By Robert Weiner and Gene Lambey
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is running his campaign for the 2024 Presidential election. His family is part of this nation's legacy, and he is a top anti-vaxxer. Kennedy running as an Independent encourages anti-vaxxers to flock to him. He picked his Vice President candidate Nicole Shanahan, claiming "significant health issues" after taking the COVID-19 vaccine. The family's opposition announced today to the RFK candidacy is the political piece--but his position on vaccines is outright dangerous scientifically.
Republican governors in states including Ohio refused COVID-19 vaccine mandates despite health officials proving they are safe. Where were the Republican scientists giving the correct information on vaccine mandates? The CDC reported almost 1.2 million Americans dying from COVID-19. Almost 7 million have been hospitalized. This was life or death.
In June 2023 a nationwide survey from the University of South Florida stated that only 49 percent of Republicans, were "very "or "somewhat confident" that COVID-19 vaccines were safe which contrasts with 88 percent of Democrats. A Yale study highlighted partisanship over COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy, leading to unnecessary deaths. Public officials feared mixed messaging on COVID-19 vaccine by Republicans sharpened attitudes toward vaccines.
Ohio, Florida, and other anti-vax-led states were left unprotected and uninformed against COVID-19.
Sherri Tenpenny, a Cleveland physician and conspiracy theorist, spoke in 2021 at the Ohio House of Representatives on how COVID vaccines caused Ohio patients to be "magnetized" and falsely claimed patients died after receiving COVID-19 vaccines. Her medical license was removed.
Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2021, discouraging Floridians from receiving COVID-19 vaccines. His purported study showed, "stratified analysis for cardiac related death" through mRNA vaccinations "increased risk in males, especially among males aged 18-39," which Ladapo wrote in 2023. He discouraged at-risk Floridians over 65 to not get the vaccine. Ladapo was ridiculed for his claims by many serious health officials.
In September 2021 the Biden administration came out with COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates. Biden called for vaccine mandates for employees at large U.S. businesses. The Supreme Court halted the mandate in January 2022 but allowed health workers to adopt it.
The administration has "been patient." Biden stated that unvaccinated people's refusal "cost all of us." He emphasized unvaccinated people "cause a lot of damage" and endanger all Americans.
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