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RFK Jr. comes ‘home’ to his anti-vaccine group, commits to ‘a break’ for U.S. infectious disease research (www.nbcnews.com)

submitted 9 months ago by deconstruct@lemm.ee to c/politics@lemmy.world

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At an anti-vaccine conference in Georgia on Friday, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed his commitment to the cause and spoke to his base about how he, as president, would serve the movement he built.

“I feel like I’ve come home today,” he said to a standing ovation, crediting the assembled audience with his candidacy.

He then laid out his vision for a Kennedy presidency, which would include telling the National Institutes of Health to take “a break” from studying infectious diseases, like Covid-19 and measles, and pivoting the agency to the study of chronic diseases, like diabetes and obesity. Kennedy has suggested without evidence that researchers and pharmaceutical companies are driven by profit to neglect such chronic conditions and invest in ineffective and even harmful treatments; he includes vaccines among them.

“I’m gonna say to NIH scientists, God bless you all,” Kennedy said. “Thank you for public service. We’re going to give infectious disease a break for about eight years.”

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[-] autotldr@lemmings.world 4 points 9 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Kennedy has suggested without evidence that researchers and pharmaceutical companies are driven by profit to neglect such chronic conditions and invest in ineffective and even harmful treatments; he includes vaccines among them.

In the hourlong speech, Kennedy covered well-worn subjects, railing against the evils of pharmaceutical companies, warning against researchers who he said improperly frame scientific findings for profit, and expounding on conspiracy theories around Covid measures, including what he called the “totalitarian regime” that controls public health and censorship of dissenting voices.

Siri is a lawyer who has done millions of dollars of work for leading anti-vaccination groups, including a recent case that opened up religious exemptions for childhood vaccines in Mississippi.

Earlier speakers included other heroes of the anti-vaccine movement: Paul Thomas, an Oregon pediatrician whose medical license was suspended and ultimately surrendered after he failed to adequately vaccinate his patients; James Lyons-Weiler, an activist who incorrectly claims a gene sequence in Covid proves the laboratory-origin hypothesis; and Andrew Wakefield, the physician stripped of his license over a retracted study that popularized the false belief that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines cause autism.

After his remarks, attendees were invited to a cocktail reception and dinner with Children’s Health Defense leaders, conference speakers and “medical freedom fighters.” The event is to include a silent auction and a ceremony for the group’s new “Defender Award.” The award’s inaugural recipient, recognized for “his courage and steadfast commitment to truth and liberty,” is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

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[-] henfredemars@infosec.pub 2 points 9 months ago

Nice

this post was submitted on 04 Nov 2023

154 points (94.8% liked)

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