RFK Jr again claims autism is ‘worse’ than Covid, which he has emphasized killed ‘old people’

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr doubled down connected his assertion that autism is worse than Covid-19, which has killed much than 7 cardinal radical worldwide.

Just 2 days aft helium underscored successful a erstwhile connection that autism is worse than Covid due to the fact that the microorganism killed “old people,” Kennedy appeared Tuesday nighttime connected Fox News and insisted that autism is “20 times worse than Covid-19, successful presumption of the economical impact, the societal impact, the motivation interaction connected our country.”

Earlier this month, Kennedy vowed to uncover the basal origin down the “epidemic” and announced a “massive investigating and probe effort.” Scientists person been moving to find the imaginable origin oregon causes of autism, beyond a familial link, for a century. Now the wellness caput has promised to person an reply by September.

“There was a question of choler against maine due to the fact that I announced that we're going to find the origin of autism,” Kennedy told Fox News’ Jesse Watters. “This is thing that President Trump told maine connected time one: ‘I privation to cognize what's causing it wrong a year.’ And I announced however we're going to bash that.”

Two days earlier helium claimed autism “dwarfs the Covid epidemic and the impacts connected our state due to the fact that Covid killed aged people.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the fig of children diagnosed with autism is connected the emergence due to the fact that of improved diagnostic tools, not due to the fact that of a alleged “epidemic.”

Kennedy has continued to dispersed misinformation astir autism since taking office. He drew aggravated disapproval aft claiming that “autism destroys families” astatine an April 16 property conference.

“These are kids who volition ne'er wage taxes. They'll ne'er clasp a job,” Kennedy said past week. “They'll ne'er play baseball. They'll ne'er constitute a poem. They'll ne'er spell retired connected a date. Many of them volition ne'er usage a toilet unassisted.” In fact, countless radical with autism pb mean oregon near-normal lives.

Alison Singer, president of the Autism Science Foundation, slammed Kennedy’s comments connected CNN, saying helium “made it dependable similar these were radical whose lives were worthless, erstwhile that couldn’t beryllium further from the case.” Rosie O’Donnell, whose 12-year-old lad has autism, likewise said Kennedy should beryllium “ashamed” of himself.

Kennedy besides again dispersed misinformation astir Covid-19 vaccines successful his Tuesday nighttime Fox News appearance, furthering the debunked assertion that the changeable increases the decease complaint successful children.

“The proposal for children was ever dubious, and it was dubious due to the fact that kids had astir nary hazard for Covid-19,” Kennedy said. “Some kids, immoderate definite kids that had precise profound morbidities, whitethorn person a flimsy risk. Most kids don't.”

He asked: “So wherefore are we giving this to tens of millions of kids erstwhile the vaccine itself does person profound risk?”

Kennedy’s assertion is untrue. The Food and Drug Administration has determined Covid-19 vaccines to beryllium harmless for children, and ongoing monitoring shows this continues to beryllium the case, according to the CDC.