Lawyer with Ties to Kennedy Sparks Outcry Over Vaccine Misinformation at CDC Advisory Meeting
A shocking turn of events unfolded at a recent meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) vaccine advisory panel, where an anti-vaccine lawyer named Aaron Siri presented his views on childhood immunization schedules. What was even more astonishing was that Siri had regular ties to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a well-known anti-vaccine activist.
Siri, who has also served as the personal attorney for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., delivered a lengthy presentation about childhood vaccines and highlighted what he described as concerning adverse events from routine vaccines. He specifically targeted vaccines for hepatitis B, pneumococcal disease, and diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough).
Notably, the presence of Siri at this meeting – which marked an unusual departure from the committee's history of relying on trusted sources – has sparked intense debate among experts. Art Caplan, head of NYU Langone Medical Center's division of medical ethics, described it as a move that implies "the panel is using pre-committed ideology to eliminate childhood vaccination."
Critics argue that Siri presented misinformation about vaccine safety and efficacy. For instance, he brought up the disputed claim that there is no conclusive evidence linking vaccines to autism. However, decades of research have overwhelmingly disproven this theory.
According to Dr. Jake Scott, an infectious diseases specialist at Stanford Medicine, in-depth trials on routine childhood vaccines do involve inert placebo controls – a notion Siri misrepresents as never being conducted. Furthermore, prominent experts point out that such studies exist for many routine childhood vaccines.
Notably, the committee voted to roll back long-standing recommendations about hepatitis B vaccines, sparking controversy over concerns about vaccine efficacy and safety. Critics have also questioned Kennedy's efforts to revamp the advisory panel in June, replacing members with those who express skepticism towards vaccines.
Siri himself has a litany of conflicts of interest, including ongoing lawsuits against health departments and agencies over vaccine mandates and alleged injuries from COVID-19 vaccinations.
A shocking turn of events unfolded at a recent meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) vaccine advisory panel, where an anti-vaccine lawyer named Aaron Siri presented his views on childhood immunization schedules. What was even more astonishing was that Siri had regular ties to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a well-known anti-vaccine activist.
Siri, who has also served as the personal attorney for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., delivered a lengthy presentation about childhood vaccines and highlighted what he described as concerning adverse events from routine vaccines. He specifically targeted vaccines for hepatitis B, pneumococcal disease, and diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough).
Notably, the presence of Siri at this meeting – which marked an unusual departure from the committee's history of relying on trusted sources – has sparked intense debate among experts. Art Caplan, head of NYU Langone Medical Center's division of medical ethics, described it as a move that implies "the panel is using pre-committed ideology to eliminate childhood vaccination."
Critics argue that Siri presented misinformation about vaccine safety and efficacy. For instance, he brought up the disputed claim that there is no conclusive evidence linking vaccines to autism. However, decades of research have overwhelmingly disproven this theory.
According to Dr. Jake Scott, an infectious diseases specialist at Stanford Medicine, in-depth trials on routine childhood vaccines do involve inert placebo controls – a notion Siri misrepresents as never being conducted. Furthermore, prominent experts point out that such studies exist for many routine childhood vaccines.
Notably, the committee voted to roll back long-standing recommendations about hepatitis B vaccines, sparking controversy over concerns about vaccine efficacy and safety. Critics have also questioned Kennedy's efforts to revamp the advisory panel in June, replacing members with those who express skepticism towards vaccines.
Siri himself has a litany of conflicts of interest, including ongoing lawsuits against health departments and agencies over vaccine mandates and alleged injuries from COVID-19 vaccinations.