US health minister-designated in the attack on vaccines: cancellation of the polio vaccine

The designated American health secretary continues to attack the vaccines: the lawyer of Robert Kennedy Jr., who is designated for the position of health secretary in the Trump administration, has appealed to the FDA to cancel the approval of the polio vaccine. In the past, Kennedy has spoken out many times against vaccines and causes great concern among health experts. Trump, for his part, recently responded by claiming that vaccines will not be canceled, but he is in favor of re-examining some of them.

The request, submitted by attorney Aharon Siri in 2022 on behalf of the Informed Consent Action Network, claims that the polio vaccine has not undergone controlled clinical trials as required, and therefore its approval should be suspended or revoked until more comprehensive studies are conducted.

The polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk and put into use in 1955, is considered one of the greatest achievements in modern medicine. The vaccine resulted in a significant decrease in morbidity and mortality from polio, and since 1979 no cases of local infection have been recorded in the United States.

Before the development of the polio vaccine, the disease was one of the most contagious and serious diseases in the world, especially among children. According to the World Health Organization, before the 1950s, about 350,000 cases of polio were reported worldwide each year.

In industrialized countries such as the United States and Europe, the disease caused severe epidemics, and in the United States alone, at the height of the outbreaks, more than 50,000 cases per year were recorded. Polio caused partial or complete paralysis in about 1 out of every 200 infected, and in some cases led to death due to damage to the respiratory muscles.

The disease was not limited to only industrialized countries, and it also affected large populations in Africa, Asia and Latin America, especially in areas where there were no advanced health systems. The situation changed dramatically with the development of the first polio vaccine by Dr. Jonas Salk in 1955, followed by the oral vaccine by Dr. Albert Sabin in the 1960s. Thanks to the vaccines, there has been a dramatic decrease in morbidity, and the disease is eradicated in most countries of the world.

The request to revoke the approval of the vaccine was met with sharp criticism from public health experts. Dr. Paul Offitt, a vaccine expert from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, pointed out that requiring additional clinical trials for a vaccine that has been proven safe and effective could expose the public to unnecessary risks. According to him, “you are replacing a theoretical risk with an actual risk.”

Political leaders have also expressed concern. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who survived polio as a child, called on Trump administration candidates to avoid statements that undermine confidence in the polio vaccine. He emphasized the importance of vaccines in eradicating deadly diseases and warned against returning to the times when these diseases were common.

The request to decertify the polio vaccine is part of a broader campaign led by Kennedy and Siri against vaccines. Siri submitted similar requests to suspend the approvals of 13 other vaccines, including corona vaccines on the grounds that the studies about the vaccines are insufficient. As mentioned, these actions arouse concern among experts regarding possible consequences for public health, especially in light of the possibility that Kennedy will hold a senior position in the American health system.