Q. Why do you speak so forcefully?
A. “I have seen a lot in public health in my 50 years of working in this sector. Some of this progress has been hard-won in reducing childhood illness in ways that most people take for granted…when I started at the Minnesota Department of Health, Haemophilus influenzae B, or HiB, affected about 1 child out of 250 previously. they reached the age of five. It was the leading cause of hearing loss, in addition to other neurological problems. It was a tragedy. Today, nationally, we typically see fewer than 10 cases per year and that’s because of a vaccine. We have made much progress in reducing serious illness, hospitalizations and deaths, especially among children. It is the loss of this gain that would be for me the greatest parody of all.
Q. Kennedy recently said he was “all for the polio vaccine» after years of disputing its effectiveness and linking it to cancer. Is the turnaround credible?
A. “I can’t tell you who he is. It’s like nailing Jell-O to the wall. He changes his statements all the time.
Q. What’s the problem with making vaccine safety data transparent, as Kennedy promised?
A. “This safety data has been accessible to everyone since the start of vaccines. All data for FDA approval. All data from (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices). All data current on a collection basis. It’s public. What will he do differently? But you know, by saying that, he gives people the feeling that we are hiding something.”