RFK Jr. once again proves his critics correct
The Washington Post reports:
BLUF: As a measles outbreak kills in Pennsylvania, the HHS secretary spreads falsehoods about the MMR vaccine.
When measles starts to spread, every responsible public health official knows to stick to a clear and simple message: Vaccines are the best options for parents to protect their children. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., however, has responded to Pennsylvania’s deadly outbreak by doubling down on false and inflammatory statements about immunizations.
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Authorities in the Keystone State reported on Tuesday that two unvaccinated people died from measles. The highly contagious viral disease is ravaging Lancaster County, where 70 people have been hospitalized and hundreds infected. So far this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 2,777 cases nationwide, the highest level since 1991.
Yet Kennedy took to social media the very same day to claim that one of the scientists who contributed to the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine had admitted to “butchering” aborted fetuses during studies in the 1960s. He also said the MMR vaccine included “646 billion pieces of human DNA” and “an unspecified amount of human cellular debris.”
Such rhetoric is a gross distortion of history and serves only to confuse parents who are unsure about vaccines. It is true that the MMR vaccine, specifically its rubella portion, traces its lineage to human cell cultures procured from two elective abortions in 1962. But the vaccine scientists who used those cultures didn’t “butcher” anything; the cells they used to grow weakened viruses had been propagating in a lab for years.
Each vaccine goes through a purification process that clears out any trace of those cell cultures, meaning there is no “debris” left behind. Residual human DNA from those cultures is present in immunizations, but the Food and Drug Administration has studied this extensively and concluded that the DNA is safe.
Ironically, Kennedy posted his diatribe in response to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), who accused him during a news conference of spreading misinformation. Kennedy, apparently, wanted to prove Shapiro correct, undermining the far more responsible messaging from the CDC, which vowed to work closely with local officials and promoted the MMR vaccine.
That has been a theme throughout Kennedy’s tenure. Even as federal officials — including Erica Schwartz, the CDC’s newly installed director — publicly support vaccination, Kennedy has pushed back. Earlier this month, he appeared alongside President Donald Trump to announce plans to upend childhood vaccine recommendations, including for the MMR shot, which Trump called “quite lethal.”
Fortunately, Kennedy’s vaccine policies have so far been more talk than action. This is partly thanks to a federal court order barring changes to the childhood schedule.
But anti-vaccine rhetoric has consequences. On Wednesday, Kennedy blamed the drop in measles vaccinations on the Biden administration. In 2021, however, he appeared in Lancaster to criticize the department he now oversees. “Those agencies are going to do everything in their power to make the Amish vaccinate,” he said. “Because they cannot stand the fact that you are healthy.”
The latest federal data show that the number of parents seeking exemptions from school vaccines rose sharply across America in the past year. Unfortunately, that means the worst of Kennedy’s health legacy is yet to come.
AI Generated summary of 829 readers’ comments regarding this article:
The conversation explores the controversial appointment of RFK Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services, with many participants expressing strong disapproval of his qualifications and actions.
There is significant criticism directed at Senator Cassidy and other Republican senators for confirming RFK Jr., despite his lack of medical background and history of promoting conspiracy theories.
Commenters highlight the dangers of his anti-vaccine stance, linking it to preventable diseases and deaths, and call for accountability from those who supported his appointment.
The discussion also touches on broader concerns about the Trump administration's appointments and the impact on public health and science.
BLUF: As a measles outbreak kills in Pennsylvania, the HHS secretary spreads falsehoods about the MMR vaccine.
When measles starts to spread, every responsible public health official knows to stick to a clear and simple message: Vaccines are the best options for parents to protect their children. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., however, has responded to Pennsylvania’s deadly outbreak by doubling down on false and inflammatory statements about immunizations.
What will happen in the 2026 midterms? Sign up for Margin of Victory
Authorities in the Keystone State reported on Tuesday that two unvaccinated people died from measles. The highly contagious viral disease is ravaging Lancaster County, where 70 people have been hospitalized and hundreds infected. So far this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 2,777 cases nationwide, the highest level since 1991.
Yet Kennedy took to social media the very same day to claim that one of the scientists who contributed to the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine had admitted to “butchering” aborted fetuses during studies in the 1960s. He also said the MMR vaccine included “646 billion pieces of human DNA” and “an unspecified amount of human cellular debris.”
Such rhetoric is a gross distortion of history and serves only to confuse parents who are unsure about vaccines. It is true that the MMR vaccine, specifically its rubella portion, traces its lineage to human cell cultures procured from two elective abortions in 1962. But the vaccine scientists who used those cultures didn’t “butcher” anything; the cells they used to grow weakened viruses had been propagating in a lab for years.
Each vaccine goes through a purification process that clears out any trace of those cell cultures, meaning there is no “debris” left behind. Residual human DNA from those cultures is present in immunizations, but the Food and Drug Administration has studied this extensively and concluded that the DNA is safe.
Ironically, Kennedy posted his diatribe in response to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), who accused him during a news conference of spreading misinformation. Kennedy, apparently, wanted to prove Shapiro correct, undermining the far more responsible messaging from the CDC, which vowed to work closely with local officials and promoted the MMR vaccine.
That has been a theme throughout Kennedy’s tenure. Even as federal officials — including Erica Schwartz, the CDC’s newly installed director — publicly support vaccination, Kennedy has pushed back. Earlier this month, he appeared alongside President Donald Trump to announce plans to upend childhood vaccine recommendations, including for the MMR shot, which Trump called “quite lethal.”
Fortunately, Kennedy’s vaccine policies have so far been more talk than action. This is partly thanks to a federal court order barring changes to the childhood schedule.
But anti-vaccine rhetoric has consequences. On Wednesday, Kennedy blamed the drop in measles vaccinations on the Biden administration. In 2021, however, he appeared in Lancaster to criticize the department he now oversees. “Those agencies are going to do everything in their power to make the Amish vaccinate,” he said. “Because they cannot stand the fact that you are healthy.”
The latest federal data show that the number of parents seeking exemptions from school vaccines rose sharply across America in the past year. Unfortunately, that means the worst of Kennedy’s health legacy is yet to come.
AI Generated summary of 829 readers’ comments regarding this article:
The conversation explores the controversial appointment of RFK Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services, with many participants expressing strong disapproval of his qualifications and actions.
There is significant criticism directed at Senator Cassidy and other Republican senators for confirming RFK Jr., despite his lack of medical background and history of promoting conspiracy theories.
Commenters highlight the dangers of his anti-vaccine stance, linking it to preventable diseases and deaths, and call for accountability from those who supported his appointment.
The discussion also touches on broader concerns about the Trump administration's appointments and the impact on public health and science.
