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Dear Fellow Vermonter,
Earlier this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote an op-ed claiming that, under his leadership, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is “Restoring Public Trust in the CDC”. That would be laughable if it weren’t dangerously wrong. In my view, Mr. Kennedy is waging a war against science and the well-being of the American people that is founded in politics and personal enrichment.
Let’s not forget: At the height of the COVID pandemic, we were losing 3,000 people every day nationally and nearly everyone in Vermont had lost someone they knew. Our hospitals were overwhelmed, doctors and nurses were getting sick and dying for lack of personal protective equipment, and workers were afraid to go to their jobs. President Trump’s initial poor leadership — free-wheeling behind the podium, recommending untested cures and sowing confusion — exacerbated this crisis. During that time, the Vermont Department of Health did everything possible to follow the science and keep Vermonters informed about what steps to take to stay safe.
Yet once the president recognized the severity of the situation, he did something extremely important. He initiated Operation Warp Speed, which in record time led to the development of lifesaving Covid vaccines. Vermont moved quickly to open up vaccination sites that safely administered this lifesaving vaccine to tens of thousands of Vermonters. At the time, there was more demand for the vaccine than actual doses available, and parents drove to any corner of the state if it meant finding an available appointment for their family. Oddly, Mr. Kennedy doesn’t have a good word to say about what his boss called “one of the greatest miracles in the history of modern-day medicine” that “saved tens of millions of lives worldwide.”
Did people make mistakes in responding to Covid? No question. But nobody, not least the secretary of Health and Human Services, should ignore that these vaccines were an enormous and beneficial breakthrough. Here in Vermont, the vast majority of families are following the science and vaccinating school aged children against deadly illnesses like measles, mumps, rubella, polio and chickenpox. In fact, 94% of all school aged children are fully vaccinated. This is great news, but we have no margin for error — as it takes 95% to reach full community immunity to protect the most vulnerable.
We shouldn’t be surprised by Mr. Kennedy’s refusal to acknowledge that success. While the medical community has understood that vaccines are safe, effective and have led to the elimination of polio, measles, smallpox and other diseases, Mr. Kennedy hasn’t. Throughout his career, and as the founder of the anti-vaccine Children’s Health Defense organization, he has made millions of dollars sowing doubt about the efficacy of vaccines.
If the president wants to make America healthy again, great. I believe that is a noble goal. If we are serious about making people healthier, then we have to follow the science.
I understand that Vermonters may be confused about what to do and who to trust. The good news is that — despite the chaos at the CDC — we can trust the Vermont Department of Health and we can trust our health care professionals. Vermont is taking action by joining a regional coalition to help navigate these uncertain times. It is also good news that we have good doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals who have years of experience, as well as unbiased research from organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Vermont Medical Society, which they can rely on to provide the best medical advice for their patients.
Sincerely,
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