My thoughts on #RFKJr nomination of the department of HHS
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My thoughts on #RFKJr nomination of the department of HHS. First I would say nobody or very few people would know him if not for his last name and family connections. He is a #VaccineDenier which may have negative impact on the health of the babies, the toddlers, the younger kids in the US. I am glad both my kids will likely dodge this bullet. #VaccinesWork and #VaccinesSaveLives Growing up in China in 1970s, and I have vaccines stories to tell. The village doctors will come to my home and gave me vaccine shots before I was school age. I would shut the door, tell my grandmother that donโt let me give me the shots, and I still received the shots (my grandmother probably have a few years education but she probably knew the #VaccinesWork ). As soon as I go to the village school, I was the class president and whenever the doctor came to school, I had to bite the bullet and let them give me the shot. If RFK Jr wants to do something on the foods regulation here, I would say hallelujah. But vaccines I think we should trust the science
Full disclosure: the village doctors are so called Barefoot Doctor Chi’jiao’yi’sheng (Simplified Chinese ่ตค่ๅป็; Taiwanese/Traditional Chinese ่ตค่ ณ้ซ็. I still remember them to this day (I am 53 years old, so it was 45+ years ago). A few years ago (probably year 2016), when I was visiting the village, and I was a bit surprised to see one of the barefoot doctors are still working there.
My mom were good friends of the 4 barefoot doctors as her office was near the doctor’s office in the village HQ, in late 1970s.
My paternal grandma was very smart, she didn’t get proper education because she was born in year 1905 or 1907 (basically very few girls received formal education in her time).
Also, I understand the USA is a free country: in the sense of free speech and so on. But in my memory, vaccine deniers were never in the main stream until Covid. And this is also true in China too. My parents, about 80 years old during pandemic, were hesitant to get the vaccines shots in China. This reminded me a time, when I was in grade 5, and one day the rumor started “they will give kids a shot so that the boys and girls would no longer be able to give birth to babies when they grow up”. It was a rumor created by the people who were very upset with the government’s “planned parenthood” or “one baby per couple” policy.
PS: (warning: a bit scary) smallpox patient picture.
What happens when a vaccine skeptic leads health policy? Ask Florida (NPR)
Doctors say RFK Jr.โs anti-Ozempic stance perpetuates stigma and misrepresents evidence