Monarez disputes RFK Jr's claim that she lied

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Dr. Monarez, at a September 4 hearing in the Finance Committee, Secretary Kennedy called you a liar for stating that you were fired because you refused to preapprove vaccine recommendations. Is that accurate? Are you a liar? That is not accurate. Why did you believe it was so important for you to refuse to rubber stamp vaccine recommendations without seeing them or the evidence behind them? What did you fear was the worst-case scenario if you had agreed to doing that? I refused to do it because I have built a career on scientific integrity, and my worst fear was that I would then be in a position of approving something that would reduce access of lifesaving vaccines to children and others who need them. OK Dr. Monarez, the American Medical Association, largest physician group in America, 270,000 physicians; the American Academy of Pediatrics, over 67,000 pediatricians; the American Academy of Family Physicians, representing over 125,000 doctors; the American Osteopathic Association, representing over 200,000 doctors; and the American College of Physicians, representing over 160,000 doctors, they believe that vaccines are safe and effective. Do you agree with them?

I do. And what is your concern? What are the long-term implications for the well-being of our kids and the future of our country if faith in vaccine science is undermined? I believe preventable diseases will return, and I believe that we will have our children harmed for things that we know they do not need to be harmed by-- polio, measles, diphtheria, whooping cough. I worry about the ramifications for those children in illness and in death. I worry about our school systems. I worry about our medical institutions having to take care of sick kids that could have been prevented by effective and safe vaccines. I worry about the future of trust in public health. Would you agree with me in suggesting that the overwhelming body of scientific and medical thought believes that vaccines have been a major public health advance for the people of this world?

I absolutely agree with that. Dr. Houry, during your testimony, you talked about fears for the future. Several years ago, as everybody in this country knows, we went through a terrible pandemic, a worldwide pandemic. We lost over a million people. What are the if trust in vaccines is diminished, if moms do not take their kids in to get vaccines, all the people don't get vaccines, what will that mean in terms of our ability to save lives if, God forbid, another pandemic takes place? So we're already beginning to see that as we're seeing childhood vaccination rates decrease. For example, measles is down to about 92.8%. That leaves over 200,000 kids now at risk for measles. So we are at risk for measles outbreaks, and for the next type of pandemic, a novel pathogen, with some of the staff cuts we have faced, we have less ready responders. We have less visibility into global pathogens at this time as well. What would have happened to our country and, in fact, the world if-- I don't agree with President Trump very often, God knows-- but if we had not developed Warp Speed and developed that COVID vaccine? Did that, in your view, save millions of lives? Operation Warp Speed absolutely saved millions of lives and was such a godsend for our country. And if we don't have the capability to do that in the future, the implications will be?

We won't be able to have vaccines to save lives and protect people. We won't have that technology development. We won't have that platform, and we won't have people willing to accept vaccines. And that will impact not only our country but people throughout the entire world?

Absolutely. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.