Vaccines, vaccines, and the epidemic: A question for Robert F. Kennedy in the House of Representatives from the House Select Committee on Health and Medicine
It was one of the more tense exchanges in an already heated confirmation hearing as senators put Robert F Kennedy Jr.’s record on vaccines — and his shifting stances on their safety and efficacy — under the microscope.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a physician and chairman of the committee, said he faced a “dilemma” over whether to support Kennedy’s confirmation at the end of more than three hours of questioning Thursday.
When Cassidy pointed to a 2014 meta-analysis of 1.2 million children that concluded there is no link between autism and vaccines, Kennedy responded: “You show me those scientific studies, and you and I can meet about it — and there are other studies as well, and I’d love to show those to you.”
Those kinds of remarks seemed to trouble Cassidy, who spoke about a young patient he treated in Louisiana facing liver failure from Hepatitis B, which could have been prevented if the patient had been vaccinated. He also said that two children just died in a Louisiana ICU “from vaccine-preventable diseases.” He said that while he was a physician, his experiences convinced him of the need for vaccines.
Can a 71-year-old man who spent many decades opposing vaccines now have the power to change his attitude and approach now that he is the most important position in the United States on vaccine policy? Cassidy asked. “I got to figure that out for my vote.”
The senator from NH brought the room to a screeching halt when she questioned Kennedy about her son’s cerebral palsy.
Kennedy said that he was in favor of his claims about AIDS and the internet. He said he “never believed” Lyme was created by the military, but did not disavow his earlier statements. He cited three books suggesting the theory that he admitted he had not read thoroughly.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., confronted Kennedy about a social media post referring to the 9/11 attacks he made during his presidential run last year, Kennedy wrote: “It’s hard to tell what is a conspiracy theory and what isn’t” and said if elected he would not “take sides on 9/11.”
He was questioned by Ranking Member Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., about Congressional Republican proposals to make dramatic cuts to Medicaid. Kennedy didn’t see those proposals. “You’re going to have a significant influence on health care policy” if confirmed, Sanders said.
Do Black People Get Vaccines Instead of Whites? A Comment on del Rio’s Comments on the Black Child Exposure to Vaccination in the United States
Carlos del Rio says that the conclusion is “taking it to a very unsafe place” since vaccination rates are lower among Black children.
Kennedy said in the past that black people should not get the same vaccine schedule as whites because their immune system is better.
“So what different vaccine schedule would you say I should have received?” asked Alsobrooks, who’s Black. It’s so dangerous with all due respect.
“The data do not show that one racial group experiences increased harm or autoimmunity compared to any other racial group,” says study author Richard Kennedy.
Kennedy implied that the vaccine will push the immune system over a cliff and that the body of black boys will start to attack their own body after hearing it is a foreign invader.