Photo credit: www.yahoo.com
(Reuters) – In an interview published on Thursday, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump indicated that he plans to have discussions with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his nominee for the Department of Health and Human Services, regarding the future of childhood vaccination programs.
When questioned about potentially halting these programs, Trump responded to Time magazine, saying, “we’re going to have a big discussion. The autism rate is at a level that nobody ever believed possible. If you look at things that are happening, there’s something causing it.”
In the same vein, Trump noted that if Kennedy deemed certain vaccinations unsafe or ineffective, such a decision could be made: “It could if I think it’s dangerous, if I think they are not beneficial, but I don’t think it’s going to be very controversial in the end.”
Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox
See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories.
In a November 25 interview, he refrained from linking childhood autism directly to vaccines, stating, “No, I’m going to be listening to Bobby,” showing respect towards Kennedy’s perspective on the matter.
Kennedy has gained notoriety for opposing both state and federal COVID-19 regulations and for repeatedly questioning vaccine safety, including supporting the discredited notion connecting vaccines to autism.
Previously, Trump has hinted at a possible connection between vaccines and autism, emphasizing the need for thorough examination: “I want to see the numbers. At the end of the studies that we’re doing, and we’re going all out, we’re going to know what’s good and what’s not good.”
The claims asserting vaccines lead to autism largely stem from a now-retracted 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield, which has been thoroughly discredited within the medical community.
A significant body of research, including a notable 2014 meta-analysis examining over 1.2 million children, found no evidence supporting a link between vaccinations and autism.
Autism advocacy organization Autism Speaks maintains that the scientific consensus supports the findings that there is no link between vaccines and autism.
Scott Gottlieb, former FDA commissioner and current Pfizer board member, cautioned that if Kennedy actively pursues the discontinuation of vaccine mandates, it could have dire consequences for public health: “it will cost lives in this country.” He further noted that lower vaccination rates might lead to outbreaks of diseases such as measles, which have become rare but still pose a serious risk. “For every 1,000 cases of measles that occur in children, there will be one death,” Gottlieb added.
Though Kennedy contests being labeled anti-vaccine, he has chaired the Children’s Health Defense, an organization that promotes hesitancy regarding vaccinations.
In Trump’s view, Kennedy’s disagreement is not with vaccinations as a whole but with specific ones: “He (Kennedy) does not disagree with vaccinations, all vaccinations. He disagrees probably with some.”
If confirmed for the HHS role, Kennedy would be responsible for overseeing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which sets vaccination recommendations and administers programs supplying free vaccines to children.
These comments align with Trump’s previous statements during a Sunday interview with Meet The Press, where he remarked that the risks associated with vaccines warrant further investigation.
He expressed, “I think vaccines are — certain vaccines — are incredible. But maybe some aren’t. And if they aren’t, we have to find out.”
In past discussions, including during a 2016 presidential debate, Trump appeared to accept the controversial link to autism, indicating his support for vaccines while advocating for a more extended vaccination schedule, asserting it could lead to a decrease in autism rates.
(Reporting by Tim Reid in Washington and Michael Erman in New Jersey; Editing by Alex Richardson, Franklin Paul, Mark Porter and Bill Berkrot)
Source
www.yahoo.com