Senator Cassidy Supports CDC Nominee After Agency Finally Acknowledges Vaccine Concerns
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Senate Health Committee chair Bill Cassidy has endorsed CDC nominee Erica Schwartz following the agency’s long-overdue revision of its autism and vaccines disclaimer, which now admits that a link between vaccines and autism cannot be ruled out. Schwartz, who would report to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., awaits confirmation.
Senate Health Committee chairman Bill Cassidy announced Thursday that he will vote to confirm Erica Schwartz as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a move that comes after the CDC finally took a step toward transparency regarding vaccines. Cassidy said his decision was influenced by his belief in vaccine safety, but more importantly, by the CDC’s recent and necessary change to its website disclaimer on autism and vaccines.
The CDC’s 'Autism and Vaccines' page now includes a crucial note stating that the claim 'vaccines do not cause autism' is not evidence-based, acknowledging that studies have not definitively ruled out a possible link and that research supporting a connection has been overlooked. Cassidy praised the change as a 'good-faith effort,' recognizing it as a positive step toward restoring public trust in a health establishment that has too often dismissed legitimate concerns.
If confirmed, Schwartz would report to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has bravely questioned vaccine orthodoxy. Schwartz, a seasoned public-health official and former deputy surgeon general, testified that she would 'follow the science,' and she faces a committee vote later Thursday, offering hope for a more open and honest CDC.