Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nephew of President John F. Kennedy, has been recognized by Time Magazine as a “hero for the planet” for his environmental activism, but he’s also become one of the most recognizable faces of the anti-vaccination movement.
On Wednesday, Kennedy took his anti-vaxxer message to the Ohio Statehouse where he spoke to a crowd of 120 supporters about the apparent dangers of vaccinations.
According to The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Kennedy delivered a PowerPoint presentation at the event that was critical of the government and vaccine industry for the “lack of what he described as rigorous studies before approval.”
“Of the 72 vaccines that are currently mandated for our children, not a single one has been safety tested against a placebo. I don’t think we should be mandating medical interventions for our children without knowing what the risk of the product is. The CDC should no be regulating vaccines. The agency is too tied in financially with the vaccine industry,” Kennedy said, according to WBNS.
Kennedy apparently argued that America has “the sickest children in the developed world,” despite having “the most aggressive vaccine schedule in the world,” The Columbus Dispatch reported.
Kennedy currently serves as the chairman of the board for Children’s Health Defense, an organization that advocates for “transparency and sound science in our nation’s vaccine program.”
In May, three of Kennedy’s relatives published an op-ed in Politico in which they claimed that he’s “tragically wrong about vaccines.”
“We stand behind him in his ongoing fight to protect our environment. However, on vaccines he is wrong,” the article said. “And his and others’ work against vaccines is having heartbreaking consequences. The challenge for public health officials right now is that many people are more afraid of the vaccines than the diseases, because they’ve been lucky enough to have never seen the diseases and their devastating impact.”
Wednesday’s event was organized in support of House Bill 268, which was introduced in late May by State Rep. Ron Hood (R-Ashville). The bill would prevent employers from “taking an adverse employment action against a person who has not been or will not be vaccinated.” It was referred to the House Commerce and Labor Committee but has yet to receive a hearing.
– – –
Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Robert Kennedy Jr.” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0. Background Photo “Ohio Statehouse” by Alexander Smith. CC BY-SA 3.0.
.jpg){kind=link}
