RFKjr is the wrong person to lead Health and Human Services. His crazy vaccines theories will make America sick again
When the world was running scared about the monkey-pox virus in 2022, I asked the University of Houston college students I was teaching if they had heard of chickenpox.
They stared at me blankly. None of them knew of the highly contagious disease that causes a rash of itchy blisters all over the body, and that was my point.
The chickenpox vaccine, which was introduced in 1995, has significantly dropped the number of cases in the U.S.
Measles resurgence shows the risk of RFK, Jr. as top health official (electron microscope image of a measles virus)
I won't debate anti-vaccine proponents on why I believe vaccines work. I know they do.
Contracting chickenpox was a rite of passage during my childhood. The virus would start with a rash of itchy, open sores that quickly spread to nearly every crevice of your body. I got sores inside my ears, mouth, and nose. My brother had sores between his toes and on his scalp, and a fever so intense he was hospitalized for days.
The sores would ooze with fluid and then scab over in about a week. In the meantime, our parents would drench us with the pink Calamine lotion to ease the itch. We were also quarantined in our bedrooms to prevent anyone else from catching it, but it didn't always work.
Curiously, some of the loudest voices advocating against vaccinations don't seem enraged by the chemicals and other toxins in our food supply. Forever chemicals are now in every part of our lives from nonstick cookware to our clothing, and in some cases, they are making us sick.
This week, the Food and Drug Administration announced it is banning the use of red dye No. 3 more than two years after advocates pushed for the FDA to do so. A 1980s study found that synthetic dye, which is in food, candy and some beverages and is made from petroleum, was possibly carcinogenic after tumors were found in male rats who were exposed to it in high doses. Studies also show the dye is associated with hyperactivity in children.
Before the chickenpox vaccine, three to four million people in the U.S. contracted the virus every year.
If Kennedy's post is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he would be in charge of key health agencies, including the CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Kennedy debunks claims that he's an anti-vaccination advocate, but has blamed the rise in autism cases on vaccinations and has suggested that HIV does not cause AIDS.
Vaccines are one of the most effective medical advancements in our history, but too many people are persuaded by the noise of misinformation.
They should do their homework, and then make educated decisions. The last thing we need is to make America sick again.
An award-winning news columnist for the Houston Chronicle, Joy Sewing is reporting and opining on issues, including social justice, politics, race, education, health care and inequity. She can be reached at joy.sewing@houstonchronicle.com.
The chickenpox vaccine, which was introduced in 1995, has significantly dropped the number of cases in the U.S.
And thanks to other vaccines, childhood diseases such as diphtheria, rubella, polio and measles, have been contained for years.
Now, as President-elect Donald Trump takes office with anti-vaccination advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Trump's nominee for the secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, we could see those childhood illnesses make an unfortunate comeback.
The anti-Covid-19 vaccination fervor has helped escalate the issue. Some claimed the Covid-19 vaccine was developed too quickly, questioed its side effects and decided to take their chances by not getting the vaccine.
Now, as President-elect Donald Trump takes office with anti-vaccination advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Trump's nominee for the secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, we could see those childhood illnesses make an unfortunate comeback.
The anti-Covid-19 vaccination fervor has helped escalate the issue. Some claimed the Covid-19 vaccine was developed too quickly, questioed its side effects and decided to take their chances by not getting the vaccine.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of kindergartners with complete records for the measles vaccine declined from around 95 percent before the pandemic to under 93 percent in the 2023-2024, school year. The center also has reported a “staggering” 20-percent rise in measles cases globally in 2023, after a decline in vaccination rates. Immunization rates against polio, whooping cough and chickenpox also have fallen.
I won't debate anti-vaccine proponents on why I believe vaccines work. I know they do.
Contracting chickenpox was a rite of passage during my childhood. The virus would start with a rash of itchy, open sores that quickly spread to nearly every crevice of your body. I got sores inside my ears, mouth, and nose. My brother had sores between his toes and on his scalp, and a fever so intense he was hospitalized for days.
The sores would ooze with fluid and then scab over in about a week. In the meantime, our parents would drench us with the pink Calamine lotion to ease the itch. We were also quarantined in our bedrooms to prevent anyone else from catching it, but it didn't always work.
A colleague told me that she contracted chickenpox twice.
The decline in vaccination rates means we could lose our herd immunity, which is the point at which a large portion of the community is immune. Herd immunity can stop an outbreak and keep children safe. According to a 2024, study led by the World Health Organization, global immunization efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives — the equivalent of 6 lives every minute — over the past 50 years. The vast majority of lives saved were those of infants.
Curiously, some of the loudest voices advocating against vaccinations don't seem enraged by the chemicals and other toxins in our food supply. Forever chemicals are now in every part of our lives from nonstick cookware to our clothing, and in some cases, they are making us sick.
This week, the Food and Drug Administration announced it is banning the use of red dye No. 3 more than two years after advocates pushed for the FDA to do so. A 1980s study found that synthetic dye, which is in food, candy and some beverages and is made from petroleum, was possibly carcinogenic after tumors were found in male rats who were exposed to it in high doses. Studies also show the dye is associated with hyperactivity in children.
The decline in vaccination rates means we could lose our herd immunity, which is the point at which a large portion of the community is immune. Herd immunity can stop an outbreak and keep children safe. According to a 2024, study led by the World Health Organization, global immunization efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives — the equivalent of 6 lives every minute — over the past 50 years. The vast majority of lives saved were those of infants.
Curiously, some of the loudest voices advocating against vaccinations don't seem enraged by the chemicals and other toxins in our food supply. Forever chemicals are now in every part of our lives from nonstick cookware to our clothing, and in some cases, they are making us sick.
This week, the Food and Drug Administration announced it is banning the use of red dye No. 3 more than two years after advocates pushed for the FDA to do so. A 1980s study found that synthetic dye, which is in food, candy and some beverages and is made from petroleum, was possibly carcinogenic after tumors were found in male rats who were exposed to it in high doses. Studies also show the dye is associated with hyperactivity in children.
Before the chickenpox vaccine, three to four million people in the U.S. contracted the virus every year.
If Kennedy's post is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he would be in charge of key health agencies, including the CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Kennedy debunks claims that he's an anti-vaccination advocate, but has blamed the rise in autism cases on vaccinations and has suggested that HIV does not cause AIDS.
If Kennedy's post is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he would be in charge of key health agencies, including the CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Kennedy debunks claims that he's an anti-vaccination advocate, but has blamed the rise in autism cases on vaccinations and has suggested that HIV does not cause AIDS.
Vaccines are one of the most effective medical advancements in our history, but too many people are persuaded by the noise of misinformation.
They should do their homework, and then make educated decisions. The last thing we need is to make America sick again.
The vaccination debate has become political. In November 2023, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates by private employers.
While Texas school-age children must receive up to seven immunizations for various illnesses, including measles, polio and tetanus, the state is one of 16 states that allow parents to request an exemption for medical health reasons, being in the military or for personal beliefs, like religion.
They should do their homework, and then make educated decisions. The last thing we need is to make America sick again.
The vaccination debate has become political. In November 2023, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates by private employers.
While Texas school-age children must receive up to seven immunizations for various illnesses, including measles, polio and tetanus, the state is one of 16 states that allow parents to request an exemption for medical health reasons, being in the military or for personal beliefs, like religion.
Curiously, some of the loudest voices advocating against vaccinations don't seem enraged by the chemicals and other toxins in our food supply. Forever chemicals are now in every part of our lives from nonstick cookware to our clothing, and in some cases, they are making us sick.
This week, the Food and Drug Administration announced it is banning the use of red dye No. 3 more than two years after advocates pushed for the FDA to do so. A 1980s study found that synthetic dye, which is in food, candy and some beverages and is made from petroleum, was possibly carcinogenic after tumors were found in male rats who were exposed to it in high doses. Studies also show the dye is associated with hyperactivity in children.
Before the chickenpox vaccine, three to four million people in the U.S. contracted the virus every year.
If Kennedy's post is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he would be in charge of key health agencies, including the CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Kennedy debunks claims that he's an anti-vaccination advocate, but has blamed the rise in autism cases on vaccinations and has suggested that HIV does not cause AIDS.
Vaccines are one of the most effective medical advancements in our history, but too many people are persuaded by the noise of misinformation.
They should do their homework, and then make educated decisions. The last thing we need is to make America sick again.
An award-winning news columnist for the Houston Chronicle, Joy Sewing is reporting and opining on issues, including social justice, politics, race, education, health care and inequity. She can be reached at joy.sewing@houstonchronicle.com.
Labels: chickenpox, CoVID-19, Donald Trump, Houston Chronicle, Joy Sewing, measles
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