Over the course of the last six months, I have watched and listened with bewilderment as Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, a vaccine skeptic, has made increasingly scientifically unsound statements and policy proposals.   As a parent who looks to science for sound advice, I felt uneasy when RFK Jr…

• Withdrew the recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines to be given to children and pregnant women, without CDC input.

• Dismissed all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) without warning, to install individuals with like-minded, unscientific vaccine skepticism.  

• Approved New ACIP Chair Martin Kulldorff workgroups to re-examine scientifically well studied and highly effective childhood and adolescent vaccines, which have prevented 1.1 million deaths since 1994.

• Limited access to COVID-19 vaccination to those 65 years of age or older and children and adults with underlying, at risk conditions.

• Fired Dr. Susan Monarez, a Senate-confirmed CDC Director, when she did not pre-emptively agree to rubber-stamp the new ACIP recommendations, irrespective of scientific evidence.

When MomsRising approached me and asked if I would like to participate as a parent on Senator Blunt Rochester’s “Back to School: Navigating Vaccine Uncertainty in America” Congressional Panel, I welcomed the opportunity to listen, learn, and discuss vaccine policy with former ACIP members, epidemiologists, a pediatrician, a school nurse, and current Senators.  Here is what I said:

“Good afternoon!  Thank you, Senator Blunt Rochester, for holding this forum. My name is Jean Nguyen, and I’m a proud member of MomsRising. I live in Olney, Maryland, and I’m a mom of three incredible kids, ages 3, 6, and 8. I appreciate the opportunity to share my concerns about how changes to federal vaccine policy will impede access and raise costs for families like mine.

I’m here to stand up for science, because science has stood up for me, providing the foundation for a healthy life for myself and my family.  My son Andrew was born prematurely, weighing 1 lb and 13 ounces. That meant his antibodies were lower and his lungs were under-developed and prone to infection. We depended on our medical team to give us sound scientific advice to keep him safe, including making sure we were fully vaccinated, and updating any boosters that were out of date.

Today, by the grace of God and science, Andrew is a happy first grader who loves reading, playing soccer with his Dad, and searching for bugs. Given how much science has given me as a mom, I’m horrified and perplexed by the many ways Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has broken with evidence-based scientific practices, putting families’ health at risk. I know all too well these policies can have life or death consequences.

I can tell you families have serious concerns right now. To start, families are confused and alarmed that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations for COVID vaccinations are no longer aligned with science.

For example, the CDC no longer recommends COVID vaccination during pregnancy, despite overwhelming evidence that it is safe and helps prevent adverse outcomes, including premature birth, or infant death. And now, rather than recommending that children 6 months and older receive the COVID vaccination, ACIP is recommending that only those with underlying conditions and adults 65 or older receive it.

Families like mine are asking:

• Who decides what qualifies as an ‘underlying condition’?

• Will families have to rely on doctors to prescribe the COVID vaccine if their children have underlying conditions?

• What about children who are currently experiencing symptoms of an underlying condition but have not been formally diagnosed?  My son hasn’t been diagnosed with asthma, but has asthma-like symptoms that make avoiding infection especially important. Who decides if he can access the vaccines he needs to stay healthy?

If families need prescriptions for the COVID vaccine, that introduces so many new hurdles. Right now, getting our back-to-school vaccines can be as easy as swinging by a pharmacy or a walk-in clinic at our convenience. Getting a prescription requires having a primary care provider – when we know there’s a shortage – plus having time off from work and transportation to an appointment. Aren’t working families juggling enough?

That’s not to mention the cost. If ACIP no longer recommends a vaccine, insurance might not cover it. I’ve read that vaccines could cost $100-200 out of pocket – per vaccine! If you have three kids, like me, that means back-to-school COVID vaccines could cost up to $600, plus another $400 for two parents. Working families are already feeling the strain of the rising cost of food, housing, utilities and other basics. I read in an CBS article that more than half of Americans don't have enough savings to cover an unexpected $1,000 emergency expense. Vaccines should not be a luxury accessible only to those who can afford them!

I’m lucky. I live in Maryland, where Governor Wes Moore signed legislation that requires insurers to cover the ACIP recommended COVID vaccinations that were in place last December. But what about families in other states?

Most of all, I’m terrified that the confusion RFK Jr. is causing will lead to fewer children and families getting vaccinated. That will lower our overall community immunity and fuel the spread of disease. I’ve even read that ACIP may recommend changes to the regular childhood vaccination schedule. I don’t know anyone in my generation who has had polio, rubella, or measles.  Will my children’s generation be able to say the same?

To prepare for this forum, I sent an informal survey to families in my community about their concerns. My friends and neighbors shared heartbreaking fears about loved ones who are undergoing chemotherapy, about protecting aging parents, and about being unable to manage rising costs. One friend summed it up perfectly: “As a parent, my time is limited. I need to be able to trust that agencies tasked with protecting our public health are based in science and expert opinion.”

That’s what parents want most of all – to trust that our nation’s health policies are guided by science, not politics. We are counting on our country’s leaders to repair that trust and protect vaccine access. Thank you!”

Andrew’s thoughts on vaccination, in his own words:

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Take action: 

• Reach out to your U.S. Senators and demand scientifically sound vaccine recommendations and access.  You can call the U.S. Capitol switchboard (202) 224-3121 or visit congress.gov/contact-us to find your U.S. Senator’s direct line.  Tell them the science is clear–vaccines save lives and keep our nation healthy!  

• Sign a petition: action.momsrising.org/sign/fireRFK

• Share your story: action.momsrising.org/survey/story_RFK

Resources to prepare children for vaccinations:

• Daniel the Tiger Gets a Shot Clip: https://pbskids.org/videos/watch/its-time-for-daniels-shot/10381

• Daniel the Tiger Goes to the Doctor Read Aloud: https://pbskids.org/daniel/stories/daniel-goes-to-the-doctor

• Sid the Science Kid “Getting a Shot: You Can Do It!” Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWx2WogUFoY