Half truths used to create fear and doubt
To the editor:
Why only present the half of the story that supports your agenda or critical point of view?
Case in point — recent contribution titled “Disagreement with Kennedy: Vaccines are the cornerstone of public health.”
The author appears to be implying that the firing of the 17 members of the independent vaccine advisory panel for the CDC somehow indicates the end of vaccines, and then goes on to educate us on several vaccines that are currently in use. Those vaccines are still in use and no attempt has been made to restrict or eliminate them.
The author fails to mention the rest of the announcement which stated, “Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Monday he is removing all 17 sitting members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee and replacing them with new members.”
“Replacing them with new members” is intentionally left out to create the illusion that this advisory council has been eliminated. This is false and the author must have known that, but chose to “misdirect” the reader in the hope of creating doubt and criticism toward RFK Jr.
Thirteen of these members were appointed by Biden (or whoever was actually running the country) in 2024. Kennedy further pointed out that, “Today we are prioritizing the restoration of public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda,” Kennedy said in a statement. “The public must know that unbiased science — evaluated through a transparent process and insulated from conflicts of interest — guides the recommendations of our health agencies.”
Once you see the whole story, not just a piece taken out of context to influence the thinking of the reader, one can now evaluate in earnest and as you can see, we’re not getting rid of vaccines.
Max Christian
St. James City