WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 16: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) speaks during the COVID Federal Response Hearing on Capitol Hill on June 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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In a contentious Senate committee hearing Wednesday, Sen. Rand Paul sparred with the ex-CDC director Dr. Susan Monarez on a number of public health issues, including COVID-19 shots, the status of hepatitis B vaccines in children and her relationship with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
When discussing COVID-19 vaccinations, he asked Monarez “does the COVID vaccine reduce hospitalizations for children under 18?” After Monarez responded, “it can,” the senator replied back, “it doesn’t.”
In fact, published research from the journal JAMA Pediatrics in 2023 shows the contrary. The study reviewed 17 studies of nearly 11 million vaccinated and 2.6 million unvaccinated children between the ages of 5 to 11 and found COVID-19 vaccination to be associated with lower risks of infection, hospitalizations and multisystem inflammatory disease. Specifically, children who were vaccinated were 68% less likely to be hospitalized compared to children who were not vaccinated.
In addition, Paul both stated and tweeted the following regarding the hepatitis B vaccine: “there is NO science for giving newborns HepB when the mother is negative,” referring to the hepatitis B vaccine that is usually given to newborns within the first 24 hours of life.
There is, in fact, a scientific basis for why universal vaccination has been recommended for newborns against hepatitis B, even if the mother tests negative for hepatitis B. The disease spreads through sexual intercourse or by sharing IV needles, razors, toothbrushes or other items that interact with bodily fluids. People can get infected unknowingly through a sexual encounter or by sharing one of the above items with an infected individual. If they were vaccinated as children, however, they’d have protection against this devastating and debilitating disease. This infection can cause liver scarring, liver failure, liver cancer and even death. Currently, there are more than 2 million Americans living with hepatitis B, so the risk of getting the disease is entirely possible. Vaccination provides a safe and effective way to prevent this.
The purpose of vaccination is to prevent populations from getting diseases through herd immunity, and not necessarily identifying at-risk individuals. History shows that universal vaccination against hepatitis B works. Prior to 1991, the vaccine was only given to high-risk babies. This strategy did not work as screening was not able to catch all cases, according to ABC news. If unvaccinated, 9 out of 10 newborns infected with the hepatitis B virus will go on to develop chronic hepatitis B infection, according to the CDC. It was only after universal vaccination that cases significantly declined. After 1991, there was a 68% reduction of hepatitis B prevalence among children within 10 years, and a 82% decline by 2014 in the United States, according to the CDC. Currently, fewer than 20 babies get Hepatitis B from their mother every years, thanks to the vaccine.
Although Paul is a physician himself, his claims are not backed by scientific evidence. The consequences of his words could prove to be devastating for public health given his enormous influence in politics and social media. He chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee and has 6 million followers on X alone. His inaccurate comments have the potential to undermine public confidence in vaccines and sow distrust in public health and public health officials in general.
Politicians who potentially spread misinformation must be held accountable given the high stakes that exist with respect to health information and how it can impact the lives of millions of Americans. Misinformation will never make America healthy again.
