Brandy Zadrozny
Appearances
Apple News Today
What to know about RFK Jr.’s plan to research autism
In this video recording, he promised them that he would be finding out the cause of autism. And in the room, everybody that I talked to sort of took that as, you know, he already knew, just like they already knew the causes of autism. And for them, that has always been and continues to be falsely vaccines.
Apple News Today
What to know about RFK Jr.’s plan to research autism
For these guys, the anti-vaxxers, they've been in this space for so long that finally they feel redeemed by this widening of the community. And so at this point, it's a moment of validation for them.
Apple News Today
What to know about RFK Jr.’s plan to research autism
They refuse to let this go. And so at the same time that we are doing mass firings at our public health agency, at the same time that we are decimating HIV research and infant and maternal mortality groups inside the CDC, we're going to pour money now, apparently, into finding out the cause of autism.
Apple News Today
What to know about RFK Jr.’s plan to research autism
Not therapies or things that might actually help autistic people, but the same old drum we're going to continue to bang. And scientists, autism activists, parents are saying this is just a waste of time and money.
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
In terms of how short our memory is, in the late 80s, early 90s, there was a measles outbreak. Huge. It killed children. And what happened from that was the federal government said, whoa, we have to make sure that we provide free vaccines to every child. And so they created this federal program called the Vaccines for Children Program. It's wildly successful.
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
And so we talk a lot about the parents who don't want to get their children vaccinated, but we probably don't talk enough about... the parents who don't have access to vaccinations. And that might be because they have to work. It might be because they live in rural areas. It might be because they're experiencing homelessness.
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
There are a wide group of people that we can reach and that want vaccines, you know, and they are supported by this federal program that is supported by health departments, local and state health departments, which have just been gutted $11.4 billion and with major cuts to this program. Exactly. A judge just granted an emergency stay to that gutting.
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
Maria, it's such a good point that we have to focus on the people who want vaccines and make sure that they can get them. Because if we have all of them, we could probably reach that 95% herd immunity.
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
I call this the that's what you get phase of this tale of misinformation and misinformation reporting. For so long, we sounded the alarm and said, these lies are really spreading super fast. This community is really widening and getting people. And COVID really supercharged all that and alarm, alarm. And now it's like, well... Kennedy's in charge now.
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
If he does what he said he was going to do, which is to dismantle CDC and NIH and only study the chronic conditions that he thinks and has said for a decade are caused by vaccines. then it seems like he's going to find the answer that he wanted. And I think that because he's now installed an anti-vaccine researcher to look over the safety data on vaccines.
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
Andrew Wakefield, a researcher from England and a doctor, fabricated a study of... children with autism and claimed that basically there was something in their gut that showed that it was the MMR vaccine that caused these gut problems associated with autism.
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
He became known as this environmental lawyer, giving these talks about mercury in the fish. A woman came up to him and said, you're so concerned about mercury in the fish. What about mercury in vaccines?
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
What has to be understood here is that those parents are victims of the anti-vaccine movement who has flooded their area with misinformation and disinformation.
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
I talked to some health public officials on the ground there, and they told me that they were pivoting to a harm reduction communication strategy because the come get the vaccine, this thing is spreading, it wasn't working. And so instead, they were like, you should, like COVID, stay home to stop the spread.
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
So they were urging people just to stay home because their calls for vaccination just weren't being met. Wow.
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
I was also kind of gutted to see those parents. Let's just be clear. The video that you saw where these parents were offering that explanation was taken by employees of Children's Health Defense. They blame the vaccine on whatever heartbreaking story they have.
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
And what has to be understood here is that those parents are victims of the anti-vaccine movement who has flooded their area with misinformation and disinformation. I deeply, deeply understand the motivation of a parent to want to protect their child at all costs, for it to be unfathomable to believe that the things you did trying to protect your child could actually have hurt them.
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
So Ben Edwards is a local alternative medicine doctor, and he came with cod liver oil supplements, which he also sells on his website, of course. And then he set up shop in a local health clinic warehouse and, you know, scores and scores of children, sick children, seemingly, according to him and others in the community, came to him to get this regimen.
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
Also included, I think, was budesonide, which is like an inhaler usually for asthmatics. There's no research that says that it is good for measles. Correct. This is just the latest in a number of quack cures sold by what is really an anti-vaccine industry, right? Yeah. to solve their kids' problems. So right now it's vitamin A toxicity. Next week it will be God knows.
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
Yeah. Kennedy went to Samoa in 2019 and suggested to the prime minister that they stop a vaccination campaign and instead just give everybody vitamin A. Unfortunately, it left some 80-something children dead in its wake, thousands others sickened, and was a terrible tragedy there. Wow.
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
So the idea that I'm not going to do something that's unnatural, that if I just do things the good way, the natural way, that is what will see me through. And I am strong now, and my kid is safe now. And if I don't do anything, then that is what will work. And I'm very crunchy. Like I gave birth in a pool. I do not take Tylenol. Like I'm a crunchy person.
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
So like I very much get the impulse towards like the natural, but you're right. There is a disconnect of what we know in this age of enlightenment where we know about medicine and we know the things that it does. And so you have to really close the door. You have to say, I'm not going to think about that. I'm only going to look at these the things that complement my worldview.
It's Been a Minute
When adults reject vaccines, children pay the price
And luckily, that is incredibly easy to do. In this moment of social media, Dr. Ben Edwards has a podcast. CHD has a morning show. You can just tune in to Children's Health Defense. There is something for you all the time. You never have to let another view in.