WASHINGTON (AP) — The person who hopes to be President Donald Trump’s well being secretary repeatedly requested to see “data” or “science” displaying vaccines are secure – however when an influential Republican senator did so, he dismissed it.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spent two days this week insisting to senators that he’s not anti-vaccine. He mentioned that he as an alternative helps vaccinations and can comply with the science in overseeing the $1.7 trillion Division of Well being and Human Companies, which, amongst different duties, oversees vaccine analysis, approval and proposals.
However Kennedy repeatedly refused to acknowledge scientific consensus that childhood vaccines don’t trigger autism and that COVID-19 vaccines saved tens of millions of lives, and he falsely asserted the federal government has no good vaccine security monitoring. Whereas showing to disregard mainstream science, he cited flawed or tangential analysis to make his factors, resembling suggesting Black individuals might have completely different vaccines than whites.
His responses raised concern amongst well being consultants that Kennedy lacks primary expertise wanted for the job.
“He ignores science. He cherry-picks sometimes fraudulent studies. Sometimes he takes well-done studies and takes little pieces of them out of context,” mentioned Dr. Sean O’Leary of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
He worries that Kennedy may additional harm public confidence in vaccines and “we will see return of diseases that we really haven’t seen much of and unfortunately children will suffer.”
Kennedy “in many ways demonstrated his lack of capacity to really understand some details around science and evidence that I think he would really need to know,” mentioned Dr. Georges Benjamin of the American Public Well being Affiliation.
The science on vaccines is evident to medical doctors and scientists — however to not Kennedy
Sen. Invoice Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and doctor, mentioned the science is evident that measles and different childhood vaccines are secure and never linked to autism.
Kennedy mentioned if proven the information he would advocate these vaccines and “not only will I do that but I will apologize for any statements that misled people otherwise.”
So Cassidy pulled out and browse aloud definitive scientific conclusions that vaccines don’t trigger autism. Kennedy rebuffed him, as an alternative mentioning a current paper that exterior consultants have referred to as essentially flawed — and Cassidy agreed “has some issues” – in an try and counter a long time of rigorous research.
The senator advised Kennedy his historical past of “undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments concerns me” – and dangers casting “a shadow over President Trump’s legacy” if individuals die of vaccine-preventable illnesses ought to he change into well being secretary.
Sen. Maggie Hassan, a Democrat from New Hampshire, mentioned there’s a real-world ramification for “re-litigating and churning settled science” – diverting time and cash that might be spent discovering the true reason for autism.
Kennedy ignored science displaying COVID-19 vaccines saved tens of millions of lives
Kennedy claimed there’s no good surveillance system to know that COVID-19 vaccines are secure and lifesaving.
The U.S. tracks vaccine security via a number of monitoring methods together with digital medical information from an inventory of well being methods. The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention additionally checks how vaccines fare internationally, resembling through the pandemic when giant databases from Israel and the U.Okay. helped reinforce that the brand new mRNA vaccines have been secure and reducing deaths from the coronavirus.
“You’re applying for the job — clearly you should know this,” mentioned Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. “The scientific community has established that COVID vaccines saved millions of lives and you’re casting doubt.”
Kennedy declines to again a vaccine that stops most cancers in girls
AAP’s O’Leary mentioned there are about 35,000 circumstances of most cancers associated to the HPV virus that might be prevented by that vaccine, together with 4,000 deaths per yr. “We are already seeing decreases in the number of cases of HPV-related cancers as a result of HPV vaccination.”
Kennedy didn’t reply straight when requested if he stood by claims that the HPV vaccine may trigger most cancers or different illness. He as an alternative introduced up a pending lawsuit and recommended a jury — of non-scientists — would resolve.
Kennedy’s unfounded remark about race and vaccine schedules
Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, a Maryland Democrat, requested Kennedy about prior feedback that Black individuals would possibly want a distinct vaccination schedule than whites. Alsobrooks, who’s Black, requested how Kennedy thought she ought to have been vaccinated in another way.
Kennedy referred to some earlier papers suggesting individuals of African-American ancestry had a stronger immune response to measles and rubella vaccines than white individuals.
Vaccination suggestions aren’t based mostly on race however on organic components resembling somebody’s age and danger of a particular illness. Some research present Black People are extra hesitant than whites to obtain sure vaccines.
“That is so dangerous,” Alsobrooks advised Kennedy.
“There’s no evidence that there needs to be a different vaccine schedule based on race,” mentioned Dr. Amesh Adalja of the Johns Hopkins Middle for Well being Safety. Such statements may make completely different populations wrongly consider “well, maybe I don’t need as many vaccines” as are beneficial.