One of many Trump promises if
reelected, and it happens to be the most insane of all, concerns public health
specifically vis-à-vis children’s health as cited from NEWSWEEK with this startling
and alarming story headline and with actual quotes from Trump::
“Trump's
Health Care Plans Would Destroy Funding for schools in Republican States”
Trump’s plan to cut
federal funding to public schools requiring vaccination mandates would also destroy
funding for schools in Republican states requiring most students to be
immunized from diseases like measles and polio.
Trump said during a rally in Rock Hill, SC in February that he would not support federal funds for any schools requiring vaccine or mask mandates, a policy that would be a departure from even the most conservative of states.
According to the CDC, all
states and territories have some vaccine requirements in place, though mandates
may differ in scope and exemptions, as Trump said to a cheering audience: “I
will not give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate or a mask
mandate.”
He did not offer specific details about the policy, and he did not say if this would apply to all types of vaccines, including those that have been required by schools for decades, or even the new CoVID-19 vaccination.
That as some critics have raised concerns
about the speed in which it was rolled out after the virus forced widespread
shutdowns across the globe beginning in 2020. If he was referring to all types
of vaccines, removing those requirements could have serious impact on students,
public health experts warned following his remarks.
Dr. Peter Hotez, dean at the National School of Tropical Medicine at
Baylor College of Medicine in TX, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “I hope he
doesn't really mean it, since it would create a public health catastrophe for
the nation. I'm old enough to remember when polio ripped through the globe and
put my 6-year-old friends into iron lungs.”
Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich wrote: “We dutifully lined
up at school to get polio shots [without the howling of anti-vaxxers]. And we eradicated
polio in 1979 in the U.S. Why has saving lives become political?”
Former VA GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock, a Trump critic said: “Trump
said in Richmond, that he will take all federal funds away from public schools
that require vaccines. Like most states, Virginia requires MMR vaccine,
chickenpox vaccine, polio, etc. So Trump would take millions in federal funds
away from all Virginia public schools.”
FYI: VA voted for Democrats in
recent elections but backed GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin in
2021, requires 11 vaccines for students to attend schools or other child care
facilities, according to the VA Health Department.
Such a radical Trump policy
would pull funding from schools in areas run by Republicans since even states
with the most conservative governors also require vaccines for schools.
TX for instance, requires
students to be vaccinated against at least nine viruses, according to the TX
Health Department. It allows exemptions for “a medical reason, or if parents or
guardians have reasons of conscience including religious beliefs.”
FL which has recently been struck by a measles outbreak,
requires at least seven vaccines but also allows exemptions “based on medical
reason and religious belief,” according to the FL Health Department.
FYI: Trump himself was
vaccinated against COVID-19 and has touted his “Operation Warp Speed” program that
quickly rolled out the COVID-19 vaccine as helping to save lives.
His stance on vaccines has at
times left him at odds with his most conservative voters, some of whom
have rejected vaccines. He said the vaccine is safe, but opposes requiring
individuals to get vaccinated if they opt not to get it.
Most Americans, regardless of
their political affiliation, are supportive of childhood vaccines, according to
a March 2023 survey from the Pew Research Center. Only 10% of respondents said
the risks of those vaccines outweigh the benefits, while 88% said the benefits
outweigh the risks.
FYI: Prior to the introduction
of measles vaccination in 1963, there were >100 million measles cases
resulting in 6 million deaths worldwide, with 4 million cases and 450
deaths in the U.S. annually.
Newsweek has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
My 2 Cents: Of all the outrageous plans Trump has said he would pursue if reelected in 2024 (his “Project 2025”), this recent announcement from him might be the very worse.
So, I also wonder if his young
son Barron’s MMR are all up to date?
Thanks for stopping by.
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