Fri Jan 24 03:30:00 IST 2025: ## Kennedy’s Controversial 2021 Plea to Halt COVID Vaccine Rollout Resurfaces

**Washington D.C.** – A previously unreported petition from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., filed in May 2021, urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revoke the emergency use authorization for all COVID-19 vaccines. This action, taken while vaccines were in high demand and considered life-saving, has resurfaced amidst Kennedy’s recent appointment to a leadership role in the nation’s health agencies under President-elect Trump.

The petition, filed on behalf of Kennedy’s organization, Children’s Health Defense, argued that the risks of the vaccines outweighed their benefits and claimed that effective treatments, including ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine (both subsequently deemed ineffective against COVID-19), rendered the vaccines unnecessary. This stands in stark contrast to President-elect Trump’s earlier praise of the vaccines as a “miracle.”

At the time of the petition, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout was saving an estimated 140,000 lives, and half of American adults had received at least one dose. Schools and churches were reopening, signaling a return to normalcy facilitated by the vaccination program.

The petition, which received minimal attention at the time, was ultimately rejected by the FDA. Public health experts expressed shock at the filing, citing the substantial positive impact of the vaccines and the lack of scientific evidence supporting Kennedy’s claims. The revelation of this petition highlights a significant divergence of opinion on COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and underscores the controversy surrounding Kennedy’s appointment.

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