On Monday, 16 December 2024, President-elect Donald Trump addressed a variety of topics in a news conference, stating he would protect access to the polio vaccine while remaining ambiguous about his stance on other vaccines.
The New York Times reported last week that a lawyer, who had filed petitions in the past to revoke the approval of vaccines for polio and other preventable diseases, has been accompanying Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during interviews to hire senior officials for the Department of Health and Human Services.
Hence, with polio being one of the most unnerving events in the history of American public health, the association has sparked another round of criticisms of known vaccine skeptic Kennedy and the incoming Trump administration.
Trump defended choosing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his health secretary during his over one-hour news conference but also mentioned that he personally is a “big believer” in the polio vaccine and would preserve access to it. “You are not going to lose the polio vaccine,” he said when asked by a reporter about his stance.
“That is not going to happen,” the president-elect added. “I saw what happened with the polio, I have friends that were very much affected by that. I have friends from many years ago, and they are still in not such good shape because of it.”
He did express some skepticism toward vaccine mandates by some states and school districts. “I do not like mandates. I am not a big mandate person.” Trump also suggested there could be a connection between vaccines, pesticides, and autism. He promised to find a link with the rising case of autism diagnosis.
Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin also spoke to reporters on Monday to set the record on the stance of Kennedy. He told reporters that he spoke with the health secretary pick and was told that he supports polio vaccination 100 percent.
Mullin added that Kennedy believe the polio vaccine is different because was one of the first vaccines to be developed. The vaccine skepticism of Kennedy, as explained by Mullin, comes from mandates that involve giving children multiple shots. He quoted him, saying, “Why are we giving our kids 72 shots now?”