RFK Jr., Trump’s pick for HHS, grilled about vaccines during the second day of the hearing
Sen. Edward J. Cassidy in the Senate: Is Vaccines a Thing that I’ve Done Before?
Kennedy did not answer directly when he was asked about his anti-vaccine activism. Many senators described Kennedy as extremely influential. “I have constituents who partly credit you for their decision to not vaccinate their child,” Cassidy told him.
Kennedy might be critical to Cassidy’s approval. He is on the Finance committee which has the final say over whether Kennedy’s nomination moves forward to a full Senate vote.
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 his experiences as a doctor convinced him of the importance of vaccines.
Is it possible that the 71 year old man who has spent decades critical of vaccines could change his views now that he knows how important vaccine policy is in the United States? Cassidy inquired. “I got to figure that out for my vote.”
While questioning Kennedy Thursday, the Sen. brought the room to a rest and talked about her son’s cerebral palsy.
Kennedy said he stood behind his claims about Wi-Fi and his description of AIDS. 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.
Do you find it difficult to tell what a conspiracy theory is and what isn’t? Is that kind of a general deficit that you find in your own analytical abilities?” Kaine asked. Kennedy claimed that his father had taught him how to lie.
He was questioned by Ranking Member Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., about Congressional Republican proposals to make dramatic cuts to Medicaid. Kennedy doesn’t know about those proposals. If you are confirmed, you will have a huge influence on health care policy.
The basis for Kennedy’s comment appears to be work done by a team at the Mayo Clinic who looked at differences in the immune response to vaccination by race. The data did show African Americans mounted a higher antibody response after MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccination compared to white people.
Kennedy cited a vaccine researcher who said that certain blacks have a stronger reaction to certain vaccine strains.
“So what different vaccine schedule would you say I should have received?” asked Alsobrooks, who’s Black. “That is dangerous with all due respect.”
Richard Kennedy, the study author, says that there is no evidence that one racial group experiences increased harm or autoimmunity.
Kennedy then seems to reference the Mayo Clinic study, saying it shows the measles vaccine will “push their immune response over the cliff” and “the body of those black boys is going to begin to attack their own body thinking that it is a foreign invader.”
US Senator Edward Kennedy, who was nominated to be the next secretary of health and human services, has said vaccines are a “thing” that he has “done before”. When asked about his views on vaccines by Senator Bill Cassidy, Kennedy said, “You and I can meet about it…there are other studies as well, and I’d love to show those to you.”