US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made countless false and misleading claims on Thursday. Disputed 3-hour hearing.
Kennedy ignores government data, twists the law and points out virtually unfounded treatments. COVID-19 Vaccinea rural hospital and School gunshot.
Let’s take a closer look at the facts.
COVID-19 (COVID-19)
Kennedy said on the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine: “The only confusion I have expressed is exactly saving lives. I don’t think anyone knows that.”
Fact: Kennedy was answering questions from the senator. Maggie Hassan Whether the Covid-19 vaccine has saved the lives of millions of Americans. Countless studies on the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine have been published since it first became available in late 2020. Protection declines over time, but it provides the strongest barrier to severe infection and death.
For example, a 2024 Research By World Health Organization The Covid-19 vaccine has reduced the deaths in the WHO European region by at least 57%, and has saved more than 1.4 million lives since its introduction in December 2020.
a 2022 Research Featured in Journal Lancet Infectious Diseases I found it In the first year, the Covid-19 vaccine saved nearly 20 million lives. Using data from 185 countries, researchers estimate that the vaccine prevented 4.2 million Covid-19 deaths in India, 1.9 million in the US, 1 million in Brazil, 631,000 in France and 507,000 in the UK. The main findings – 19.8 million Covid-19 deaths were prevented – are based on estimates of whether more than usual deaths occurred during the period. Using only reported Covid-19 deaths, the same model yielded 14.4 million deaths avoided by the vaccine.
Recent data from Centers for Disease Control and PreventionKennedy Head shows that the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine is 33% effective against emergency department or emergency care visits for adults aged 18 and older compared to those who did not receive the 2024-2025 Wykesin DOSE.
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Kennedy in Covid-19 booster shot: “Everyone can get a booster.”
fact: Food and Drug Administration I approved the updated Covid-19 shot only Elderly or young people with underlying health risks. Many pharmacies are reluctant or legally prohibited from offering vaccines for use other than those approved by the FDA and other federal authorities.
The question of who can take a shot is complicated for many people. The answer may depend on the age of the state you live in, laws, policies, insurance coverage, and finding a health professional who will give you a shot.
To date, the US has recommended annual Covid-19 vaccinations for everyone over six months, following guidance from independent experts advising the CDC. Although they oppose many US medical groups, the narrower standard for seasonal shots reflects many other countries in Europe and around the world.
Kennedy also acknowledged that access is “nation-dependent,” and said boosters were “not recommended for healthy people.”
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Kennedy said on the number of Americans who died from Covid-19: “I don’t think anyone knows that because there was a lot of data chaos coming out of the CDC and there were so many perverse incentives.”
Fact: This data is easy to access. CDC and Who is.
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SSRI and pediatric vaccines
Kennedy has accused Sen. Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, of condemning the shooting at schools of antidepressants.
Fact: Kennedy wasn’t saying it completely. Fox News Interview Last week, antidepressants are responsible for school shootings. However, he suggested that they could play a role by saying that the National Institutes of Health is “initiating research into the potential contributions of SSRI drugs and the potential contributions of other psychotics that may contribute to violence.”
SSRI, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is a commonly used drug to treat mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
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Kennedy: “Today’s children need to get 69-92 vaccines to fully comply between motherhood and 18 years. 19 vaccines, 92 doses. Only one of these vaccines is being tested against a placebo.”
Fact: Current childhood vaccination schedules recommend routine protection against 18 diseases. The number of shots that accompany birth and age 18 can vary for many reasons. This list recommends, for example, one flu vaccine per year. Some of the list may not be recommended for all children, such as preventive shots of RSV in young babies. Another variable depends on the type of vaccine used for a particular disease. One option may require two doses and three other doses.
Decades of research before and after their approval have shown that people on the market are safe and effective. Includes placebo-controlled studies. There is no evidence that pediatric vaccine schedules are harmful. This is supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Physicians. He says multiple vaccines aren’t a problem.
Rural Hospital
Kennedy: “Trump is currently allocating one big beautiful bill to $500 billion, so he’s allocating $10 billion a year over the next five years. What he gives to rural hospitals accounts for $19 billion a year.
fact: There’s more Almost to 900 pages of invoice Rather than Kennedy claims. It is true that Republicans have established new funds that secure $10 billion each year in rural hospitals, healthcare providers and clinics. But they did that to offset the significant cuts that rural hospitals are expected to endure as a result of laws that cut $1.2 trillion from the federal budget over the next decade, primarily from Medicaid.
Approximately 10 million people are expected to lose their health insurance from the law. Most people lose Medicaid.
This leaves many hospitals with patients who cannot afford to pay for emergency services. The change is expected to hit one in four Americans who rely on Medicaid for health insurance, particularly in severe rural areas. In particular, it is estimated that rural hospitals may lose in between. $58 billion and $137 billion For the next decade, due to the provisions of the bill.
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