RFK Jr. Working With Lawyer Who Pushed FDA To Revoke Polio Vaccine | EUROtoday

A lawyer working with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to pick prime well being officers for the following Trump administration has petitioned the federal authorities to revoke its approval of the lifesaving polio vaccine for youngsters ― and he might have a distinguished job in a Health and Human Services Department led by Kennedy.

The New York Times revealed the connection in a report Friday, discovering that Aaron Siri, the lawyer Kennedy has been consulting, has filed a number of authorized petitions to dam vaccines on behalf of the Informed Consent Action Network lately. That features a 2022 petition for the Food and Drug Administration to withdraw its approval of a normal polio vaccine for infants and youngsters, claiming the company must do additional research to show its security.

Polio could cause paralysis and demise. Before the vaccine was authorized in 1955, there have been about 16,000 instances of polio yearly within the U.S. Today the illness has almost been eradicated amongst Americans, although instances do pop up. In latest months, the lethal illness has resurged in Gaza.

On behalf of ICAN, Siri has additionally petitioned the FDA to droop vaccines for hepatitis A, tetanus and diphtheria.

When reached for remark, the FDA stated it was “continuing to review these petitions” from Siri however that it “cannot predict when the reviews will be completed.”

“Until such time, we cannot comment further,” a spokesperson for the division stated.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declined to remark for this story.

Siri might have a prime job on the HHS if the Senate confirms Kennedy, a distinguished vaccine skeptic, as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to guide the division. According to the Times, Kennedy has been privately expressing curiosity in making Siri normal counsel for the division.

If confirmed, Kennedy would oversee the FDA and a number of different federal public well being companies.

Siri declined to remark to the Times, however a spokesperson for Kennedy stated Siri has not mentioned his petitions with any of the well being nominees. “Mr. Kennedy has long said that he wants transparency in vaccines and to give people choice,” the spokesperson stated.

Trump has expressed openness towards a few of Kennedy’s baseless vaccine issues. In his Time journal “Person of the Year” interview revealed Thursday, he instructed there could possibly be benefit within the unfounded declare that vaccines trigger autism.

“We’re going to have a big discussion,” Trump stated when requested if he would log out on Kennedy ending childhood vaccination packages. “The autism rate is at a level that nobody ever believed possible. If you look at things that are happening, there’s something causing it.”

He made related remarks throughout an look final weekend on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“I think vaccines are — certain vaccines — are incredible. But maybe some aren’t. And if they aren’t, we have to find out,” Trump stated.

He additionally described the polio vaccine as “the greatest thing,” saying: “If somebody told me to get rid of the polio vaccine, they’re going to have to work real hard to convince me.”