Noted anti-vaxxer and all-around flake Robert F. Kennedy, inexplicably raised to the influential position of Health Secretary of the United States, is at it again.
First, he fires all the government advisors on vaccination and COVID-19, all 17 members of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee. Kennedy says that replacing the sitting committee members (mainly appointed by Joe Biden, as it happens) would help with the "restoration of public trust". What?!
Then, he pulls the longstanding recommendation for pregnant women to get COVID shots. This one he tries to justify scientifically, but fails miserably.
Kennedy has circulated a document on Capital Hill which purports to explain the scientific logic of his decision, and cites "a number of studies" that he maintains support his position. Except that the authors of some of those studies warn that Kennedy's conclusions are misleading, and that "the results of our manuscript were misinterpreted".
Using the raw study data alone gives a misleading impression of the results, as most scientists understand. After adjusting for factors like age, rurality, income, immigration status, and co-mobidities, the research found "no association between SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and an increased risk of miscarriage". Other studies, including ones cited by Kennedy(!), confirmed this.
Furthermore, contracting COVID itself definitely IS associated with serious maternal and neonatal morbidity. So, given a choice of risking catching COVID or getting a vaccination shot - which, incidentally, has also been shown to protect the newborn babies - vaccination is most definitely the way to go.
You would not get that impression from Kennedy's explanatory letter to lawmakers, though. In this hyper-partisan world we live in, Republicans will typically accept Kennedy's explanation, while Democrats (who also tend to be a bit more discerning and critical) will probably not. So, really, the whole exercise is pretty pointless and cynical.
But, of course, without a panel of independent health advisors, there is no-one to contradict Kennedy now (or at least no-one who might be listened to).
No comments:
Post a Comment