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Protesters interrupt RFK Jr. opening connection
When asked hypothetically if helium would vaccinate his children contiguous for measles during a House proceeding Wednesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said "probably," but added helium doesn't deliberation radical should beryllium taking aesculapian proposal from him.
"My opinions astir vaccines are irrelevant," helium said successful effect to the question from Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin during the House Appropriations Committee hearing. "I don't privation to look similar I'm being evasive, but I don't deliberation radical should beryllium taking aesculapian proposal from me."
When pressed, helium repeated helium didn't privation to springiness proposal to different people.
"But that's benignant of your jurisdiction, due to the fact that CDC does springiness advice, right?" Pocan asked. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is nether HHS.
"I deliberation what we're going to effort to bash is to laic retired the pros and cons, the risks and benefits, accurately arsenic we recognize them, with replicable studies," Kennedy replied.
He declined to reply whether helium would vaccinate a kid against chickenpox and polio.
Kennedy besides appeared earlier a Senate panel Wednesday successful a abstracted hearing.
Kennedy's statements travel arsenic the United States deals with a concerning magnitude of measles cases. The majority of the infections person been reported successful an outbreak successful West Texas that has led to the deaths of two children.
The fig of cases successful Texas unsocial has grown to 709, portion full cases nationwide person surpassed 1,000, with infections confirmed successful astatine slightest 30 states. Almost each of those infected successful the Texas outbreak were either unvaccinated oregon person chartless vaccination status, according to wellness officials. Both of the children who died were unvaccinated.
After antecedently downplaying the increasing fig of cases and making several false and misleading claims about the information of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, Kennedy acknowledged the vaccine's efficacy in an exclusive interrogation with CBS News successful April.
In the interview, Kennedy publically encouraged radical to get the measles vaccine, marking the archetypal clip helium has done truthful since becoming HHS secretary.
"The national government's position, my position, is that radical should get the measles vaccine," helium said, but added, "The authorities should not beryllium mandating those."
Kennedy has a long history of raising doubts about vaccines — despite decades of evidence showing they person saved millions of radical from debilitating unwellness oregon death.
Sara Moniuszko is simply a wellness and manner newsman astatine CBSNews.com. Previously, she wrote for USA Today, wherever she was selected to assistance motorboat the newspaper's wellness vertical. She present covers breaking and trending quality for CBS News' HealthWatch.
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