RFK JR., Own with their own words: flu, diabetes, autism and more

At the auditions of confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., starting on Wednesday, it is expected that senators carefully interrogate him about his controversial views on vaccines.

Over the years, Kennedy questioned the safety of vaccines, including for polio and measles, two diseases that still harm children. He recently said that he is not planning to collect vaccines from Americans, but he wants to publicly share security data – although almost all data is already publicly available.

The counterattack’s views of Mr. Kennedy go much beyond the vaccines. As the Secretary for Health and Social Welfare, it would have a huge impact on health policy, even on issues usually under state control, by limiting the financing of some programs or raising others.

Here is a check of the facts of some of his claims.

This is false. Mr. Kennedy’s number is excluded about the order of size.

National Diabetes Statistics Report estimated That in 2021 about 35 out of 10,000 children and adolescents under 20 years of age – that is, 0.35 percent – had a diagnosis of diabetes. Other test He stated that 0.1 percent of youthful people from 10 to 19 had diabetes in 2017.

Mr. Kennedy also seems to combine diabetes for youthful or type 1, autoimmune disease, with type 2 diabetes, which may result from an unhealthy lifestyle. He is right that recent cases of diabetes – both types – are They grow. But the spread of teenagers is still much lower than in adults and increases with age; The highest incidence, 29.2 percent, is among adults 65 and older.

In a later commentary, which included Prediabetes, Mr. Kennedy said: “These children are now dependent on, you know, insulin and diabetes, on the treatment of chronic diseases for the rest of their lives, and this is bankrupt the healthcare system.”

While Prediabetes is a warning sign for diabetes, most cases do not require insulin treatment and can be inverted by lifestyle changes, including Modest weight loss. Prediabetes is also growing; about 28 percent Teenagers are pre -strokes.

This is false. Each year, scientists follow the effectiveness of an annual flu vaccine. Every year, dozens of research document the effectiveness of vaccine against hospitalization and deaths. The exact numbers differ, but the results always show that vaccination is beneficial.

Injected flu vaccines do not contain Live virus and vaccines with a spray contain a weakened virus; No type can convey flu.

The composition of the flu vaccine is usually determined in spring, based on the dominant variants in the southern hemisphere at that time. In some years, the produced vaccine is a great matching of viruses that appear in autumn, and in the other years the best supposition of scientists is a bit free.

As a result, the effectiveness can be from 30 to 90 percent, depending on the age group and the influenza subtype. But even when the effectiveness is low, the vaccine may shorten the duration and severity of the disease.

Since the flu is the heaviest in children under 5 years senior and the elderly, the vaccine is Especially recommended – not commanded – for these age groups. And because the flu vaccine was introduced in 1945, the expected life expectancy, including older adults, grew constantly.

It requires context. Mr. Kennedy is partly right. One in 36 According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Children, an autism spectrum disorder has been diagnosed (estimating one in 34 is specific to boys). AND in CaliforniaOne in 22 children has autism.

But autism is a spectrum, and most diagnosed can participate in sport, write poetry (if they are so willing), pay taxes, date and marriage; Many are parents. The list of people with autism includes successful AthletesIN writersIN actorsIN activistsIN ArtistsIN Politicians – and even Elon MuskThe The richest man in the world and the head of the government administration of Trump.

Studies suggest that most of the growth of autism diagnoses is at the milder end of the spectrum, partly because the diagnostic criteria have expanded.

What Mr. Kennedy describes is a subset of autistic people, about one in four with the diagnosis who are deeply affected. But even they are more likely to hurt than others. (The spread of deep autism is growing, but slowly)

Mr. Kennedy could not see such people when he was a child, because then the majority of them were isolated at home or institutionalized, poorly diagnosed with mental and healing diseases.

It requires context. First of all, most states order children to receive about 20 shots to enter school, but these shots include doses of about eight vaccines (depending on the combination vaccines used), which together protect against several diseases.

Even taking into account vaccines that are recommended and are not required, such as an annual flu, children can receive 35 shots at the age of 5. Mr. Kennedy’s mathematics would only be correct if the number contained vaccines served during pregnancy, as well as any ingredient and each dose of the combined product were considered a separate vaccine.

All vaccines must meet Strict safety requirements before approval. Even after their approval, federal officials monitor reports on side effects in many systems which analyze medical documentation and reports from patients and doctors.

Mr. Kennedy’s claim that none of the shots was tested in placebo controlled processes also requires context. Some currently used vaccines have been actually tested against placebo; Others are newer alternatives to vaccines that have undergone controlled placebo before approval.

The newer vaccine is often tested against the approved – and not on placebo – to show that it is equally good in preventing diseases. Newer treatment of some diseases, such as cancer, are similarly tested in such studies, which are called uninvolved tests.

This is due to the fact that it would be unethical to refuse some children in an attempt to protect against a hazardous pathogen, as it would be refused to treat patients with the disease, giving them placebo.

This is false. Numerous studies To have examined This law AND found It couldn’t be fun. On the contrary, it can be the chicken itself, not the vaccine dangerous and even fatal for youthful children.

In both statements, Mr. Kennedy refers to a vaccine for pertussis or chronic cough, which was interrupted in the 1990s. The vaccine was made of inactivated bacteria and compared to newer vaccines was associated with greater side effects, including fever, drowsiness and irritability.

But studies have not shown sedate compact and long-term consequences. According to one huge study, for every 100,000 doses of vaccine, less than nine He produced a fever robbery on vaccination.

Feverish attacks They are seizures caused by high fever and can occur during any childhood disease, including an ear infection; They do not cause lasting damage. Long -term observations of several teams did not show evidence of brain damage in children who received the vaccine.

Mr. Kennedy is right that one team reported increased mortality after vaccination in West Africa. But a number of independent panels that were convened to examine research unanimously stated that the team’s data did not support this application.

“Indeed, documents provide significant evidence against such a conclusion”, Experts wrote.