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RFK Jr.’s plan to release safety data on vaccines is contested
At Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearings, senators are expected to question him closely about his controversial views on vaccines.
For years, Kennedy has questioned the safety of vaccines, including those for polio and measles. Recently, he has said he won’t take away vaccines from Americans but wants to release safety data to the public, although most of the data is already publicly available.
Kennedy’s contrarian views extend beyond vaccines. As secretary of health and human services, he would have enormous influence on health policy, even issues typically under state control.
Here’s a fact check of some of his claims.
Autism
One in 36 American children is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In California, one in 22 children has autism.
Even those with profound autism can live successful lives, including being athletes, writers, actors, politicians, and artists. Many are not severely impaired and can participate in sports, write poetry, pay taxes, date, and marry.
Vaccines
Children receive about 20 shots by age 5, which include doses of eight or so vaccines that protect against 12 diseases. Even including recommended vaccines, such as the yearly flu shot, children may receive 35 shots by age 5.
All vaccines must meet strict requirements for safety before approval. Federal officials monitor reports of side effects, including in multiple systems that analyze medical records and reports from patients and doctors.
New vaccines are tested against approved ones or in non-inferiority trials, which are designed to show they are just as good at preventing disease. It would be unethical to deny some children in a trial protection against a dangerous pathogen.
Pertussis vaccine
Numerous studies have examined the claim that the pertussis vaccine causes serious harm and found it unsubstantiated. On the contrary, pertussis itself can be dangerous or even fatal to young children.
Research has not found severe short- or long-term consequences from the vaccine. One large study found that for every 100,000 doses of the vaccine, fewer than nine produced a febrile seizure on the day of vaccination. Febrile seizures are seizures caused by high fevers and can occur during any childhood illness. Longer-term follow-ups by several teams have shown no evidence of brain damage in children who received the vaccine.
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