Trump, Robert F Kennedy Jr Vaccine Safety Plan: Both Think Vaccines Can Cause Autism

Health advocate and environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Wednesday President Donald Trump was committed to a vaccine safety commission and that he has continuously met with the administration over the formation, Politico reported. Kennedy, who last month claimed Trump told him he wanted to explore the highly controversial and largely panned link between vaccines and the rise of autism cases in the country, said he has been “trading documents about what the commission would look like.”

The 63-year-old Kennedy, son of the former presidential candidate and attorney general, had previously met with Trump Jan. 4 and Jan. 10. During the latter meeting, he said Trump asked him to head up a commission to see if there was a link between vaccines and autism.

However, following the meeting, Trump spokesperson Hope Hicks distanced Trump from Kennedy’s assertion.

"The President-elect enjoyed his discussion with Robert Kennedy Jr. on a range of issues and appreciates his thoughts and ideas. The President-elect is exploring the possibility of forming a commission on Autism, which affects so many families; however no decisions have been made at this time. The President-elect looks forward to continuing the discussion about all aspects of Autism with many groups and individuals," Hicks said in a statement, according to CNN.

Still, Kennedy said he has been in touch with Trump staffers twice since the Jan. 10 meeting that also included Vice President Mike Pence and chief political strategist Steve Bannon.

Along the campaign trail and even before he declared a run, Trump had made several remarks about vaccines and autism.

Most recently, when meeting with educators at the White House Tuesday, Trump asked the principal of a special education school if she had seen a “big increase” in autism. She responded that her school had “shifted its population” to help more children with the autism.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has maintained in studies dating back to 2008 that 1-in-68 children have been identified with autism spectrum disorder, which was a huge jump from 2000, when the ratio was 1-in-150 children.

However, the medical and science community has long emphasized the importance of vaccinating children. Earlier this month, a group of 350 organizations from the medical and advocacy worlds penned a letter to Trump encouraging him to fully support the safety of vaccines.

“Vaccines protect the health of children and adults and save lives,” the letter began according to The Washington Post. “Vaccines have been part of the fabric of our society for decades and are one of the most significant medical innovations of our time.”

The letter also read: “Claims that vaccines are unsafe when administered according to expert recommendations have been disproven by a robust body of medical literature.”