Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) slammed the effort by a top ally of Robert Kennedy Jr, Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services, to get the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revoke approval of the polio vaccine.
In a statement, McConnell, a polio survivor, said that any effort to undermine public confidence in proven cures is not only uninformed, but also dangerous.
“Anyone seeking the Senate’s consent to serve in the incoming administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts,” McConnell added.
McConnell’s comments come after the New York Times reported that Aaron Siri, a top adviser to Kennedy who is helping to hire federal health officials for the incoming Trump administration, had filed petitions to revoke the approval of a polio vaccine and several other shots.
Polio can cause lifelong paralysis and up to 10% of children who have paralysis from polio die, as the virus affects the muscles that allow them to breathe according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The polio vaccine available in the United States is recommended for children and three doses offer at least 99% protection against severe disease, including paralysis. Side effects are usually mild and go away on their own and the vaccine has not been known to cause serious problems.
However, Kennedy, a prominent antivaxxer, has baselessly claimed that vaccines cause childhood autism.
In his statement, McConnell makes it clear he will fight to protect access to the polio vaccine.
“I have never flinched from confronting “From the age of two, normal life without paralysis was only possible for me because of the miraculous combination of modern medicine and a mother’s love. But for millions who came after me, the real miracle was the saving power of the polio vaccine,” he said.
“For decades, I have been proud to work with devoted advocates – from Rotary International to the Gates Foundation – and use my platform in public life to champion the pursuit of cures for further generations. I have never flinched from confronting specious disinformation that threatens the advance of lifesaving medical progress, and I will not today,” he declared.
