By Jeff Louderbeck via the Epoch Times,
President-elect Donald Trump said on Dec. 8 that he would give Robert F. Kennedy Jr. the freedom to explore a possible link between vaccines and autism if the latter receives Senate confirmation to become Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Kennedy has said for years that autism is likely to be related to childhood vaccines.
Trump appointed him secretary of HHS last month and has vowed to make sweeping changes to agencies under HHS, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The NIH supports and funds autism research and possible new vaccines.
Kennedy told The Epoch Times in September that he was revamping the NIH to focus on the causes of autism, autoimmune diseases and neurodevelopment diseases, instead of developing drugs and being a pharmaceutical incubator.
In a Dec. 8 interview with Meet The Press, Trump noted that cases of autism have been on the rise in recent decades. When asked if Kennedy would investigate the issue, Trump replied that he was “open to everything.”
“If you look at some of the issues, if you look at what’s going on with diseases and diseases in our country, then something is wrong,” Trump said.
“I think someone needs to figure it out. If you go back 25 years, you had very little autism. Now you have it.”
CDC information shows that about one in 36 American children today have an autism diagnosis, compared to one in 150 in 2000.
Fighting chronic diseases, improving children’s health, and addressing the impact of businesses on government agencies were important parts of Kennedy’s campaign platform as he ran for president as a Democrat and then as an independent.
Kennedy halted his presidential campaign and backed Trump in August. He told The Epoch Times that it was a “heartbreaking decision” and a necessary step toward achieving his mission, which was to save Americans from an epidemic of chronic diseases.
As part of the “Make America Healthy Again” campaign, Kennedy plans to curb what he calls the chronic disease epidemic by addressing, among other things, so-called corporate capture of federal health authorities and removing toxic chemicals from the state’s food supply.
Kennedy announced his presidential nominee in April 2023 that he was chairman of the Children’s Health Defense, a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating toxic exposures that harm children and promoting vaccine safety.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks to reporters at the Pennsylvania Convention Center’s Media Directory Center and Spin Room ahead of the presidential debate between Republican nominee former President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris of the Democrat nominee in Philadelphia on Sept. 10, 2024. Times of the Lowina Vasiliu/Epoch
He co-founded the World Mercury Project in 2016 with the goal of removing neurotoxic mercury in fish, medical products, dental amalgams and vaccines; and make sound science a driver of public policy, according to a children’s health website.
The World Mercury Project became children’s health protection in 2018. The organization’s four pillars include advocacy, education, litigation, and science.
On December 4, Kennedy filed for resignation from CHD.
“One of my top priorities is that the agencies under my supervision provide better access to minority scientific and public policy positions,” he wrote.
“I promise to bring new openness and involvement to you and CHD members in the health and research part of the government, both in terms of receiving input from the public and all stakeholders and in disseminating the information and data gathered by these agencies.”
Several Republicans have praised Trump’s move to appoint Kennedy as secretary of HHS.
Some critics opposed the nomination because they viewed Kennedy as anti-vaccine or anti-scientific — the testimonials Kennedy has said are not true.
Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) called Kennedy a conspiracy theorist and said he was “destroying our public health infrastructure and vaccine distribution systems.”
Peter G. Lurie, president of the Science Center acting in the public interest, said in a statement that the center “opposes this nomination” and that “appointing an anti-vaxxer like Kennedy to HHS is like putting a flat countryman at the head of NASA.”
Kennedy has consistently said he’s not against vaccines and that he’s in favor of vaccine safety and informed consent.
For parents and vaccine safety advocates like MaryJo Perry and Scott Shoemaker, a thorough investigation into the potential links between childhood vaccines and autism is long overdue.
“I don’t understand the hysteria over his plan to thoroughly investigate the problem and ultimately solve it,” said Perry, who is president of Mississippi Parents for Vaccine Rights. “Why would anyone be afraid to find out the truth?”
Shoemaker’s son was diagnosed with autism at the age of 15 months and said he reversed the condition by removing toxic metal poisoning.
“Shouldn’t we, as parents, want to know if what we allow to go into our children’s bodies is safe or not?” said Shoemaker, who is Ohio’s president of Health Freedom.
Facebook removed a video documenting the changes posted in 2019, he told The Epoch Times.
“My son had an MMR injection. He was in bed for two weeks when he got home. At the time, I wasn’t worried because the doctor said before the injection that some kids had problems with it and they might feel sick,” Shoemaker said.
“He was different after the injection. He didn’t speak or look us in the eye. It was hard to get his attention. I experienced what most parents of children injured by the vaccine experience from medical professionals. We’re toxic and we say they don’t know what caused autism, but the problem wasn’t caused by vaccines.”
The National Childhood Vaccine Harms Act (NCVIA), signed by President Ronald Reagan, of 1986 eliminated the potential liability of vaccine manufacturers over claims of vaccine harm. Perry and Shoemaker would like pharmaceutical companies to be held accountable if their products harm recipients. They also hope Kennedy will address the CDC’s vaccine plan.
According to children’s health data, there has been no double-blind placebo-controlled safety study of infant vaccines.
“It has to happen,” Perry told The Epoch Times. “Pharmaceutical companies have no responsibility or accountability. That has to change.”
Perry said he doesn’t think any vaccines should be authorized.
“If it’s good and safe, parents will use it. You don’t have to force parents if it’s good and safe,” he said.
Shoemaker agrees.
“The bottom line is that we want the truth. We want safe products for our children. We don’t want Big Pharma to just say that vaccines are safe and effective and they can’t show unbiased research,” he said.
“Government agencies tell us that science is solved, but that is contrary to the purpose of science – to test, retest, research and evolve.”
Shoemaker said Kennedy is the right person to bring about the changes that parents like him would like to see.
“He’s not related to Big Pharma. He just wants the truth, and he’s someone who’s not afraid to do what it takes to get to the truth,” Shoemaker said.
Kennedy faces confirmatory hearings on the Senate Finance Committee, which should be chaired by Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). The Senate will vote on his candidacy if this panel approves him.
Kennedy said he believes little will change until the impact of giant or private companies on the FDA, the CDC and the Department of Agriculture is addressed.
In an interview with The Epoch Times last year, he explained his position.
“I’ve never been anti-vaccine. People should have a choice, and that choice should be informed about the best information possible,” he said. “I’m going to make sure that science-based safety studies are available and people can judge for themselves whether the vaccine is good for them.”
