As you’ve most likely heard by now, lots of people are deeply involved about Donald Trump’s collection of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to run the Division of Well being and Human Providers on account of Kennedy’s anti-vaccine views—which embrace the debunked idea that childhood vaccines may cause autism. They’re nervous in regards to the state of affairs not solely as a result of Kennedy’s embrace of such a declare clearly exhibits him rejecting scientific proof, but in addition as a result of stated vaccines are necessary in stopping kids from contracting preventable illnesses. But Kennedy shouldn’t be the one Trump-nominated potential well being official who has spent years spreading the concept some vaccines may cause autism: Dave Weldon, Trump’s decide to guide the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, has too.
The Washington Publish reports that Weldon—a doctor and former congressman whom anti-vaccine activists needed to guide the CDC throughout Trump’s first time period—has a “document of selling the disproven hyperlink between vaccines and autism within the face of overwhelming scientific proof testifying to the protection and efficacy of vaccines.” That document, the outlet notes, “raises issues amongst some public well being consultants about his means to run the CDC,” given the truth that, ought to he be confirmed, “Weldon might undermine confidence within the lifesaving pictures at a time when infectious illness threats resembling measles and whooping cough are on the rise.”
Throughout a listening to in Congress in 2002, Weldon advised the CDC was not being clear about vaccine security, saying: “Till we get a free and open dialogue inside the scientific group, I don’t suppose, for one, I’ll ever be happy that there isn’t some knowledge suggesting that some kids might have severe unwanted effects from a few of these vaccines that’s actually going undetected, unnoticed, they usually may very well trigger autism.” A number of years later, throughout an occasion at an autism therapy heart, he stated that as he started to “look into this topic” of autism, he “subsequently realized that there have been many individuals within the analysis group saying the incidence was skyrocketing. Definitely my private remark was that it gave the impression to be rising.” (Because the Publish notes, “researchers attribute the rising prevalence of autism spectrum dysfunction to environmental and genetic components in addition to elevated entry to early diagnoses and interventions.”) In keeping with Josh Sharfstein, a former Democratic workers member who labored on the Home Authorities Reform Committee, Weldon was “completely and utterly dismissive” of knowledge disproving a hyperlink between vaccines and autism throughout his time in Congress. Weldon, Sharfstein advised the Publish, “appeared to have a closed thoughts on the difficulty.”
Not surprisingly, Weldon continued to advertise the debunked connection between vaccines and autism after leaving Congress. Per the Publish:
