PTry Obert F. Kennedy Jr. One of the most famous skeptics of vaccines in the United States, to distance himself from contracts from his anti -vaccine feelings during the January 29 session to be confirmed as Minister of the US Department of Health and Humanitarian Services (HHS). If confirmed, Kennedy will supervise agencies including diseases and prevention control centers (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and national health institutes.
“News reports have claimed that I am fighting the vaccine or fighting industry. I am not. Kennedy said in his opening statement before the Senate Finance Committee, prompting the screaming demonstrators,“ He is lying! ”Kennedy added that all his children have been vaccinated – a decision He already said that he regretted“It plays a decisive role in health care,” the vaccines said.
Some members of the Republican Senate before Kennedy’s comments supporting the vaccine in the session. But many Senate members – including Ron Widen, a democratic – are mobilized by Kennedy about the contradictions between his previous public statements – in which he has repeatedly questioned the safety and necessity of vaccines and said that it is linked to autism and chronic diseases – and his reasonable comments during the comments during the session. “The master.” Widan said: “All these things cannot be correct.” Are you lying to Congress today when you say that you are a supporter of the vaccine, or have you lying on all these podcasts? “
Here is what to know about Kennedy’s history in vaccines.
What RFK said in the past about vaccines
Despite Kennedy’s efforts to keep himself away from The Anti -Qazi Movement James Hodge, director of the Public Health and Politics Center at Arizona State University, says during the hearing, “James Hodge,” a profession “of” planting the seeds of suspicion about vaccines “.
Kennedy has for years Vaccines doubt and publish the wrong information About them, and ignored the broad scientific consensus on their safety and effectiveness to argue that they were not studied enough. It is completely perpetuated The idea of entering that vaccines cause autism. “I think autism comes from vaccines,” Kennedy said in 2023 interview With Fox News. Kennedy reiterated this display in private emails recently Posted by StatBesides other wrong allegations-including the Covid-19 vaccine was a “100 % injury rate” in early clinical trials.
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“He has a series of science that is not supported by science.” An interview in November Over time.
Kennedy’s opinions are amplified by the defense of children’s health (CHD), a non -profit institution that is founded and Recently resigned from HHS secretary is also considered. CHD, without qualitative evidence, indicates that vaccines are responsible for high rates of autism and chronic diseases in the United States, and the organization has also brought legal challenges against the state of Covid-19 vaccine and the laws that allow minors readers without parental approval.
What happened with the outbreak of measles in Samoa
According to Kennedy and CHD, the tragedy was used to spread anti -vaccine feelings. In 2018, two children in Samoa He died after receiving incorrectly stomach measles, mumps, and German measles shotsWhich leads to a temporary stopping of the vaccine distribution. Even after resuming regular vaccination, some parents were afraid to vaccinate their children, which increased a significant decrease in small vaccination rates in the South Pacific.
In the aftermath of the accident, Kennedy traveled to Samoa and met with many health officials, apparently Permanent ideas of fighting toxicity. (Kennedy denied this description during the session, saying that his journey “has nothing to do with vaccines.” As NBC news recently reported.
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Shortly after Kennedy’s visit, the measles erupted killed 83 people – most of them children – in Samoa. While Kennedy has repeatedly denied the responsibility of fascism, many scientific experts do not agree. Offit said in November that “there is no better example” of the consequences of the vaccine skepticism.
Kennedy again denied blame during the session. “You cannot find one Samoa to say:” I did not get a vaccine because of Bobby Kennedy, “he said.
Kennedy’s position on the prohibition of vaccines
During the hearing, Kennedy said that “he will not do anything, as the HHS secretary, which makes it difficult or discourages people from taking them,” specifically saying that he supports polio vaccines and measles.
But his previous actions – and the ongoing alliances – tell experts and legislators in those assurances. In 2021, on behalf of CHD, Kennedy submitted a varying petition from the Food and Drug Administration to reflect its Emergency License Covid-19 and refrain from fully approving any Covid-19 shots in the future, according to New York Times. The following year, Aaron Serry, a lawyer who works closely with Kennedy, gave a petition to the Food and Drug Administration to cancel the approval of the polio vaccine, Times I mentioned In December. (The petition is It is said It is still under review.) And, as of 2024, Kennedy was continuous financial relations With law firms prosecuting vaccine manufacturers.
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Kennedy tried to walk some of his most accurate anti -accurate statements during the session, which angered many legislators. “There is no reason for any of us to believe that you reflected the opinions of the perpetrators that you promoted for 25 years,” said Senator New Hamebeshire Maggie Hassan, a democrat.
How can Kennedy form a vaccine policy as HHS minister
HHS will not need to prohibit or cancel vaccine approvals to influence US health policy. Research It has made clear Many ways HHS, led by Kennedy, can lead to the erosion of current vaccine standards, from adding additional warning stickers to vaccine packages to refuse to store the strategic national stock with the necessary shots for emergency situations. Kennedy Select some similar possibilities In his book 2023 VAX-YouVAX: Let the science speak.
Sinator Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren, a democracy, was included during the session, including facilitating people to prosecute vaccine makers on the basis of “unwanted science” or request compensation for health issues related to the alleged vaccine. Warren said: “No one should be deceived.” If he confirmed, “Kennedy will have the ability to undermine vaccines and make vaccines all over our country.”
Hodge says the small changes that seem to have the ability to get rid of the confidence that Americans possess in vaccines, which reduces vaccination rates and increases the chances of disease outbreaks. Hodge also refers to three main tracks that Kennedy can behave. First, it can influence people who occupy major roles in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC as well as on the consulting committees vaccine those agencies, and may control the approval of the new vaccines and influence the instructions that should already be recommended for the actually approved footage for the public and cover it Insurance.
Second, HHS can attach chains with federal funding for vaccines. While countries have developed their vaccine policies, including required for children who enter school, The Center for Disease Control provides a lot of funding Countries are used to implement their vaccination programs. Hodge says that the federal government can ask the states to comply with some of Kennedy’s HHS policies if they want to continue to receive this money.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, Kennedy will have a major and official platform through which suspicion of vaccines can be spread. Hodge says: “The effect of the anti-general healthy sign of this, from the perspective of the pure influence, is deep-although it does not require any legal action,” says Hodge. “It will be harmful to exceed all control.”
