Trump's former FDA commissioner: ‘It will cost lives in this country’ if RFK Jr. follows through on intentions
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, on Friday raised concerns about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda for the Department of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, on Friday raised concerns about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda for the Department of Health and Human Services.
“I think if RFK follows through on his intentions, and I believe he will, and I believe he can, it will cost lives in this country,” Gottlieb told CNBC, referring to Kennedy, whom President-elect Donald Trump has said he will nominate for health secretary.
“You’re going to see measles, mumps and rubella vaccination rates go down,” Gottlieb, who led the FDA under Trump’s first administration, added. “And like I said, if we lose another 5%, which could happen the next year or two, we will see large measles outbreaks. For every 1,000 cases of measles that occur in children, there will be one death. And we are not good in this country at diagnosing and treating measles.”
If he’s confirmed as HHS secretary, Kennedy’s role would include oversight of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the FDA, the agency in charge of reviewing and approving new vaccines.
Gottlieb referenced Kennedy’s long history of vaccine skepticism, which has included false claims that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine can cause autism.
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