Former Senate Majority Chief Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the one Republican senator to oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s affirmation as well being secretary, slammed the anti-vaccine activist as a “peddler of harmful conspiracy theories” after Thursday’s vote.
“I’m a survivor of childhood polio. In my lifetime, I’ve watched vaccines save tens of millions of lives from devastating illnesses throughout America and world wide,” mentioned McConnell, who’s predicted to finish his political profession when his time period ends subsequent 12 months.
“I cannot condone the re-litigation of confirmed cures, and neither will tens of millions of Individuals who credit score their survival and high quality of life to scientific miracles,” he continued.
Kennedy, now secretary of the Division of Well being and Human Providers, is infamous for spreading anti-vaccine propaganda, dismissing the abundance of science proving the protection and efficacy of immunization and repeatedly propping up the parable that vaccines trigger autism.
In his remarks Thursday, McConnell dismissed Kennedy’s characterization of himself as somebody who’s merely asking questions and advocating for extra analysis.
Tom Williams through Getty Photos
“People, dad and mom, and households have a proper to push for a more healthy nation and demand the absolute best scientific steerage on stopping and treating sickness,” the Kentucky senator mentioned. “However a document of trafficking in harmful conspiracy theories and eroding belief in public well being establishments doesn’t entitle Mr. Kennedy to steer these necessary efforts.”
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In his new function, Kennedy can have a number of avenues to rein in vaccine entry and uptake, together with by revising authorities vaccine advisories, requiring further post-market research on vaccines, sowing public mistrust in immunization general and weakening authorized protections for vaccine makers.
McConnell — who contracted polio at two years outdated and credit the vaccine with saving him from a illness that when killed or paralyzed over half one million folks annually — spoke out in opposition to Kennedy as a nominee shortly after a media investigation in December discovered {that a} lawyer serving to Kennedy choose prime well being officers for the brand new Trump administration had petitioned the federal authorities to revoke its approval of the polio vaccine for kids.
The lawyer, Aaron Siri, could also be up for a outstanding job in Kennedy’s HHS, The New York Occasions reported late final 12 months.