RFK Jr.'s lawyer criticizes media report on HHS nominee's vaccine stance as misrepresentation.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s attorney is criticizing a New York Times article from last week that stated the Trump HHS secretary nominee aimed to withdraw the FDA's approval for the polio vaccine.

"Despite exaggerated media reports suggesting that the petition aimed to prevent any polio vaccines from being available, the scope of the petition was limited, as Aaron Siri, a close adviser to RFK Jr. and partner at Siri & Glimstad LLP, explained to Planet Chronicle Digital. The petition only requested that the FDA conduct a proper trial before licensing a new polio vaccine for children."

The New York Times reported on Friday that Siri is "fighting" against all vaccines, but Siri stated that the report "incorrectly stated that the petition aimed to eradicate" the polio vaccine, "implying that there is only one and that our client intended to deprive Americans of the option to receive the polio vaccine."

He stated that the petition aimed to guarantee the safety of one of the six licensed polio vaccines that we administer to our children three times before their first birthday.

RFK Jr. met with Senators on Capitol Hill this week to seek their support for his HHS confirmation, with the report released just prior to the meeting.

In 2022, a petition was filed by the Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) and not as an individual action by Siri, urging the FDA to suspend the polio vaccine IPOL for infants and children. ICAN's request was based on concerns that IPOL, licensed in 1990 by Sanofi, was approved based on pediatric trials that, according to the FDA, evaluated safety for only three days after injection.

The polio vaccine that Siri is referring to is not the traditional one developed by Salk or Sabin. Instead, it uses a different technology where the virus is grown on genetically altered monkey kidney cells that replicate indefinitely, similar to cancer cells. These cells are present in each vaccine dose.

In 2021, another petition was submitted on behalf of ICAN, which focused on 13 childhood vaccines that contained aluminum adjuvants. The petition stated that a peer-reviewed study had discovered inconsistencies between the aluminum levels in these vaccines and the amounts listed on their FDA-approved labels. The petition requested that the FDA verify and make public the documentation confirming the accuracy of the aluminum content or halt the distribution until the issue was resolved. Critics argue that this should not be a contentious issue for products that are injected into infants.

"Siri stated that political labeling is insufficient to address the complexities of medical ethics, regulatory capture, and the impact of corporate money on health policy. We must be able to raise legitimate concerns about vaccine safety, efficacy, and policy without fear of being labeled and attacked."

Since the media reported on Siri's petition, both Trump and RFK Jr. have publicly supported the polio vaccine, without specifying which one. RFK Jr. has expressed his skepticism of some vaccines while supporting the use of others during his 2024 presidential campaign run as part of his "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) slogan.

Katie Miller, the transition spokeswoman for Kennedy, stated that Mr. Kennedy believes the Polio Vaccine should be made accessible to the public and thoroughly examined.

During a Mar-a-Lago press conference Monday morning, Trump stated that he believes in the polio vaccine and that everything should be examined.

The New York Times did not respond to Planet Chronicle Digital's request for comment.