Dr. Susan Kressly: Not Recommending Covid Shots for Healthy Children ‘Is an Attempt to Frighten Parents’

SIDNER New this morning ░░░░░░░░ an unprecedented lawsuit six ░░░░░░░░ medical groups representing hundreds ░░░░░░░░ thousands of doctors medical ░░░░░░░░ and scientists are suing ░░░░░░░░ and Human Services Secretary ░░░░░░░░ F Kennedy Jr And ░░░░░░░░ top administration health officials ░░░░░░░░ lawsuit specifically calls out ░░░░░░░░ changes that Kennedy has ░░░░░░░░ to the Covid 19 ░░░░░░░░ guidelines The plaintiffs say ░░░░░░░░ and the Trump Administration ░░░░░░░░ quote arbitrarily and capriciously ░░░░░░░░ it decided to stop ░░░░░░░░ the vaccine for pregnant ░░░░░░░░ and healthy children Dr ░░░░░░░░ Kressly is joining us ░░░░░░░░ She is the president ░░░░░░░░ the American Academy of ░░░░░░░░ one of the groups ░░░░░░░░ is bringing this lawsuit ░░░░░░░░ have said that you ░░░░░░░░ not take this step ░░░░░░░░ What was it that ░░░░░░░░ the final straw that ░░░░░░░░ you decide a lawsuit ░░░░░░░░ a must here KRESSLY ░░░░░░░░ I ll address that ░░░░░░░░ a minute but I ░░░░░░░░ lead with the most ░░░░░░░░ fact and that is ░░░░░░░░ vaccines are incredibly safe ░░░░░░░░ remain one of the ░░░░░░░░ effective ways we have ░░░░░░░░ protect child health And ░░░░░░░░ have to say that ░░░░░░░░ there is a deliberate ░░░░░░░░ underway to distract from ░░░░░░░░ facts and frighten parents ░░░░░░░░ mislead the public And ░░░░░░░░ happened was a line ░░░░░░░░ crossed with the decision ░░░░░░░░ change the recommendations about ░░░░░░░░ Covid vaccine that was ░░░░░░░░ based in science and ░░░░░░░░ not have the expert ░░░░░░░░ opinions to the decision ░░░░░░░░ You had just laid ░░░░░░░░ there the claims and ░░░░░░░░ are directly going towards ░░░░░░░░ head of HHS You ░░░░░░░░ that the decisions were ░░░░░░░░ to mislead confuse and ░░░░░░░░ the public to anti ░░░░░░░░ rhetoric Do you have ░░░░░░░░ examples of what you ░░░░░░░░ Some of the ways ░░░░░░░░ which you feel that ░░░░░░░░ HHS secretary has tried ░░░░░░░░ mislead the public KRESSLY ░░░░░░░░ we can start with ░░░░░░░░ happened to the Advisory ░░░░░░░░ on Immunization Practices and ░░░░░░░░ was made up of ░░░░░░░░ robust group of experts ░░░░░░░░ of the most brilliant ░░░░░░░░ in the country who ░░░░░░░░ vaccines can look at ░░░░░░░░ data and make recommendations ░░░░░░░░ protect our public health ░░░░░░░░ by summarily firing all ░░░░░░░░ of them and replacing ░░░░░░░░ with 8 and then ░░░░░░░░ people who do not ░░░░░░░░ the similar expertise nor ░░░░░░░░ experience was frightening to ░░░░░░░░ of us who count ░░░░░░░░ ACIP recommendations SIDNER I ░░░░░░░░ want to go back ░░░░░░░░ the topic and sort ░░░░░░░░ what we were talking ░░░░░░░░ that this recommendation from ░░░░░░░░ and from the leader ░░░░░░░░ that organization Robert F ░░░░░░░░ Jr he recommended that ░░░░░░░░ know the Covid 19 ░░░░░░░░ is no longer recommended ░░░░░░░░ pregnant women and for ░░░░░░░░ children You re a ░░░░░░░░ Are you seeing the ░░░░░░░░ of these decisions and ░░░░░░░░ of the words and ░░░░░░░░ coming out of the ░░░░░░░░ secretary s mouth KRESSLY ░░░░░░░░ And for us this ░░░░░░░░ t just about Covid ░░░░░░░░ This is sowing doubt ░░░░░░░░ families minds about all ░░░░░░░░ vaccines and vaccine delivery ░░░░░░░░ colleague of mine told ░░░░░░░░ the other day that ░░░░░░░░ patient shared with her ░░░░░░░░ trust you but I ░░░░░░░░ longer trust vaccines And ░░░░░░░░ need our leaders and ░░░░░░░░ who has any interest ░░░░░░░░ public health to be ░░░░░░░░ a clear message that ░░░░░░░░ are safe and it ░░░░░░░░ how we protect our ░░░░░░░░ SIDNER You are sending ░░░░░░░░ message out obviously to ░░░░░░░░ but we have seen ░░░░░░░░ of the fallout of ░░░░░░░░ when it comes to ░░░░░░░░ What is your greatest ░░░░░░░░ that s going to ░░░░░░░░ with the messaging that ░░░░░░░░ coming out of HHS ░░░░░░░░ families to parents KRESSLY ░░░░░░░░ s twofold One of ░░░░░░░░ is that there is ░░░░░░░░ doubt sowed in patients ░░░░░░░░ and so that they ░░░░░░░░ their judgment and they ░░░░░░░░ whether they what is ░░░░░░░░ right thing to do ░░░░░░░░ their patients And so ░░░░░░░░ ve seen it with ░░░░░░░░ but we re about ░░░░░░░░ head into a respiratory ░░░░░░░░ that is weeks away ░░░░░░░░ RSV Covid and flu ░░░░░░░░ we need our our ░░░░░░░░ to be protected The ░░░░░░░░ thing is that decisions ░░░░░░░░ are being made completely ░░░░░░░░ the infrastructure and how ░░░░░░░░ are delivered in this ░░░░░░░░ And we need to ░░░░░░░░ everyone making sure that ░░░░░░░░ re confidently recommending patients ░░░░░░░░ vaccinated as a way ░░░░░░░░ protect their health and ░░░░░░░░ community s health SIDNER ░░░░░░░░ Susan Kressly thank you ░░░░░░░░ much for walking us ░░░░░░░░ that I know your ░░░░░░░░ are great here in ░░░░░░░░ capacity that you serve ░░░░░░░░ appreciate your time.”