Vaccine Safety: A Senator's Warning to Trump's Team

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who survived polio as a child, has a message for the incoming Trump administration: keep your distance from anyone trying to discredit the polio vaccine. "Anyone seeking the Senate’s consent should avoid even the appearance of association with such efforts, " he said. McConnell’s statement comes after reports that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , Trump’s nominee for health secretary, has ties to an advisor who filed a petition to revoke the polio vaccine's approval. Kennedy has long been an advocate for debunked claims that vaccines cause autism. "Mr. Kennedy believes the Polio Vaccine should be available and thoroughly studied, " his spokesperson said. However, vaccines are proven to be safe and effective, having saved millions of lives worldwide. McConnell credited the polio vaccine for saving "millions who came after me. " Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer also expressed concern, calling the reports "outrageous and dangerous. " He asked Kennedy to clarify his position. Kennedy’s nomination has raised alarms among scientists and public health officials, who fear he might undermine life-saving initiatives like vaccines. Kennedy has promoted various conspiracy theories about vaccines, including one suggesting COVID-19 could have been “ethnically targeted. ” Kennedy plans to overhaul the Department of Health and Human Services if confirmed. His anti-vaccine nonprofit has called for the FDA to stop using COVID-19 vaccines, alleging it's too cozy with "big pharma. " During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kennedy's nonprofit petitioned the FDA to halt all COVID vaccine use. The group is also suing several news organizations, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by identifying misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.