• McConnell says Trump's nominees should ‘steer clear’ of undermining polio vaccine

    McConnell says Trump's nominees should ‘steer clear’ of undermining polio vaccine

    Dec 15, 2024 10:45 PM EST

    ... disease in most parts of the world. McConnell's words were a sign that Kennedy, who has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism, could face some resistance in the soon-to-be GOP-controlled Senate. WATCH: The controversial changes RFK Jr. could make to vaccine policy as ...

  • The controversial changes RFK Jr. could make to vaccine policy as HHS chief

    The controversial changes RFK Jr. could make to vaccine policy as HHS chief

    Dec 10, 2024 11:35 PM EST

    ... small, but growing vocal minority pushing back against vaccines because of perceived harms, including the debunked claim that the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine causes autism. That linkage was put forward in a late 1990s paper in the British medical journal "The Lancet." It was later retracted and has since ...

  • Trump names COVID lockdown skeptic to lead NIH, another sign of shifts in key agencies

    Trump names COVID lockdown skeptic to lead NIH, another sign of shifts in key agencies

    Nov 27, 2024 11:45 PM EST

    ... has been a wellspring of misinformation about vaccines. Dr. David Weldon, the former congressman to run the CDC, he has also falsely linked vaccines and autism. Dr. Marty Makary to run the FDA, along with several others. When you look at this suite of individuals who will be running the ...

  • Meet the health care critics Trump picked to lead top U.S. health agencies under RFK Jr.

    Meet the health care critics Trump picked to lead top U.S. health agencies under RFK Jr.

    Nov 27, 2024 10:03 PM EST

    ... in the early 2000s, Weldon had a prominent part in a debate about whether there was a relationship between a vaccine preservative called thimerosal and autism. He was a founding member of the Congressional Autism Caucus and tried to ban thimerosal from all vaccines. Since 2001, all vaccines manufactured for ...

  • Who are Trump's Cabinet picks? Here's every name so far

    Who are Trump's Cabinet picks? Here's every name so far

    Nov 26, 2024 05:24 PM EST

    A promoter of vaccine misinformation. Kennedy has spread misinformation and falsehoods about vaccines and their safety, including the heavily debunked claim that they cause autism. Kennedy has also questioned the need for fluoride in public water systems, even though fluoride at a safe level helps reduce overall tooth decay. Agriculture ...

  • Who are the people Trump has picked for key positions in his second administration so far

    Who are the people Trump has picked for key positions in his second administration so far

    Nov 25, 2024 02:35 AM EST

    ... people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines. For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Agriculture Secretary: Brooke Rollins Trump said he will nominate Rollins to be his agriculture secretary. Rollins, 52, was his last announced pick to lead ...

  • Trump names a Fox News personality, a COVID mandate critic and an anti-vaccine doctor to key public health roles

    Trump names a Fox News personality, a COVID mandate critic and an anti-vaccine doctor to key public health roles

    Nov 24, 2024 12:47 AM EST

    ... in the early 2000s, Weldon had a prominent part in a debate about whether there was a relationship between a vaccine preservative called thimerosal and autism. He was a founding member of the Congressional Autism Caucus and tried to ban thimerosal from all vaccines. Kennedy, then a senior attorney for ...

  • What Trump’s latest picks mean for the future of U.S. public health policy

    What Trump’s latest picks mean for the future of U.S. public health policy

    Nov 23, 2024 10:45 PM EST

    ... s Dave Weldon, the former Republican congressman. He's staunchly anti-abortion, skeptical of vaccines, has pushed the debunked idea that preservatives and vaccines cause autism. And he's going to potentially soon be leading the CDC, which is now has to be confirmed by the Senate. Does he fit ...

  • Why health experts are concerned about RFK Jr.'s HHS nomination

    Why health experts are concerned about RFK Jr.'s HHS nomination

    Nov 15, 2024 11:45 PM EST

    ... vaccines. There are worries, too, about his history of false statements and beliefs in debunked conspiracy theories on subjects like HIV and AIDS, antidepressants, and autism. At the same time, he's pushing hard on some major problems that experts say are real, like nutrition, obesity, processed food among them ...

  • A look at RFK Jr.'s record as Trump selects him to lead nation's health agency

    A look at RFK Jr.'s record as Trump selects him to lead nation's health agency

    Nov 14, 2024 11:55 PM EST

    ... foods. But Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also said a lot of -- spread a lot of conspiracy theories, things like baseless claims that vaccines cause autism. He has blamed school shootings on anti-depressant use. And he's claimed that the FDA is actively suppressing the use of raw milk ...