Dr. Patel on RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Distrust: We Should Have a Risk-Based Approach, But I Resent That ‘They’ve Taken Away That Ability to Choose’

EXCERPT:

PATEL: “Yeah, Katy. Here’s the hardest thing. Both are true. I remember being with you five years ago — I can’t believe it’s been that long ago — where we were, like, six feet. We, you know, and we talked about wearing, if you can’t get masks, wear bandanna. We all knew that we were just making, there was an element of news was coming out — not news, but scientific evidence was coming out, like, in case reports. And we were having to kind of do the best we knew. Evidence has since evolved. I completely agree that we should have a risk-based approach in this country. What I resent is that they’ve taken away that ability to choose. Right now, if you and I, if you’re healthy and you’re under 65, and you don’t have one of those high-risk conditions — by the way, many people do, even physical inactivity will count as a high-risk condition. But if you’re otherwise healthy or your children are healthy, you might need to get a prescription. Or, Katy, even worse, you might get a $140 bill out of pocket. That, to me, does not give you much choice. So, I completely agree that back, back four or five years ago, mandates, forcing certain things, that was not where we are today. And I think what’s happened is both are true. Undermining the CDC doesn’t make it better.”