four HRSA grants; government records show AAP received $18.4 million in HHS funding in 2025.
  • The move comes as AAP and allied groups challenge vaccine policy changes in federal court, following CDC’s adoption of new guidance that ends the universal newborn hepatitis B birth dose recommendation.