<
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/01/antivaxxers-david-weldon-cdc-nomination>
"When Donald Trump nominated David Weldon, a 71-year-old doctor from Florida
who has long questioned the safety of vaccines, to lead the US Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), anti-vaccine activists celebrated.
The move comes as the US faces increased threats from bird flu and mpox as well
as resurgences of whooping cough, measles and other vaccine-preventable
diseases.
“He is one of us!!” the co-director of the anti-vax group Mississippi Parents
for Vaccine Rights wrote on Facebook. “Since before our movement had momentum.
Dream Come True.”
“Every day more good news!” wrote another prominent anti-vaxxer in West
Virginia.
“SUCH GREAT NEWS TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” announced AutismOne, a group that has
platformed the anti-vaxxer who recommended chlorine dioxide, essentially
industrial bleach, to “cure” autism. The organization also gave Weldon an award
in 2013.
“He’s definitely someone who’s very sympathetic to the anti-vaccine cause,”
said Dorit Reiss, a professor of law at UC Law San Francisco.
As a representative to the US House from 1995 to 2009, Weldon was a founding
member of the Congressional Autism caucus, and he introduced two bills related
to vaccines.
One bill would have limited who can receive vaccines containing thimerosal
(known as thiomersal in some countries), even though nearly all vaccines were
already made without the preservative by then, despite the evidence that low
doses of thimerosal are safe.
Another bill sought to move the CDC’s vaccine safety work to a separate,
independent agency, a major change."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
