Cassidy, the Republican chairman who spent 30 years as a doctor, pressed Kennedy repeatedly to answer whether he will “unequivocally” reassure Americans that the measles and Hepatitis B vaccines don’t cause autism, cutting Kennedy off when he wasn’t satisfied by the nominee’s answer
Cassidy spent years vaccinating children against hepatitis B to prevent serious disease in the future.
Kennedy. in the past has suggested those vaccines have links to autism.
“If you are approved to this position, will you say, unequivocally, will you reassure mothers unequivocally and without qualifications that the measles and hepatitis B vaccines do not cause autism?” the Republican senator pressed.
“Senator, I am not going into the agency—” Kennedy began to respond, before Cassidy cut him off.
“That’s kind of a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question,” Cassidy said. “Because the answer is there.”
“If the data is there, I will absolutely do that,” Kennedy responded.
Cassidy noted that he worked on hepatitis B issues for years, and insisted that the data and studies have existed for a long time showing the vaccine does not cause autism.
“Then I will be the first person, if you show me data, I will be the first person to assure the American people that they need to take those vaccines,” Kennedy said.
Cassidy noted that Kennedy has recently cast doubt on these vaccines, when the Republican senator said these studies are much older. Cassidy asked Kennedy that if the data is brought to him, and these peer-reviewed studies have existed for a long time, will Kennedy clearly state there is no link.
“Not only will I do that, but I will apologize for any statements that misled people otherwise,” Kennedy said.