Dr. Demetre Daskalakis on His Firing from the CDC: From My Vantage Point, ‘I Only See Harm Coming’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT RADDATZ I ░░░░░░░░ joined now by Dr ░░░░░░░░ Daskalakis who stepped down ░░░░░░░░ week from his position ░░░░░░░░ the CDC s national ░░░░░░░░ for immunization and respiratory ░░░░░░░░ Thank you for joining ░░░░░░░░ this morning doctor You ░░░░░░░░ been at the CDC ░░░░░░░░ five years about seven ░░░░░░░░ under secretary Kennedy In ░░░░░░░░ resignation letter you said ░░░░░░░░ CDC is generating policies ░░░░░░░░ do not reflect scientific ░░░░░░░░ and are designed to ░░░░░░░░ rather than improve the ░░░░░░░░ s health What are ░░░░░░░░ talking about specifically DASKALAKIS ░░░░░░░░ m going to say ░░░░░░░░ of all thank you ░░░░░░░░ having me on Martha ░░░░░░░░ re seeing the tip ░░░░░░░░ the iceberg Right now ░░░░░░░░ think probably the most ░░░░░░░░ demonstration of that is ░░░░░░░░ secretary Kennedy did with ░░░░░░░░ the childhood schedule for ░░░░░░░░ 19 In that we ░░░░░░░░ directed only children with ░░░░░░░░ conditions would be the ░░░░░░░░ that should qualify for ░░░░░░░░ That s not what ░░░░░░░░ data shows 6 month ░░░░░░░░ to 2 year old ░░░░░░░░ underlying condition is youth ░░░░░░░░ of those children hospitalized ░░░░░░░░ season had no underlying ░░░░░░░░ The data say that ░░░░░░░░ that age range you ░░░░░░░░ be vaccinating your child ░░░░░░░░ understand that not everybody ░░░░░░░░ it But they have ░░░░░░░░ access by narrowing that ░░░░░░░░ Insurance may not cover ░░░░░░░░ RADDATZ And you say ░░░░░░░░ to hurt The policies ░░░░░░░░ designed to hurt the ░░░░░░░░ s health Are you ░░░░░░░░ they are deliberately purposefully ░░░░░░░░ hurting public health DASKALAKIS ░░░░░░░░ mean from my vantage ░░░░░░░░ as a doctor who ░░░░░░░░ taken the hippocratic oath ░░░░░░░░ only see harm coming ░░░░░░░░ may be wrong Based ░░░░░░░░ what I m seeing ░░░░░░░░ on what I heard ░░░░░░░░ re really moving in ░░░░░░░░ ideologic direction where they ░░░░░░░░ to see the undoing ░░░░░░░░ vaccination They do want ░░░░░░░░ see the undoing of ░░░░░░░░ vaccination They have a ░░░░░░░░ specific target on Covid ░░░░░░░░ I do fear that ░░░░░░░░ have other things that ░░░░░░░░ are going to be ░░░░░░░░ on Hepatitis B vaccine ░░░░░░░░ on the agenda for ░░░░░░░░ meeting in September I ░░░░░░░░ what they re going ░░░░░░░░ do is try to ░░░░░░░░ the birth dose of ░░░░░░░░ B vaccine so kids ░░░░░░░░ t get it when ░░░░░░░░ re born If you ░░░░░░░░ a mother who is ░░░░░░░░ connected to care you ░░░░░░░░ her Hepatitis B status ░░░░░░░░ may not matter very ░░░░░░░░ But if you have ░░░░░░░░ mother who has not ░░░░░░░░ to prenatal care who ░░░░░░░░ into deliver we have ░░░░░░░░ bite at that apple ░░░░░░░░ that child gets that ░░░░░░░░ Hepatitis B vaccine why ░░░░░░░░ it matter Kids who ░░░░░░░░ Hepatitis B they get ░░░░░░░░ scarring cirrhosis later in ░░░░░░░░ or it is a ░░░░░░░░ a common cause of ░░░░░░░░ cancer.”