With our current administration’s firm beliefs on vaccinations and healthcare, one would think President Donald Trump and Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have doctorates in medicine.
While this is obviously not the case, The Equinox believes the spread of misinformation regarding vaccines creates unnecessary added fear among Americans.
Last week Trump made false claims about the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
“Break up MMR, break it up. It’s practically a known fact that if you break it up, you’re not going to have a problem. But for years, we’ve been hearing how bad MMR is as a combination,” Trump said in his statement to the public last Monday.
The MMR vaccine was approved by the FDA in 1971. It has been around for five decades, yet Trump and RFK Jr. believe they know better than doctors and the federal Food and Drug Administration.
We believes that with prominent political figures being hyper critical of vaccines, Keene State needs to amplify its efforts to spread awareness and promote good health among students.
While we commend the school for continuing its annual flu shot clinic, there are still plenty of students who are not aware of such events.
Oftentimes, children follow along with parental political opinions, because if mom or dad says it’s true, it must be. College is an opportunity for students to discover themselves and their own beliefs as young adults. Keene State can help provide the education to inform the student body on personal health, with the science to back it.
We encourage students to form their own convictions on public health, with the necessary background knowledge to make informed decisions for their overall health.
Previous methods of informing students on health-related issues may be worth revisiting, such as the Stall Street Journal as an accessible source in every bathroom on campus. If the college were to expand efforts such as this, students would be slightly more informed.
Flu season is right around the corner, with many students, staff and faculty already coming down with illness. It is important that we as students take the necessary measures to prevent ourselves and our peers from getting sick. Small things such as washing your hands or sneezing into a tissue are simple ways to prevent illness.
Vaccines like the influenza shot have proven to help prevent the flu during colder months. In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the flu vaccination prevented an estimated 7 million influenza illnesses.
Trump also made false claims of harmful mercury in vaccines: “We want no mercury in the vaccine.” However, the CDC explains the differences between the two kinds of mercury and explains the use of Thimerosal: “Thimerosal contains ethylmercury, which is cleared from the human body more quickly than methylmercury, and is therefore less likely to cause any harm.”
“Thimerosal is added to vials of vaccine that contain more than one dose (multi-dose vials) to prevent growth of germs, like bacteria and fungi,” according to the CDC website.
If RFK Jr. wants to “Make America Healthy Again,” then he should stop listening to that brainworm and base his opinions on facts and science.
We cannot stand idly by while Trump fearmongers Americans into believing misinformation on vaccines. The president should always consider the health and well-being of the people when making federal health recommendations. His first mistake was hiring RFK Jr. as secretary of HHS.
It is the duty of Keene State College to educate current and future students on what precautions they can take to prevent illness and disease, especially when the federal and state guidance falters.
