Joco Today

U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), appeared on Newsmax to discuss several public health issues, including the loss of trust in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Florida’s recent decision to end all vaccine mandates, and his assessment of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s performance.

During the interview, Senator Marshall addressed how to restore confidence in the CDC following controversies over COVID-19 policies. He said, “That’s a great point here, that Anthony Fauci created more vaccine hesitancy over Covid than anybody will in an entire lifetime. So that’s Bobby Kennedy’s mission here: to restore trust and transparency within the CDC. I think that’s where we start, that we need complete transparency. And that’s what his message was, if the Democrats just would have listened for 10 seconds there, but they’ve reached this platinum, elite level of Trump Derangement Syndrome, and they don’t ever listen to what he’s trying to say that.

“Look, kids, probably I don’t know any child that needs 76 vaccines. Not every person needs every vaccine. On the other hand, there’s some great vaccines. Polio vaccine, I agree with President Trump there. I’ve raised money, it’s one of the charities that my wife and I give to is Rotary, which is out there fighting to get these vaccines across the entire world as well. MMR is a good vaccine; I think it’s been around forever. The DTAP as well. But when you come to the Covid vaccine, I think we need to be a little bit more precise. The advice I would give to my parents is very different than what I would give to my children and grandchildren.”

Marshall also commented on Florida's policy change regarding school vaccine requirements: “Look, I think that’s a bridge too far. I believe in empowering local school boards with the information, the transparency, and the trust to make those decisions. And… I think again, that’s too far. Again, these vaccines, like the MMR vaccine, polio, those serve way beyond just the children they’re protecting. It’s protecting the entire community as well. But certainly I’m not in favor of any type of a mandate for a Covid vaccine, MRNA technology as well. Not every person needs every vaccine, but I think there’s some very reasonable ones out there.

“And I just got to come back to your pregnancy and the Hepatitis one. This is why we lose trust in the CDC. Look, if you’re pregnant, we do a Hepatitis test on you. As long as you’re in a stable, monogamous relationship, you’re not doing IV drugs, you’re not living with someone with Hepatitis, the chances of your baby having hepatitis are zero. So why would we be giving a baby at one day of age a Hepatitis vaccine? What’s it going to do to that immune system, that baby? We don’t know. But this is where the CDC loses its credibility. We need to inform you, and then you make the decision, you and your doctor keep that relationship holy, if you would.”

Turning his attention to HHS Secretary Kennedy's work so far at HHS—a department overseeing national health policy—Marshall described him as someone bringing significant change: “Look, RFK Jr. is a disruptor. He’s going to turn that place upside down and that makes a lot of people uncomfortable. But he’s the voice we need to lead this MAHA issue. To your point vaccines are such a small piece of the big picture The real elephant in the room is the chronic disease epidemic that we have not just in adults but in our children in our youth as well specifically a mental health epidemic and then obesity epidemic It’s like 20% of our children are on a prescription drug right now So he’s going address that.

“We’re not going keep doing same old thing expect different results He’s going turn it upside down for first time we’re going make this not sick care system but true health care system So I’m standing right beside him here trying turn this place upside down focus on this chronic disease epidemic especially our youth.”

Senator Marshall has previously advocated for prioritizing public health strategies targeting chronic illnesses among both adults and young people.