Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday sidestepped a matter about vaccines and whether he would decide to vaccinate his children today against quite a lot of diseases, saying, “I do not think people needs to be taking medical advice from me.”
Kennedy’s comment was in response to Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., during a House Appropriations Committee hearing.
Amid an ongoing measles outbreak in West Texas and other parts of the U.S. that is killed two children and one adult — all unvaccinated — Kennedy has pushed unproven remedies, including a steroid called budesonide, an antibiotic called clarithromycin and cod liver oil, a complement high in vitamin A.
None are proven treatments for measles, experts say. High doses of vitamin A may cause nausea, vomiting and liver damage, especially in young children.
Kennedy has, once in a while, offered tepid support of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, but often undercuts that message with false claims about harms and a lack of long-term protection.
Kennedy told Pocan he would “probably” vaccinate his children against the measles today, but added, “My opinions about vaccines are irrelevant.”
Pocan then asked Kennedy if he would vaccinate his kids today against chickenpox and polio.
Kennedy refused to reply, saying, “I don’t desire to present advice.”
Kennedy’s children are vaccinated — a decision he has previously said he regrets.
Doctors widely consider all three vaccines to be protected and effective.
In her closing remarks, rating committee member Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., criticized his comments about vaccines, emphasizing that each Kennedy and HHS “makes medical decisions daily” and pointed to the 2 children within the U.S. who died from measles this yr.
“You are the secretary of HHS. You have got tremendous power over health policy,” she said. “Really horrifying that you’ll not encourage families to vaccinate their children, measles, chickenpox, polio. Vaccines are considered one of the foundations of public health. Vaccines, yes, save lives, and the indisputable fact that the secretary of Health and Human Services refuses to encourage children to be vaccinated is a tragedy.”
Public health experts also pushed back on Kennedy’s response.
While Kennedy has no medical training, “the issue is that the highest line of his job description is the nation’s chief health strategist,” Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said during a call with reporters Wednesday. “His job is to present people one of the best advice that he can.”
“I ponder what it might be like if the transportation secretary refused to reply a matter about whether he would fly,” said Dr. Marissa Levine, a professor of public health practice on the University of South Florida said on the identical call.
The House hearing kicked off what is predicted to be a contentious day for Kennedy following budget cuts and mass layoffs at HHS. Kennedy is predicted to testify within the afternoon before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
During Wednesday morning’s hearing, Kennedy defended the U.S. response to the measles outbreak, saying said the agency was doing a greater job than other countries.
He pointed to higher measles rates per capita in Mexico, Canada and Western Europe.
“Mexico has roughly the identical number with a 3rd of our population,” he said.
There have been greater than 1,000 measles cases within the U.S. thus far this yr. Measles was declared eliminated from the country in 2000. The one yr since then with more cases was 2019.
Experts say the numbers are likely an undercount because many cases most definitely go unreported.
