Trump nominees should ‘steer clear’ of undermining polio vaccine, McConnell says

There is talk of eliminating childhood vaccines entirely. This as H5N1 is on the verge of jumping to humans. My wife and I are shaking our heads wondering how people can be so stupid.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, a childhood polio survivor, said any of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees seeking confirmation should “steer clear” of efforts to discredit the polio vaccine.

The immense effort, mustered from deep wells of personal experience, it takes for Mitch McConnell to utter some half-hearted pushback against Trump is amazing.

This is a 'public servant' who has never worked a single day in the service of the public.

But his nomination was immediately met with alarm from scientists and public health officials, who fear Kennedy would unwind life-saving public health initiatives, like vaccines.

The real significant event about American health care happened in the streets of Manhattan last week.

RFK's Trump style carnival barkerism is yet another distraction.

rfk jr’s right hand man, the one he wants to make the departments top lawyer, sued the fda to stop all (all) vaccinations.

he claimed there isn’t enough data to prove the polio vaccine is safe and effective.

polio, hepatitis a and b, rubella, hpv, et al. the life saving stuff.

there’s an old saying that most grievous mistakes aren’t caused by evil people, they’re caused by stupidity.

it’s important to remind people that the doctor who wrote the false report that rfk and others refer to that there is a link between vaccines to autism lost his medical license and publicly apologized for falsifying the data. he recanted it in total.

it’s important to remind people that the doctor who wrote the false report that rfk and others refer to that there is a link between vaccines to autism lost his medical license and publicly apologized for falsifying the data. he recanted it in total.

And that after RFK Jr's visit to Samoa encouraging them to stop administering the MMR vaccine, misrepresenting a tragic accident in which two nurses incorrectly prepared some doses, 80 Samoans, mostly children, died in the subsequent measles outbreak.

Apparent Autism rates are rising not due to vaccines but due to increased awareness. One hundred years ago there was no awareness of anything we now call Autism. Even 50 years ago nobody was aware except a few early researchers in the field like BJ Freeman. I am pretty certain my wife is Autistic (our boy certainly is) but when she was growing up in the PRC during the Cultural Revolution do you think the Red Guards were looking for kids with Autism? Come on. Austistic kids got expelled from school and ended up institutions or reform schools. Now we know more. Nothing to do with vaccines. The people pushing this nonsense, some are just simple fools but some are pure evil. They cannot be allowed to have their way with us.

The immense effort, mustered from deep wells of personal experience, it takes for Mitch McConnell to utter some half-hearted pushback against Trump is amazing. 

I don’t think at this point anyone cares what Mitch thinks or says.

This is a 'public servant' who has never worked a single day in the service of the public. 

What? You often sat some of the most hilarious things. lol

The real significant event about American health care happened in the streets of Manhattan last week. 

Can you be more specific?

RFK's Trump style carnival barkerism is yet another distraction.

According to whom?

It's too bad McConnell is old enough to have been sprayed with DDT as a child. Once they stopped doing that polio went away.

I'm waiting for someone on Faux News or OAN to claim that since Mitch McConnel survived Polio he is living proof there is no need for the vaccine. You just know someone is going to say it, just like the post above that said"

I don’t think at this point anyone cares what Mitch thinks or says.

The polio vaccination has saved hundreds of millions of children since the 1950s from that dreadful disease. It would be a crime to stop it. The US needs to change childhood vaccinations from compulsory to recommended as it is here in Japan.

I don’t think at this point anyone cares what Mitch thinks or says.

He survived Polio. He knows just how bad that disease is and knows the value of the vaccine. His word on this matter is far more valuable than that of some talking head on Faux News or OAN, and more valuable on this matter than yours by far.

It's too bad McConnell is old enough to have been sprayed with DDT as a child. Once they stopped doing that polio went away.

How do you explain polio in countries that don't use DDT?

"Polio is caused by 1 of 3 types of the poliovirus. It often spreads due to contact with infected feces. This often happens from poor handwashing. It can also happen from eating or drinking contaminated food or water. It can also be spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes infected droplets into the air. Those with the virus can excrete the virus in their stool for several weeks. People are most contagious right before symptoms start and soon after they appear."

The US needs to change childhood vaccinations from compulsory to recommended as it is here in Japan.

I wouldn't necessarily disagree with that.

He survived Polio.

So did my father and thousands of others.

He knows just how bad that disease is and knows the value of the vaccine.

My father was as well and he wasn't big on vaccines, many of them at least.

His word on this matter is far more valuable than that of some talking head on Faux News or OAN, and more valuable on this matter than yours by far.

Many would disagree.

His word on this matter is far more valuable than that of some talking head on Faux News or OAN, and more valuable on this matter than yours by far.

Many would disagree

Yeah, brainless idiots. I am old enough to remember kids with Polio. That vaccine was a godsend.

bass4funk

The immense effort, mustered from deep wells of personal experience, it takes for Mitch McConnell to utter some half-hearted pushback against Trump is amazing. 

> I don’t think at this point anyone cares what Mitch thinks or says.

Who is listening to you? You would have to agree that his opinion is just as valid as yours but he has the greater audience.

Yeah, brainless idiots.

320 million plus people in the US and the ones that have a different medical opinionated viewpoint than you are idiots? Again, this is why your side lost, when you guys THINK that your opinion matters more than others or that other people's opinions differ from yours and blow them off as ignorant or idiots, people remember that and will vote accordingly, I hope the left got the message, but I think they didn't even after losing everything.

I am old enough to remember kids with Polio. That vaccine was a godsend.

Well, that is good, like I said my father is older, he appreciated many vaccines, but he was very critical about others and in a democracy, we are all allowed to agree or disagree on any topic.

Who is listening to you?

See, you just made my point for me once again.

You would have to agree that his opinion is just as valid as yours but he has the greater audience.

Mitch can have as many opinions as he wants, good for him.

but he has the greater audience.

Once, a long time ago, but not anymore.

some people just don't have good opinions.

320 million plus people in the US and the ones that have a different medical opinionated viewpoint than you are idiots?

Those who think the decades of empirical evidence and all the scientific knowledge are wrong and their "opinion" is right, I would call them idiots, so would most intelligent people.

320 million plus people in the US and the ones that have a different medical opinionated viewpoint than you are idiots?

Absolutely they are! Their opinions doesn't trump scientific facts. They don't have the RIGHT of an opinion unless they can back it up by scientific research. We can't just allow the loonie zoo Trump is employing to ruin an entire society.

Those who think the decades of empirical evidence and all the scientific knowledge are wrong and their "opinion" is right, I would call them idiots, so would most intelligent people.

Again, you can think that, I can think the opposite as well and I’m allowed to think opposing medical viewpoints from scientists in the field have a correct position. They have validity as well.

They don't have the RIGHT of an opinion

Excuse me? In the U.S., no one has the right to tell me what or how to believe, now I am free to have a personal opinion, but someone tells me I have to right? Sorry, I have every right to call out something I don’t agree with.

unless they can back it up by scientific research.

Many skeptic Scientists do and have done that.

We can't just allow the loonie zoo Trump is employing to ruin an entire society.

Or the other way around.

Need to follow the latest science and data regarding health policies, including vaccines = Common Sense!

Trump Admin & RFK will not cow-tow to Big Pharma & Food with their $financial strategies to destroy and then treat US Citizens with their 'chronic disease' $agenda.

Old "Crow" MC better step aside ASAP, as he keeps falling down on the job, Kentucky's DONE with NEOCONS

Old Crow's (MM) great accomplishment was stacking SCOTUS with a super majority, that's a serious legacy.

But Trumper's want him and his Ukraine war agenda gone, so time for Old Crow to head off into the sunset, as him lasting another two years seems highly unlikely.

HopeSpringsEternalToday 03:12 pm JST

But Trumper's want him and his Ukraine war agenda gone,

Not even in the top 10 issues of the election.

so time for Old Crow to head off into the sunset, as him lasting another two years seems highly unlikely.

You would like that wouldn't you? America's decline hastened by removing impediments to Trump.

Yes, McConnell’s usefulness is now outweighed by his desperation for continued (but unearned) influence.

So time to go.

I'm just trying to imagine the history books a few decades from now.

"The period coinciding with the 2024 election marked a shift towards a new idea which gripped the nation: it is acceptable to allow dangerous or even deadly diseases (which had been brought under control) to come back, as long as doing so aligned with one's political beliefs. If one contracted such disease, it was a sign of fealty to the administration, a sort of middle finger to the medical profession and a statement that I Did My Own Research and Owned the Libs. A verb, "to Hermain Cain", was coined at around this time, and has remained in the common vernacular".

I saw a nice one-liner on social media about this kind of thing:

"The good thing about anti-vaxxers is that one day there won't be any".

What I like about the "I'm entitled to my opinion" people is that if they suddenly got sick and were taken to hospital ("ugh! socialism! no thanks"!), they'd suddenly find themselves really quite inclined to take the words of the doctor / surgeon at face value. Although I'd have a grudging respect if they'd stick to their guns even then:

Surgeon: "We need to carry out a procedure right now. It involves doing X, Y and Z"

Mr. Opinion: "No way, man. This dude on YouTube says that I can cure this by eating three cucumbers a day for a month and sniffing essential oils"

(Then of course they'd go home and claim that they were cured by prayer).

Kinda like this?

“For unvaccinated, we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death — if you’re unvaccinated — for themselves, their families, and the hospitals they’ll soon overwhelm”

I am on my 4th winter of outstanding health and the hospitals seem fine.

Anyone familiar with US Senate and House, the Legislative branch, understands process of reconciliation = bills passed on a simple majority if they entail $dollars. That's surely $EXPENSIVE Healthcare!

Big cuts coming, lots of unnecessary Healthcare PORK/spending e.g. gender 're-assignment' surgeries!

"The good thing about anti-vaxxers is that one day there won't be any".

And the people that have taken the vax?

https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/why-do-vaccinated-people-represent-most-covid-19-deaths-right-now/

What I like about the "I'm entitled to my opinion" people is that if they suddenly got sick and were taken to hospital ("ugh! socialism! no thanks"!),

True, I lived in soclist countries, you are right about that.

they'd suddenly find themselves really quite inclined to take the words of the doctor / surgeon at face value.

Some do, this is true. Libs feel like nothing needs to be questioned, I question everything that’s why I did well in life.

good one Dude, I like it, polio, TB, measles, yellow fever (how many remember the original WHO y.c?) cholera I got bad memories of the booster effect! History has told us the truth in FACT. So many nations emphasizing pop. decline. mmh which vax was the five needle circle before 5yrs old. So is the longer intent to kill research into dengue fever prevention, maleria? A NEW WORLD ORDER?

Libs feel like nothing needs to be questioned

Actually, we're currently questioning the overall mental health of the USA and coming to some fairly depressing conclusions.

 I question everything that’s why I did well in life.

Nothing says "success in life" as needing to spend a vast amount of time online defending Donald Trump.

Actually, we're currently questioning the overall mental health of the USA and coming to some fairly depressing conclusions.

Liberals have been deeply depressed lately this is true

Nothing says "success in life" as needing to spend a vast amount of time online defending Donald Trump.

I don’t need to defend him, he did better than well, but I will defend myself and Americans in general to have the right to say and think as they want without worrying about the lefts disillusioned anger management issues.

BlacklabelToday 03:22 pm JST

Yes, McConnell’s usefulness is now outweighed by his desperation for continued (but unearned) influence.

So time to go.

Longest serving party leader in Senate history. What has Trump done besides winning one of the smallest popular vote margins in history?