Senator Critiques Former CDC Director Over Vaccine Testimony
Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, expressed strong disapproval of former CDC Director Susan Monarez regarding her comments about vaccines during a Senate hearing on Wednesday. He labeled parts of her testimony as “ridiculous.”
During the session of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Paul posed a pointed question: “Does the COVID vaccine reduce the rate of death for children under 18?”
Monarez responded, “It can.”
Paul quickly dismissed her answer, asserting, “That’s ridiculous. Answer: No, it doesn’t. There is no statistical evidence. When they approved it, they acknowledged that there was no proof of reduction in hospitalization or death,” he stated, emphasizing the scrutiny on vaccine data.
Monarez’s appearance followed her dismissal from her position by the Trump administration after she reportedly refused to resign. According to a White House spokesman, she informed Health and Human Services leadership of her intent to leave.
During the hearing, Monarez mentioned that she believed her removal was tied to her disagreements with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. regarding vaccine policies, and for not acquiescing to a request from Kennedy to remove CDC vaccine experts.
Kennedy, testifying earlier, claimed that he had to ask Monarez to resign due to trust issues. This assertion sparked dispute from Monarez and her legal counsel.
Both Paul, an ophthalmologist, and Monarez, who holds a doctorate in microbiology and immunology, found themselves at a significant impasse during the discussion.
Paul insisted, “We should be discussing what the childhood vaccine schedule ought to be. If you want to require COVID vaccines for infants, it’s on you to justify that decision.”
Monarez acknowledged that she was open to the scientific discussions but didn’t want to commit to every recommendation without sufficient evidence. “I just would not precommit to approving all the ACIP recommendations without the science,” she replied.
Paul retorted, “Untrue.” He continued to press her on the vaccine’s efficacy concerning transmission. Monarez suggested that a reduced viral load would correlate with lesser transmission.
However, Paul clarified, “In other words, it doesn’t prevent transmission. There’s been a decline in effectiveness over time. For example, post-Omicron has seen only about a 16% reduction.”
When questioning whether the COVID-19 vaccine could prevent hospitalization in kids under 18, Monarez replied, “It can.” Paul countered, explaining that hospitalizations were so rare among this age group that the statistics did not support her assertion: “The numbers are extraordinarily small… and the idea needs discussion, but the COVID vaccine isn’t significantly reducing hospitalizations.”
