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The candidate nominated by President Donald Trump to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert Kennedy, has denied being anti-vaccine or spreading misinformation about vaccine safety.
Mr Kennedy said reports accusing him of being anti-vaccine were untrue as he was neither “anti-vaccine or anti-industry.”
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He stated this on Wednesday during his confirmation hearing at the US Senate.
Mr Robert came under scrutiny at the hearing for his decades of anti-vaccine and abortion sentiments.
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Democratic senators at the hearing accused him of embracing and spreading conspiracy theories to dissuade the public from the use of lifesaving medicines.
“News reports have claimed that I am anti-vaccine or anti-industry. I am neither. I am pro-safety,” Mr Kennedy said to the Senate committee.
During the hearing, Democrats brought up some of Mr Kennedy’s past statements that no vaccine was safe and effective.
They also questioned some of his previous remarks, which were made without evidence, including that COVID-19 was targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people and that it was “highly likely” that Lyme disease was a military bioweapon.
One Democratic senator, Michael Bennet, described Mr Kennedy as one who spoke passionately but has a record of half-truths and false statements.
“It doesn’t matter what you come here and say. It’s not reflective of what you really believe,” Mr Bennet said.
The anti-vaccine activism
Mr Kennedy is considered to be one of the world’s most famous anti-vaccine campaigners.
He has consistently questioned the safety and efficacy of routine vaccines, including those for hepatitis B and influenza.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that he had propagated a debunked claim linking the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism – a theory rooted in flawed research from the 1990s.
The original study, authored by Andrew Wakefield, was discredited, retracted, and deemed fraudulent, leading to Mr Wakefield losing his medical license. Subsequent scientific investigations have also confirmed that there is no connection between the MMR vaccine and autism.
In 2021, Mr Kennedy referred to the Covid vaccine as “the deadliest vaccine ever made,” despite data showing it’s overwhelmingly safe.
His nomination as US health secretary had raised concern among public health experts and stakeholders, many of whom feared that his leadership could undermine trust in medical science and established health institutions. For instance, the American Public Health Association (APHA) said it would “absolutely oppose” Mr Kennedy’s nomination.
They were also concerned that his leadership could affect vaccine and drug production.
If Mr Kennedy is confirmed as the health secretary, he would have broad authority over health agencies and policies overseeing drugs, vaccine, food safety, medical research, and medical aid in the US.
His leadership is also likely to affect other countries, as the US is a key player in global health initiatives, providing vaccines through organisations like GAVI, the Global Fund, and USAID.
Pledge to support vaccine
During the hearing, Mr Kennedy cited a book he wrote in 2014, saying, “The first line of it is, I am not anti-vaccine, and the last line is, I am not anti-vaccine.”
“I believe that vaccines play a critical role in healthcare. All of my kids are vaccinated,” he said.
“I am pro-safety. I worked for years to raise awareness about the mercury and toxic chemicals in fish, but that didn’t make me anti-fish.”
He pledged to the senators that, as HHS secretary, he would take no action that discourages or makes it harder for people to get vaccinated.
He also expressed support for the polio and measles vaccines.
“I support the measles vaccine. I support the polio vaccine. I will do nothing as HHS Secretary that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking anything,” Mr Kennedy said.
But some of the senators remained sceptical.
Responding to him, a New Hampshire senator and democrat, Maggie Hassan, said, “There is no reason that any of us should believe that you have reversed the anti-vaccine views that you have promoted for 25 years.”
Views on reproductive rights
Mr Kennedy also made a U-turn on his views on reproductive rights.
During his presidential campaign, which he ended in favour of President Trump, he had repeatedly described himself as “pro-choice.”
At the hearing, however, he said he agreed with President Trump that “every abortion is a tragedy.”
He vowed to serve the US president and implement his policies.
“I agree with him that we cannot be a moral nation if we have 1.2 million abortions a year. I agree with him that the states should control abortion,” Mr Kennedy said.
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