RFK Jr. announces potential alterations in the childhood vaccination plan set for September, according to Monarez reporting
Susan Monarez, the former Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), testified on Capitol Hill on August 4, 2021, that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had pressured her to meet with a lawyer advocating for the FDA to revoke approval of the polio vaccine, and had expressed intentions to change the childhood vaccine schedule without scientific evidence.
Monarez claimed that Kennedy had spoken to President Donald Trump about the plans to change the vaccine schedule. She further alleged that Kennedy had decided to make these changes before an analysis by the CDC's independent advisers, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which is set to meet later this week to consider different vaccines for children.
During the testimony, Monarez expressed concern that more children would die of vaccine-preventable illnesses if Kennedy's plans to change the childhood vaccine schedule were implemented. She was particularly worried about the potential return of preventable diseases such as polio, measles, diphtheria, and whooping cough.
Monarez stated that Kennedy did not have any data or science to support the changes to the childhood vaccine schedule. She also claimed that Kennedy said the CDC had never collected the science or data to make it available regarding the safety and efficacy of the childhood vaccine schedule.
The website reached out to the Health and Human Services (HHS) for comment on Monarez's testimony but did not receive a response. Major medical organizations have expressed extreme alarm about restrictions to COVID-19 vaccines and potential further restrictions to routine childhood vaccines under Kennedy's leadership.
Monarez alleged that Kennedy had asked her to promise to sign off on any forthcoming updates to vaccine recommendations without providing specific details about the plans. During the testimony, Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy asked Monarez if Kennedy expected her to change the childhood vaccine schedule without any science or data, to which Monarez replied affirmatively.
It is important to note that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the current Health and Human Services Secretary, is a longtime vaccine skeptic who has promoted false information about the harms of vaccines. The search results do not specify the name of the lawyer Kennedy had intended for a possible encounter with Susan Monarez.
A CDC analysis of 117 million children born between 1994 to 2023 found that routine childhood vaccines have prevented over one million premature deaths from vaccine-preventable illness. The article does not provide any information about Charlie Kirk or his family.
Monarez was ousted because she refused to endorse vaccine policies not supported by scientific evidence. She was worried about the future ramifications for children in illness and death, the impact on school systems, medical institutions, and the future of trust in public health if Kennedy's plans were implemented.
This development comes at a time when the world is still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the importance of evidence-based vaccine policies for public health. The ACIP meeting this week will be closely watched as it could potentially shape the future of childhood vaccination policies in the United States.
