As president of the largest regional medical association in the United States — supporting nearly 30,000 physicians across Los Angeles County, a region spanning 5,000 square miles and home to 10 million people — it is vital to share both concern and hope following President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and oversee its $1.7 trillion budget. During his victory speech, President-elect Trump declared he would let Kennedy “go wild” on food and health policy. The nomination is subject to Senate approval.
"I’m sure some will interpret our opinion as politically biased. It is not. The caring for patients and safety of all citizens does not include a political affiliation questionnaire. LACMA is politically agnostic, and our membership reflects this."
Because physicians take an oath to “do no harm” and rely on evidence-based approaches to medicine, I, on behalf of LACMA’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors, feel compelled to address concerns regarding Kennedy’s positions. Our objections are grounded in evidence, not politics, with the hope that we can prevent any harm to the most vulnerable members of society, as well as those entrusted with their care.
THE EVIDENCE
Vaccines and Autism - Kennedy has been quoted saying “Autism comes from vaccines.”
However, multiple studies conducted across numerous countries have conclusively found no link between vaccines and autism. Despite this overwhelming body of evidence, Kennedy could appoint vaccine skeptics to the expert committee responsible for recommending vaccines to doctors and the public. These recommendations, in turn, guide health insurers in determining which vaccines to cover.
Fluoride - a naturally occurring mineral that is widely recognized for its ability to protect teeth against decay -- is added to water supplies in many countries, including the US, where around 63% of the population has fluoridated water. Kennedy has long campaigned against the practice and claimed in a recent post on X that Trump, as president, would be advising ”all US water systems to remove fluoride from public water. Kennedy has cited a September 2024 California court ruling recommending further investigation into potential harms after a report suggested possible links between high levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in children. While further study may be warranted, the overwhelming consensus among health experts and decades of research support the public health benefits of water fluoridation.
COVID -- Kennedy has been a vocal critic of public health restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19. He made headlines last year after stating at a press event — captured in a video shared by the New York Post — that “COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.” The American Jewish Committee told CNN the “assertion that Covid was genetically engineered to spare Jewish and Chinese people is deeply offensive and incredibly dangerous.” As many credible peer-reviewed COVID-19 studies have shown, differences in infection and mortality rates between socioeconomic and ethnic groups are linked to health inequities, not genetics.
Physician View -- Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a CNN medical analyst, recently stated that Kennedy is “unqualified and unfit” to lead HHS, adding, “It’s not just about promoting unproven ideas but promoting disproven ideas.” Dr. Reiner further noted that Kennedy is a skeptic of the safety and efficacy of vaccines, including mRNA vaccines. These vaccines alone are estimated to have prevented up to 2 million COVID-19 deaths in the United States, according to multiple peer-reviewed studies.
THE PRESCRIPTION
I’m sure some will interpret our opinion as politically biased. It is not. The caring for patients and the safety of all citizens does not include a political affiliation questionnaire. LACMA is politically agnostic, and our membership reflects this. We will continue to be a voice of reason, a champion of science, and a platform for healthy, evidence-based discourse. Our aim is to ensure that public health policies are driven by facts, not conspiracy theories or ideology. It is also our hope that we can maintain open lines of communication with HHS — as we have in the past — on issues such as pandemic response, physician burnout, and other healthcare challenges affecting communities across the country.
While Mr. Kennedy has a track record of promoting unproven theories, LACMA has, for more than 150 years, defended the practice of medicine and the sanctity of the patient-physician relationship. We remain steadfast in this mission, regardless of who serves as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Po-Yin Samuel Huang, MD
President
Los Angeles County Medical Association
コメント