In a tense hearing in the US Senate, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. defended his views on vaccines, the Covid-19 pandemic and other sensitive issues that have been at the center of political debate in the United States, especially since Donald Trump returned to power. The hearing, which lasted about three hours, took place a week after Kennedy fired the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after a clash over his vaccination policies. Kennedy's move caused great controversy, further inflaming political tensions over the public health issue.
Democrats tough on Kennedy
Democrats accused the health secretary of misinforming Americans, lying about the effectiveness of vaccines, and limiting citizens' access to them. Some of them used extremely strong language, calling him a "charlatan" and even calling for his resignation.
Lawmakers repeatedly asked him about his stance on the Covid-19 vaccine, noting that vaccines have saved millions of lives during the pandemic. They asked him if he acknowledged that over 1 million Americans have died from the coronavirus. Kennedy replied that he did not know the exact numbers, blaming the “chaos of data” during the Joe Biden administration.
Republicans, divided in positions
Republicans took a more measured tone, but some also expressed concerns. Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician who cast a key vote to confirm Kennedy, was harsher on him, accusing him of limiting access to vaccines for certain categories of the population.
Under Kennedy's leadership, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new round of booster vaccines against Covid-19, but only for more limited groups: adults over 65 and people with serious health problems. The decision sparked a backlash from experts and lawmakers, who saw it as a step backward in the fight against pandemics.
Other vaccines and measles
The senators noted that Kennedy has made contradictory statements about vaccines in general, including measles immunization. The US has this year faced its worst measles outbreak in decades. While Kennedy has publicly supported vaccination as the best way to prevent the spread of this disease, he has also repeated false claims about its safety and efficacy. He has done the same for anti-Covid vaccines and those using mRNA technology, raising doubts about their safety.
Doubts also about the abortion pill
During the hearing, Kennedy also expressed reservations and doubts about the safety of the abortion pill, further intensifying the debate between him and Democrats.
The hearing showed the deepening political divisions in the US over public health issues and vaccination, with Democrats accusing Kennedy of dangerous misinformation and some Republicans also distancing themselves from his approaches.
