WASHINGTON (WCAX) – Senators from our region were among lawmakers from both parties on Thursday grilling U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over turmoil at federal health agencies and efforts to pull back recommendations for COVID-19 vaccinations.
“President Trump, who I don’t usually agree with, called COVID vaccines, quote one of the greatest miracles in the history of modern-day medicine that saved tens of millions of lives worldwide. Scientific community agrees with Trump,” Sanders said. Secretary Kennedy, are President Trump and the medical community right? Or do you still believe that the COVID vaccine was, quote, the deadliest vaccine ever made?
Robert F. Kennedy Jr: First of all, I didn’t say that. I said that in terms of various reports a while ago, I said today I think that President Trump should get the Nobel Prize. So…
Sen. Bernie Sanders: Who’s right? Is Trump and the medical community right, or are you right?
Robert F. Kennedy Jr: President Trump is an extraordinary piece of leadership.
Next, it was Sen. Peter Welch’s turn to pile on. “Mr. Chairman, I believe the secretary made assurances to this committee, and he has not kept the promises he made. Prices have not come down, they’ve gone up. He assured Senator Cassidy that he would not change the standards for vaccine review. Yet, since his confirmation, all 17 members of the vaccine advisory board have been fired by him,” Welch said.
New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan earlier pushed Kennedy on the recent changes to COVID vaccine guidelines for children.
Our Darren Perron spoke with CBS News’ Anthony Salvano about findings from a just-out CBS News poll on vaccines.
