Congressman Cohen, a Polio Survivor, Comes Out Publicly Against Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Nomination for HHS Secretary

WASHINGTON - Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that he will publicly oppose the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Congressman Cohen, one of two members of Congress who contracted polio as children and continue to suffer its debilitating effects, said Kennedy's anti-vaccine obsession makes him the wrong person for the job.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

"Despite my cordial relations with Robert Kennedy over 40 years, his position on vaccines disqualifies him for consideration as a Secretary of Health and Human Services. I contacted polio as a child, spent three months in the hospital and more than a year on crutches. I still wear a brace because it is difficult to stand, even for the national anthem.

"I believe I have a duty to speak out for all who have had polio - from those lightly affected to those who lived in iron lungs and died. For those unfamiliar with polio, it's important to learn from those infirmities.

"In 1954, my father was a pediatrician in Memphis, Tennessee. As part of the worldwide effort to stop polio, he was given a limited number of Salk vaccine doses to give to second graders. My brother was in second grade and so received one of the doses. I was in kindergarten and didn't meet the medical protocol. Unvaccinated, I contracted polio in September of 1954. Fortunately, I was among the lucky ones who survived but I was hospitalized, treated with hot packs, spent over a year on crutches, and I endured years of physical therapy. I now suffer the effects of post-polio syndrome which requires me to wear a brace for walking and standing. Many others were much more severely affected.

"For 70 years, the world has been near polio-free thanks to the Salk and subsequent polio vaccines. Most people don't give a second thought to polio, as they have been the beneficiaries of the vaccine. In the early winter of 1954, Robert Kennedy Jr., now the President-elect's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, was born into a world blessed with a polio vaccine. He and his contemporaries were among those fortunately spared the scourge of polio.

"Kennedy, who has earned a reputation as the leading voice against vaccinations of all kinds, is being advised in choosing health care officials by his attorney, Aaron Siri. Siri specializes in anti-vaccine lawsuits of all sorts and has petitioned the U.S. Government to revoke the approval of the polio vaccine. Kennedy himself has spoken about having a placebo study for the polio vaccine in which some children would not get immunized while others would. That's morally unacceptable.

"Because of the Salk and other vaccines, we have almost wiped polio out worldwide. Thanks to the alliance of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Rotary International, the polio vaccine is available around the world.

"If Kennedy were successful in rolling back the polio vaccine's approval, potentially millions would suffer and many would die. The only other member of Congress who is a polio survivor, Senator Mitch McConnell, stated that 'efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed - they're dangerous.'

"Leaving children unvaccinated for polio will also be an expensive and unnecessary experiment that, in addition to the human costs, will cost the taxpayer. The medical care for those who contract polio will be great and many who survive will need life-long care.

"Robert Kennedy Jr. may have some good ideas about nutrition and processed foods, but should not be in charge of the health and medical care. I do not say that lightly because I have known him for many years and we have had a good relationship. But I can't forget that I was the child who did not receive the vaccine and polio has been a constant part of my life.

"We must respect established scientific facts. We must follow rigorous scientific protocols and follow the facts as they become available, but we do not need to turn back established medical protocols on the whim of those who have no medical training. There is no doubt about the safety and efficacy of the polio vaccine in preventing polio. None."

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