Readers write
Politicians appealing to anti-vaxxers are just after votes
I’d like to invite U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and their anti-vaccination cronies to take a look at my severely atrophied right leg.
In July 1953 I suffered an attack of polio, back when there was no vaccine. Many thousands were crippled, among them President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and many died.
When the polio vaccine was introduced early in 1954, this disease that had plagued humanity for thousands of years disappeared practically overnight. Today, most people have no firsthand knowledge of it.
Politicians who appeal to the anti-vax crowd are after their votes and care nothing about public health. If not vaccinations, then what? Carrot juice?
STEVE PHENICIE, PEACHTREE CORNERS
RFK Jr.’s influence on CDC is sowing mistrust
The American Academy of Pediatrics is our nation’s professional organization of pediatricians.
No group cares more about protecting our children with honest, rigorous science and medical practice than AAP. To rebut HHS’s and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent forced, dangerous and bogus guidance on childhood vaccination, AAP issued its own guidelines based on the best available knowledge.
On Aug. 27, a news radio program, “The 1A,” reported on AAP’s recommendations and invited the CDC to comment. In the past, CDC was our most trusted source of public health information in general and immunization guidelines specifically. Their official comment in reply to “The 1A” was the opposite. The CDC’s heinous response was a perfect example of accusing the other guy of exactly what you yourself are doing. As an infectious disease physician, epidemiologist and recently retired CDC career scientist, it is heartbreaking and infuriating to see the CDC disseminating false information like this.
In truth, RFK Jr. and his acolytes are now forcing the CDC to issue bogus recommendations, undermining science and sowing mistrust, based on this radical lunatic and unsubstantiated beliefs.
PETER CEGIELSKI, ATLANTA
State election process is already safe and secure
The Sept. 3 edition of the AJC discussed the request by Marilyn Marks of the Coalition for Good Governance to “test” hand-marked ballots in the Nov. 4 election for the Public Service Commission.
Secretary of State Brad Raffenspreger noted the request and stated clearly such an act is illegal in Georgia. Once more we are forced to listen to Republican efforts to confuse and degrade our state’s election process.
How many more times must we listen to requests from the Republican Party and its affiliates, which do nothing to improve an already safe and secure election process? Most in this state support Raffensperger’s administration of our elections, and we do not want wasteful “experiments,” which are illegal and mean-spirited.
DAVID FASANO, DECATUR
