Trump’s former FDA commissioner: ‘It will cost lives in our country’ if RFK Jr. follows through on intentions

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda for the Department of Health and Human Services caused alarm on Friday, according to former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb.

In reference to Kennedy, whom President-elect Donald Trump has stated he will name as health secretary, Gottlieb told CNBC, “I think if RFK follows through on his intentions, and I believe he will, and I believe he can, it will cost lives in this country.”

Measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination rates will decline, Gottlieb, who oversaw the FDA during Trump’s first term, said. Furthermore, as I mentioned earlier, measles outbreaks would spread widely if we lose an additional 5%, which might happen in the coming year or two.

One person will pass away for every 1,000 children who contract measles. Additionally, measles diagnosis and treatment in this nation are lacking.

Kennedy would be in charge of the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration, which is in responsible of evaluating and approving new vaccinations, if he were confirmed as HHS secretary.

Kennedy’s lengthy history of vaccine skepticism, including unfounded allegations that the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines cause autism, was mentioned by Gottlieb.

Based on a study done in the 1990s by a researcher who subsequently lost his medical license, it is a widely criticized notion.

The institute claims that research to far has consistently demonstrated that immunizations are not linked to [autism spectrum disorder]. Health experts claim that the Covid vaccines are overwhelmingly safe, but Kennedy has also questioned their effectiveness.

Kennedy misrepresented the coronavirus vaccine as the most lethal vaccination ever created during a 2021 discussion with Louisiana state lawmakers.

Kennedy told NBC News that he would not try to impose a unilateral ban on vaccines in the days following Trump’s predicted reelection.

I won’t deny someone access to immunizations if they work for them. According to him, people ought to have a choice, and that decision ought to be founded on the best information available. Therefore, I will ensure that scientific safety and efficacy studies are available so that people may determine for themselves whether a product will be beneficial to them.

Gottlieb also hinted at some of Kennedy’s other contentious beliefs, such as his stance on abortion, as reasons why some Republican senators could be hesitant to support his confirmation in January.

According to Gottlieb, there is more cynicism in the Republican caucus than the media is currently portraying.

Senators from [agricultural] states will be worried about his impact on food costs. The former FDA commissioner went on to say that there would be senators with a strong public health bent who are quite concerned about his stance on vaccines, as well as virtuous pro-lifers who are worried about his views on abortion.

“I’m not sure that people really understand how Kennedy’s intention is going to translate into policy and how serious he is,” Gottlieb said, refuting the idea that Kennedy would not make big changes to US health policy.

Gottlieb cited Del Bigtree, one of Kennedy’s counselors, in November to support his claim that Bobby had been dragged through the dirt for more than ten years in order to violate his morals once he entered the castle.

Although he is unable to speak for the president-elect, Gottlieb continued, he is certain that Trump does not hold the same vaccine-related beliefs as Kennedy.

Gottlieb acknowledged that during his first tenure, he discussed vaccines with President Trump. These policy initiatives, in my opinion, don’t adequately represent his opinions. The president, in my opinion, does not want to see a rise in whooping cough or measles infections in this nation, much less polio cases. That is not what he wants to see.

A request for comment on Gottlieb’s comments was not immediately answered by representatives of the Trump transition team.

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