By LAURAN NEERGAARD and MIKE STOBBE, Related Press Medical Writers
WASHINGTON (AP) — The person who hopes to be President Donald Trump’s well being secretary repeatedly requested to see “information” or “science” exhibiting 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 stated that he as an alternative helps vaccinations and can observe 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, equivalent to suggesting Black individuals may have totally different vaccines than whites.
His responses raised concern amongst well being consultants that Kennedy lacks fundamental abilities wanted for the job.
“He ignores science. He cherry-picks generally fraudulent research. Typically he takes well-done research and takes little items of them out of context,” stated Dr. Sean O’Leary of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
He worries that Kennedy might additional injury public confidence in vaccines and “we’ll see return of illnesses that we actually haven’t seen a lot of and sadly youngsters will endure.”
Kennedy “in some ways demonstrated his lack of capability to essentially perceive some particulars round science and proof that I feel he would actually need to know,” stated Dr. Georges Benjamin of the American Public Well being Affiliation.
The science on vaccines is obvious to medical doctors and scientists — however to not Kennedy
Sen. Invoice Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and doctor, stated the science is obvious that measles and different childhood vaccines are secure and never linked to autism.
Kennedy stated if proven the info he would suggest these vaccines and “not solely will I do this however I’ll apologize for any statements that misled individuals in any other case.”
So Cassidy pulled out and skim aloud definitive scientific conclusions that vaccines don’t trigger autism. Kennedy rebuffed him, as an alternative mentioning a latest paper that outdoors consultants have known as essentially flawed — and Cassidy agreed “has some points” – in an try to counter a long time of rigorous research.
The senator instructed Kennedy his historical past of “undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or deceptive arguments issues me” – and dangers casting “a shadow over President Trump’s legacy” if individuals die of vaccine-preventable illnesses ought to he turn out to be well being secretary.
Sen. Maggie Hassan, a Democrat from New Hampshire, stated there’s a real-world ramification for “re-litigating and churning settled science” – diverting time and money that could possibly be spent discovering the actual explanation for autism.
Kennedy ignored science exhibiting COVID-19 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 by way of a number of monitoring techniques together with digital medical data from a listing of well being techniques. The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention additionally checks how vaccines fare internationally, equivalent to throughout the pandemic when giant databases from Israel and the U.Ok. helped reinforce that the brand new mRNA vaccines have been secure and decreasing deaths from the coronavirus.
“You’re making use of for the job — clearly you must know this,” stated Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. “The scientific group has established that COVID vaccines saved tens of millions of lives and also you’re casting doubt.”
Kennedy declines to again a vaccine that stops most cancers in ladies
AAP’s O’Leary stated there are about 35,000 instances of most cancers associated to the HPV virus that could possibly be prevented by that vaccine, together with 4,000 deaths per 12 months. “We’re already seeing decreases within the variety of instances of HPV-related cancers because of HPV vaccination.”
Kennedy didn’t reply immediately when requested if he stood by claims that the HPV vaccine might trigger most cancers or different illness. He as an alternative introduced up a pending lawsuit and advised 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 may want a unique vaccination schedule than whites. Alsobrooks, who’s Black, requested how Kennedy thought she ought to have been vaccinated in a different 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 primarily based on race however on organic components equivalent to somebody’s age and threat of a particular illness. Some research present Black Individuals are extra hesitant than whites to obtain sure vaccines.
“That’s so harmful,” Alsobrooks instructed Kennedy.
“There’s no proof that there must be a unique vaccine schedule primarily based on race,” stated Dr. Amesh Adalja of the Johns Hopkins Middle for Well being Safety. Such statements might make totally different populations wrongly imagine “nicely, possibly I don’t want as many vaccines” as are beneficial.
AP Medical Author Carla Ok. Johnson contributed.
The Related Press Well being and Science Division receives assist from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Instructional Media Group and the Robert Wooden Johnson Basis. The AP is solely accountable for all content material.
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