We all know that Robert F. Kennedy Jr (RFK Jr), Trump's new head of the U.S. Health and Human Services department (HHS),
opposes the use of vaccines. He's blamed them for causing autism and even death - without any scientific evidence to back up these wild claims.
But now, he's not just rolling back vaccine requirements which help protect the general public - he's also trying to
make life-saving COVID vaccines harder to get, even for people who want them.
Why would anyone try to actively prevent someone from voluntarily getting a vaccine? This is not about the right to choose - because now RFK wants to make it harder to choose to become vaccinated.
Sign the petition to demand that every U.S. state ensure that COVID vaccines are available!Just recently, under his leadership, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began
restricting COVID vaccines to people who are 65 years old or older, or have an underlying medical condition. But, notably,
vaccine eligibility does not include people who live or work with immuno-compromised people, or anyone else who simply wants to stay safe and become fully vaccinated.
This means that
far fewer people are going to be able to get updated COVID vaccines. Even Republican Senators are alarmed about this, with Senator Bill
Cassidy telling RFK Jr. during a recent Senate hearing:
"I would say effectively we are denying people vaccines." As vaccination rates decline, so will herd immunity - and then
the risk of COVID infections spreading will rise. Why would anyone restrict access to a vaccine? Vaccinations should be a public health requirement in order to protect others around us as well - and just as importantly,
government agencies shouldn't be actively blocking or preventing people from getting the vaccinations that they need! The timing of this could not be worse. COVID infection rates are already on the rise again - and now it is both school season, as well as prime cold and flu season as the seasons begin to change to autumn and winter.
Luckily, some individual U.S.
states are pushing back. California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawai'i are collaborating to create the West Coast Health Alliance to address the importance of vaccinations. New York and New Jersey are giving pharmacists broader authority to administer vaccines. Massachusetts is issuing its own vaccine recommendations and requiring health insurance companies to cover the costs of administering those vaccines.
We must urge every U.S. state to require all health insurance companies to fully cover COVID vaccines for all people, ensuring that every person has the option to become fully vaccinated. As we enter the fall and winter, it's more important than ever to make sure all people have access to vaccines! Sign the petition!