A brand new presidential fee will scrutinize the childhood vaccine schedule as a possible reason for the nation’s power illness epidemic, Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. informed HHS employees throughout a closed-door assembly on Tuesday.
“Nothing is going to be off limits,” Kennedy added of his push to “Make America Healthy Again,” in response to a video seen by The Hill.
President Trump launched a brand new MAHA fee final week with an government order and put Kennedy at its helm. The fee was tasked with growing a method round kids’s well being throughout the subsequent six months.
Kennedy urged his new employees to drop any preconceived notions of who he’s, but additionally mentioned he wouldn’t cease asking “difficult questions” which have led to “a lot of unpopular conclusions.”
“Some of the possible factors we will investigate were formally taboo or insufficiently scrutinized. childhood vaccine schedule, electromagnetic radiation, glyphosate, other pesticides, ultra-processed foods, artificial food allergies, SSRI [anti-depressants] and other psychiatric drugs, PFAS, PFOA, microplastics, nothing is going to be off limits,” Kennedy informed employees Tuesday.
Throughout his affirmation listening to, Kennedy tried to distance himself from his previous statements and positions as a vaccine skeptic. However he additionally refused to disavow his efforts to advertise a totally debunked hyperlink between vaccines and autism, regardless of pleas from Sen. Invoice Cassidy (R-La.).
Kennedy mentioned he would admit he was fallacious if “shown the data.” However even when Cassidy did simply that, Kennedy cited further research — of doubtful benefit — that favored his conclusion, main Cassidy to notice that Kennedy was all the time asking for extra, by no means accepting the mountains of proof that exist already.
Cassidy ended up voting to substantiate Kennedy after he mentioned he obtained assurances from Kennedy about not undermining vaccine security efforts.
Throughout his speech Tuesday, Kennedy appeared to repeat his promise about admitting error if he sees knowledge that proves him fallacious.
“I promise to listen to all the stakeholders … including the ones, especially the ones with whom I’ve disagreed in the past. I promise to keep an open mind,” Kennedy mentioned.
Kennedy’s remarks come as federal businesses are reeling from the Trump administration’s mass firings of HHS employees, together with from the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, the Nationwide Institutes of Well being, and the Meals and Drug Administration.
Kennedy has beforehand attacked these businesses as corrupt and below the affect of company particular pursuits.
He didn’t immediately deal with the firings in his remarks.
“On a basic level, I trust the idealism of most of the people who work at HHS. I also understand the corrosive power of money as it infiltrates and captures institutions like ours,” Kennedy mentioned.
He vowed HHS’s work could be carried out with “radical transparency” and mentioned he’ll crack down on perceived business affect and conflicts of curiosity.
“Both science and democracy flourish from the free and unimpeded flow of information,” Kennedy mentioned. “We will remove conflicts of interest in the committees and research partners whenever possible … we will shut the revolving door to reestablish public trust.”
