A brand new coalition of greater than 700 public well being professionals, scientists and activists signed an open letter to oppose Senate affirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as well being secretary, saying his “fringe” views and inexperience would put the nation at critical danger from extreme infectious ailments.
The letter from the coalition known as “Defend Public Well being” mentioned Kennedy’s “unfounded, fringe beliefs may considerably undermine public well being practices throughout the nation and world wide.”
The signatories embody school members from public well being colleges at prestigious universities like Harvard, Yale and Emory.
The letter raised issues about Kennedy’s lack of understanding in well being care and his inexperience working a bureaucratic company as sprawling because the Division of Well being and Human Companies. It additionally famous his lengthy historical past of questioning vaccines.
“It’s unfathomable that President Trump … would now be nominating somebody who’s decidedly anti-vaccine and will, if confirmed, undermine not solely the progress we’ve made in saving lives from COVID-19 but additionally from life-threatening infectious ailments together with polio, tetanus, measles, mumps, seasonal flu and extra,” the letter said.
Kennedy claims he’s not anti-vaccine and is merely pushing for extra transparency into their security.
This newest anti-Kennedy push comes on prime of a separate letter final week from greater than 15,000 docs, organized by the Democratic-aligned Committee to Shield Well being Care, urging senators to not affirm him.
Kennedy has been on Capitol Hill in current weeks holding conferences with dozens of senators who will contemplate his nomination. Whereas there’s been no agency public opposition to Kennedy from Senate Republicans, he can afford to lose three votes if each Democrat opposes him.
In contrast to different Republicans, Senate Well being Committee Chairman Invoice Cassidy (R-La.) didn’t instantly endorse Kennedy after his assembly and gave solely a tepid assertion on social media.
Cassidy briefly instructed reporters he and Kennedy spoke about “each permutation of vaccines” however declined to elaborate additional after the almost hourlong assembly.
