Robert F. Kennedy Jr sits atop a authorities company that spends $45 billion a 12 months on medical analysis. The perfect scientists on the planet, with entry to probably the most technologically superior tools and cutting-edge synthetic intelligence, are at his disposal.
However with confidence that solely a Kennedy inheritor might muster, the well being secretary dismissed the findings of these scientists Wednesday, as an alternative asserting his intention to search out the actual fact behind what he described as an “epidemic” of autism.
“One of many issues that I feel we have to transfer away from immediately is that this ideology that … the relentless will increase are merely artifacts of higher diagnoses, higher recognition, or altering diagnostic standards,” he stated at a press convention, which he referred to as to ship his personal distinctive interpretation of an autism research by the Facilities for Illness Management (CDC).
“This epidemic denial has develop into a function within the mainstream media. And it is based mostly on an trade canard,” he continued.
One man’s canard is one other’s physique of scientific proof, as a result of that was exactly the reason given in the report from his personal division. It famous that the doubtless trigger for an increase within the variety of youngsters being recognized with autism — from one in 36 Individuals beneath the age of 8 in 2020, to at least one in 31 in 2022 — was the higher availability of diagnoses.
However the well being secretary, who was plucked from the lunatic fringes of public well being by Donald Trump and is now liable for the well-being of 340 million Individuals, was not satisfied.
That’s as a result of Kennedy, like many in Trump’s cupboard of misfits, obtained the place he’s immediately by simply asking questions. He continued to ask the identical ones even after they have been decisively answered. He saved going over them immediately, even after the solutions have been hand-delivered to him in a big ring-bound folder by the workers of his personal division.
Earlier than Wednesday’s press convention, he introduced that he would launch a “large testing and analysis effort” to find out the reason for the rise in autism charges, and promised outcomes by September.
Pitching himself as some type of medical detective — Home M.D. however with no medical faculty coaching and the potential to do way more injury — Kennedy promised once more on Wednesday to go away no stone unturned.
“It is going to be accomplished by … probably the most credible scientists from everywhere in the world, and we will do it very, in a short time,” he stated of his investigation.
Kennedy’s nomination as Well being secretary was practically derailed by his history of false and spurious claims about vaccines, and the bogus hyperlinks to autism. Curiously, he didn’t checklist vaccines among the many many potential causes throughout Wednesday’s press convention.
However he did insist that there have to be a transparent exterior reply to the rise in autism diagnoses — and anyone accountable.
“That is coming from an environmental toxin, and anyone made a revenue by placing that environmental toxin into our air, our water, our medicines, our meals,” he stated. “And it is to their profit to say all that to normalize it, to say all that is all regular. It is at all times been right here. That is not good for our nation, and it isn’t good for the press to not be extra inquisitive, to not be extra skeptical.”
Scientists haven’t dominated out environmental components taking part in an element in inflicting autism, however the consensus is that genetics is the overwhelming major trigger.
Kennedy has performed down the genetic hyperlink to autism, claiming solely that it ”supplies a vulnerability. “
He, as an alternative, is retaining an open thoughts.
“We will have a look at all of the potential culprits,” he continued, itemizing off what he believes are the doable causes. “We will have a look at mould. We will have a look at meals components. We will have a look at pesticides. We will have a look at air and water and medicines. We will have a look at ultrasound.”
Kennedy didn’t publicly entertain the concept he may very well be fallacious, suggesting as an alternative {that a} grand conspiracy involving hundreds of scientists world wide was way more doubtless.
“Clearly, there are individuals who don’t desire us to have a look at environmental exposures,” he stated.
May Kennedy actually discover an unknown trigger for autism in a matter of months that scientists have failed to find in a long time?
“We’re gonna observe the science it doesn’t matter what it says. And we could have some of the solutions by September,” he stated, managing expectations.
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