from the snake-oil dept

Welcome to 12 months two of the unmitigated catastrophe that’s RFK Jr. being in control of Well being and Human Companies and its baby businesses. To name Kennedy an anti-vaxxer is just not remotely controversial any longer, and doubtless by no means was. To state that he’s a corrupt peddler of misinformation from which he has, probably nonetheless is, and can sooner or later revenue ought to be equally uncontroversial. And if there’s a single well being problem on which Kennedy has staked his doubtful claims greater than another, it definitely have to be autism spectrum disorder.

Kennedy, and Trump proper alongside him, have been everywhere in the map in terms of his claims about autism. Kennedy was a kind of main the cost for many years in claiming that thimerosal in childhood vaccines was responsible for rising rates in autism diagnoses. When thimerosal was faraway from most childhood vaccines over 20 years in the past and autism charges didn’t lower, quite than admitting they have been improper, Kennedy and his cadre of hapless buffoons merely pivoted to a different vaccine ingredient: aluminum. That ingredient has additionally been deemed secure by numerous research and specialists. You understand, individuals who really know what the hell they’re speaking about.

Since then, Kennedy has found all kinds of different causes of the dysfunction. Male circumcision? Autism! Make American girthy once more, I suppose. Use of Tylenol by pregnant girls and/or for younger youngsters? Autism! Fevers are tremendous scorching nowadays, y’all. And, in fact, he’s nonetheless claiming it would be vaccines too, as a result of why the hell not? It’s not like measles is in all places or something.

Kennedy’s alteration of the CDC web page on vaccines and autism to counsel that there simply is perhaps a hyperlink between the 2 is especially applicable, because the FDA just also disappeared a webpage informing the general public on the assorted snake oil type scams which are on the market purporting to deal with autism as nicely.

…underneath anti-vaccine Well being Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—who has quite a few ties to the wellness trade—that FDA info webpage is now gone. It was quietly deleted on the finish of final 12 months, the Division of Well being and Human Companies confirmed to Ars Technica.

The defunct webpage, titled “Be Conscious of Probably Harmful Merchandise and Therapies that Declare to Deal with Autism,” offered dad and mom and different customers with an outline of the issue. It started with a brief description of autism and a few evidence-based, FDA-approved medicines that may assist handle autism signs. Then, the regulatory company offered an inventory of some false claims and unproven, doubtlessly harmful therapies it had been working to fight. “A few of these so-called therapies carry important well being dangers,” the FDA wrote.

The record included chelation and hyperbaric oxygen remedy, therapies that these within the anti-vaccine and wellness spheres have championed.

It ought to be apparent already that there is no such thing as a proof to counsel that these so-called autism therapies work in any method, form, or kind. That’s why the FDA had a web page up warning towards their use. In some instances, the hazard in utilizing them isn’t any joke both.

Hyperbaric oxygen chamber use might be the lesser of the 2 considerations. They gained’t do something in your autism, however they’re usually present in services with workers who aren’t medical professionals and aren’t at all times educated nicely of their use usually. That’s how one 5 12 months previous (!!!) that visited a wellness heart that claimed to deal with autism with hyperbaric chambers was incinerated inside it when a spark went off and all of that concentrated oxygen ignited. On the one hand, this individual definitely doesn’t have autism any longer, although I don’t assume that’s how the result’s purported to be achieved.

Then there’s chelation remedy, a course of by which chemical injections into the physique are carried out, in order that these chemical substances can bind to metals inside an individual’s bloodstream, permitting them to be excreted via waste. Chelation really does have legit makes use of, similar to when somebody has heavy metallic poisoning, usually from mercury, lead, or arsenic. Utilizing chelation therarpy to take away non-approved minerals, nonetheless, can have destructive well being outcomes, together with demise. And, in fact, one in every of Kennedy’s minions is David Geier. Geier is an anti-vaxxer who joined HHS to “discover” the reason for autism and has lengthy been advocate for chelation remedy.

To deal with this nonexistent drawback, anti-vaccine activists have touted chelation as a method to take away metals delivered through vaccines and deal with autism. Some of the infamous of those activists is David Geier, whom Kennedy employed to the US well being division final 12 months to review the debunked connection between vaccines and autism. David Geier, alongside together with his late father, Mark Geier, confronted self-discipline from the Maryland State Board of Physicians in 2011 for, amongst different issues, placing the well being of autistic youngsters in danger by treating them with unproven and harmful hormone and chelation therapies. Mark Geier was stripped of his medical license. David Geier, who is just not a scientist or physician, was issued a civil wonderful for practising medication with no license.

So why is all of this being achieved? Cash, in fact! Kennedy has surrounded himself with these “well being guru” snakeoil salesmen, each in authorities and out, and the lot of them have made buckets and buckets of cash doing this kind of factor.

In July, KFF Well being Information reported that Kennedy and his wellness allies have made millions promoting unproven wellness products and coverings. Likewise, a narrative final week from The Wall Road Journal reported that Kennedy has surrounded himself with wellness moguls, together with Brecka, who’re cashing in on the administration’s unambiguous embrace of unproven therapies.

Typically, my expertise is that individuals assume RFK Jr. is one in every of two issues. One frequent perception is that he’s a well being savior, lastly sticking it to a corrupt medical trade and telling the reality about the true causes of actual issues like autism. That’s extremely improper for 1,000,000 completely different causes. The opposite frequent perception is that Kennedy’s views on vaccines and well being are tremendous improper, and that he’s very dumb, but in addition that he’s a real believer.

That’s improper, too. This can be a grift and at all times has been. A money-making scheme constructed on the backs of sickness and demise for individuals who take heed to him, all whereas he collects a authorities paycheck. That he was confirmed as Secretary of HHS in any respect was profane. That our authorities has allowed all of his bullshit to go unchecked and unaddressed, nonetheless, is perverse.

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