Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., pressed former CDC Director Susan Monarez on vaccines during a Wednesday Senate hearing, slamming her for not dismissing scientists who resisted changes to the childhood vaccine schedule during her brief tenure.
Monarez appeared before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) to rebut Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s assertions that led to her dismissal last month.
"You resisted firing people who have this idea that the COVID vaccine should be [given] at 6 months [of age]. That's what this is about," Paul said. "You didn't resist firing the beautiful scientists, the career people … unobjective and unbiased. You wouldn't fire the people who are saying that we have to vaccinate our kids at 6 months of age. That's who you refused to fire."
Paul grilled Monarez over the science of giving 6-month-old children the COVID-19 vaccine and 1-day-old newborns a hepatitis B shot in the absence of the disease in the mother.
Paul asked Monarez just two questions, interrupting both of her answers while challenging her position on vaccines.
"We should be discussing what is the childhood vaccine schedule … and the burden should be on you; you wanna make all the kids take this. The burden's upon you and the people you wouldn't fire to prove to us that we need to give our 6-month-old a COVID vaccine, and we need to give our 1-day-old a hepatitis B vaccine. That's what the debate oughta be about. And not whether all vaccines are good or whether we live in 'Alice in Wonderland,'" Paul said.
"I actually agree with you," said Monarez, who got in about 60 words during Paul's allotted time. "And I was open to the science. I just would not precommit to approving all the ACIP recommendations without the science," Monarez said, referring to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a CDC committee.
"Untrue," Paul fired back.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.