Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s top health official, has sparked concerns among infectious disease specialists with his inconsistent message on vaccines. During his first month in office, he has raised doubts about vaccine safety, citing potential links to autism and deaths every year.
Kennedy, who vowed to “Make America Healthy Again,” has delivered a tepid recommendation that has worried the nation’s top infectious diseases specialists. He canceled public meetings with vaccine advisers, halted research on vaccines, and suggested alternative treatments like Vitamin A for measles.
The CDC and FDA have also been affected by Kennedy’s actions. The CDC canceled its measles outbreak response plan and updated its guidance to recommend Vitamin A supplementation instead of vaccination. Meanwhile, the FDA has experienced staffing changes, including the departure of its chief counsel just 48 hours into the position.
Kennedy’s supporters claim that his platform is already affecting change in the American diet, with bills introduced to ban soda from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and a fast-food joint introducing new fries fried in beef tallow. However, nutrition science experts say that decades of research show plant-based oils can lower heart disease risk and that there is no evidence to support beef tallow as healthier than seed oils.
The nation’s top infectious diseases experts are warning that increased coordinated positive messaging around vaccination is key to stopping the rising case count of measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases. They argue that serious adverse events from vaccines occur at a rate of 1 to a few cases per million doses, making it extremely rare.
Source: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rfk-jr-first-month_n_67d419fde4b0c55eb8c0e2d2