In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread. Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio.
Trump is nominating former Rep. Dave Weldon to head CDC.
Lena H. Sun, Fenit Nirappil and Aaron Schaffer at WP:A Washington Post review of Weldon’s public comments, media appearances and congressional letters along with accounts of those who worked with him reveal a portrait of a politician and physician who emphasized the experiences of individuals while dismissing dozens of studies based on data from hundreds of thousands of patients that showed no link between vaccines and autism.
In Congress, Weldon was “absolutely and completely dismissive” of data showing vaccines were not associated with autism, recalled Josh Sharfstein, a former Democratic staff member on the House Government Reform Committee in the early 2000s when the Republicans who were in charge held regular hearings questioning vaccine safety.
“He appeared to have a closed mind on the issue,” said Sharfstein, now a vice dean for public health practice at Johns Hopkins University and a former top official at the Food and Drug Administration. “He didn’t seem to understand that the core tool of population data analysis is one of the pivotal aspects of the work of CDC.”
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As CDC director, Weldon could influence federal guidance on vaccines, including information posted on the agency’s website, which unequivocally states that studies show no association between vaccines and autism.
He would have the authority to countermand recommendations from the agency’s independent vaccine advisory committee about vaccines approved by the FDA, choose members who oppose vaccines or abolish the panel altogether.
Insurance companies are not required to cover the cost of vaccines unless they are included in recommended vaccination schedules approved by the CDC director. Nor would a federal safety-net program that offers free shots to more than half of U.S. children be able to cover the immunizations if the CDC director has not endorsed them.
