Family Of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Publicly Chastise Him For Disseminating ‘Dangerous Misinformation’ About Vaccinations
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s sister, brother and niece wrote an op-ed piece that denounces Kennedy's stance on immunizations. “On this issue, Bobby is an outlier in the Kennedy family,” they wrote. Kennedy is chairman of the board of Children’s Health Defense, a groups that's website links to information and videos that blame vaccines for food allergies and claim that vaccines against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus are killing people. Other news on vaccinations comes out of California, Kentucky, Texas and Oregon.
The New York Times:
Brother And Sister Of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Accuse Him Of Spreading Misinformation On Vaccines
A brother, sister and niece of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday chastised him for campaigning against vaccines, saying he has been disseminating “dangerous misinformation” that discourages immunization even as measles spreads throughout the United States. They declared that they love him and praised his work to protect the environment. “However, on vaccines he is wrong,” they wrote in a column published in Politico under the headline “RFK Jr. Is Our Brother and Uncle. He’s Tragically Wrong About Vaccines.” (Rabin, 5/8)
The Washington Post:
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Is Called Out By His Own Family For His Anti-Vax Conspiracy Theories
On Wednesday, Kennedy’s siblings Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and former congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-Mass.), as well as niece Maeve Kennedy McKean, published an article in Politico Magazine accusing him of being “complicit” in a misinformation campaign. “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. … is part of this campaign to attack the institutions committed to reducing the tragedy of preventable infectious diseases,” they wrote. “He has helped to spread dangerous misinformation over social media and is complicit in sowing distrust of the science behind vaccines.” (Epstein, 5/8)
Boston Globe:
RFK’s Family Splits Publicly Over Vaccine Controversy
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Joseph P. Kennedy II, and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend are all the children of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 during a presidential run. In the United States, 22 states are now reporting outbreaks of measles, and more than 700 cases have been reported so far this year, making 2019 likely to be the year with the highest number of measles cases in this country in decades, the op-ed said. It’s a medical problem that can be solved through the use of vaccines, something the op-ed said that members of the Kennedy political clan advocated for while in positions of power in Washington. (Ellement, 5/8)
The Wall Street Journal:
San Francisco Investigates Doctor Over Measles Vaccination Exemptions
City officials here are investigating whether a pediatrician illegally gave medical exemptions to parents seeking to not vaccinate their children for school entry, as the U.S. struggles to get control of a growing measles outbreak. A subpoena by City Attorney Dennis Herrera requests the patient records of Dr. Kenneth Stoller, an outspoken opponent of vaccination requirements. The patients’ names were redacted. California is one of three states in which only certain medical exemptions—such as having an allergy to a vaccine or undergoing chemotherapy—can be used to allow a child to attend school without inoculation against measles and other communicable diseases. West Virginia and Mississippi are the others. (Carlton, 5/8)
Los Angeles Times:
Bill To Stiffen California’s Vaccine Law Must First Get Past Single-Issue Voters
Some bills are just more trouble than they’re worth for nervous legislators who must worry about voter support. One such bill is a current measure to tighten the requirement that children be vaccinated against contagious diseases — like measles — before being admitted to school for the first time. Kids can be excused from that edict for medical reasons, such as having a weak immune system caused by leukemia. But a few unscrupulous doctors are peddling medical exemptions for phony reasons to parents who obsessively fear vaccinations. Many of these parents get very hostile when lobbying lawmakers and attacking vaccine advocates. (Skelton, 5/9)
The Associated Press:
Student Who Sued Over Chickenpox Vaccination Has The Disease
The lawyer for a Kentucky high school student who wasn't allowed to participate in school activities because he wasn't vaccinated for chickenpox says his client has now contracted the illness. Attorney Christopher Wiest of Covington told The Kentucky Enquirer that 18-year-old Jerome Kunkel came down with chickenpox last week. Wiest says Kunkel is "fine" and "a little itchy." (5/8)
The Washington Post:
Jonathan Stickland Attacks Vaccine Scientist Peter Hotez, Accusing Him Of 'Sorcery'
A Texas state legislator unleashed a vilifying attack on a leading vaccine scientist Tuesday, accusing the doctor of “sorcery.” It started with a report published Monday by the Texas Department of State Health Services that noted the state recorded a 14 percent rise in parents opting out of their children’s vaccinations. It was a new statistic that alarmed Peter Hotez, professor and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. (Paul, 5/8)
The Oregonian:
Oregon Dentists Become First In U.S. To Be Able To Give All Vaccines
Oregon is the first state in the country to allow dentists to administer vaccines to patients. In a year marked with heated debate about the state’s involvement in boosting vaccination rates, the bill was quietly passed and signed into law with little fanfare. But it sets a new precedent for the role dentistry plays in the health care system. Two other states have laws that allow dentists to give flu shots to adults, but in Oregon, dentists will soon be able to give out any vaccine available at a primary care doctor’s office. (Harbarger, 5/8)
