Newsmax Anchor Rob Schmitt Suggests Vaccines Are 'Going Against Nature'

Newsmax anchor Rob Schmitt suggested last week that the coronavirus vaccines may be "going against nature." The anchor also said that he is neither an anti- nor a pro-vaxxer.

He made the remarks during an interview with Peter McCullough, an associate professor at Texas A&M University, Friday, The Hill reported.

"You know, one thing I've always thought, and maybe you can guide me on this because, obviously, I'm not a doctor. But I've always thought about vaccines, and I always think about just nature and the way everything works. And I feel like a vaccination in a weird way is just generally kind of going against nature," Schmitt said as per Media Matters For America (MMFA), which also provided a video of the exchange.

"Like, I mean, if there is some disease out there -- maybe there's just an ebb and flow to life where something's supposed to wipe out a certain amount of people, and that's just kind of the way evolution goes. Vaccines kind of stand in the way of that. Do you follow what I'm saying? Does that make sense to somebody in medicine?" he continued.

McCullough did not directly answer the question but noted that vaccines should be targeted for the people with the highest risk, adding that COVID-19 is "easily treatable" in young people.

"Again, it's like if you've got this big risk, I think it might be worth whatever it is," Schmitt said. "But if you don't have a risk, I just, I can't comprehend why you would take something -- they start learning about the heart inflammation and stuff like that."

Earlier in the interview, Schmitt clarified that he is neither an "anti-vaxxer" nor a "pro-vaxxer," but is simply "trying to figure it out." He further clarified his position, noting that he himself made vaccination appointments for his parents.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has repeatedly stressed that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and millions of people who have received them in the U.S. are "under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history."

"Serious side effects that could cause a long-term health problem are extremely unlikely following any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination," the CDC said.

Although the older people and those with underlying diseases have been identified as the most at risk for developing severe disease, as of July 7, there have been 331 recorded COVID-19 deaths among those aged 0 to 17 in the U.S. There have also been 2,424 deaths in those aged 18 to 29 and 6,974 deaths among those aged 30 to 39 due to COVID-19.