RFK Jr. Working With Lawyer Who Pushed FDA To Revoke Polio Vaccine

Polio used to infect some 16,000 Americans a year, but the vaccine has brought that number nearly to zero.

A lawyer working with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to select top health officials for the next Trump administration has petitioned the federal government to revoke its approval of the lifesaving polio vaccine for children ― and he could have a prominent job in a Health and Human Services Department led by Kennedy.

The New York Times revealed the connection in a report Friday, finding that Aaron Siri, the lawyer Kennedy has been consulting, has filed multiple legal petitions to block vaccines on behalf of the Informed Consent Action Network in recent years. That includes a 2022 petition for the Food and Drug Administration to withdraw its approval of a standard polio vaccine for babies and children, claiming the agency needs to do further studies to prove its safety.

Polio can cause paralysis and death. Before the vaccine was approved in 1955, there were about 16,000 cases of polio every year in the U.S. Today the disease has nearly been eradicated among Americans, though cases do pop up. In recent months, the deadly disease has resurged in Gaza.

On behalf of ICAN, Siri has also petitioned the FDA to suspend vaccines for hepatitis A, tetanus and diphtheria.

When reached for comment, the FDA said it was “continuing to review these petitions” from Siri but that it “cannot predict when the reviews will be completed.”