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In a recent development, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who built a following online by questioning the scientific consensus and casting doubt on the use of vaccines, has shifted his stance. According to reports, he has assured Republican senators that he is “all for” polio vaccines and will not ban any vaccines. Kennedy previously suggested that the measles vaccine causes autism and that the polio vaccines may have killed “many, many, many, many, many more people than polio ever did”.
Kennedy is Trump’s pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services, and ahead of his confirmation hearing, he has been speaking to lawmakers. According to Senator John Cornyn, Kennedy told him he is “not anti-vaccine, he is pro-vaccine safety, which strikes me as a rational position to take”.
Other Republican lawmakers have expressed similar sentiments, with Senator Tommy Tuberville stating that he believes Kennedy supports vaccines, as long as they are safe. Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski has also spoken to Kennedy and says she feels better about his potential role at HHS after having a long conversation with him.
Despite Kennedy’s reported shift in stance, his past actions and public statements suggest that he is still skeptical of vaccines. His Children’s Health Defense advocacy group has earned over $1 million and continues to suggest that vaccines are connected to asthma, autism, and developmental issues in children, contrary to scientific studies.
Kennedy’s confirmation hearing is scheduled for January 29. In the meantime, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy has spoken out against Kennedy’s views, stating that he has spent his career fighting school vaccine programs and that his elevation to HHS Secretary will amplify his conspiracy views.
