OPINION
children transgender.” The AP reported that this week he announced that he will require the CDC to stop recommending fluoridation of drinking water. He plans to assemble a task force to address the issue. Immediately, the EPA announced that it would review“ new scientific information” on the potential health risks of fluoride in drinking water. Utah already has banned fluoride in drinking water, despite immediate opposition from all relevant experts: surely this will result in a generation of children with cavities.
We have been fluoridating water since 1950 and have followed federal guidelines for amounts – 0.7 mg per liter of drinking water – since 1962. This amounts to about three whole drops in a 55-gallon barrel. American toothpaste brands are mostly fluoridated as well. There is not one shred of evidence that this standard amount of fluoride causes cancer, or is“ a dangerous neurotoxin,” as RFK Jr. has claimed. Excessive amounts of fluoride used in other countries- double the U. S. amount at more than 1.5 mg of fluoride per liter of water – have been associated with lower IQs in children.
I would hope that as a Harvard grad – not to mention that London School of Economics degree – he might have a less gullible approach to“ scientific” proclamations. Surely somewhere in his extremely pricey education he had to take a statistics course. It was a prerequisite for med school admission for me, at little old Spalding College: not quite Harvard, but clearly gave me a leg up on interpretation of scientific evidence. If his professors are still alive, I hope they are not having chest pain from hearing this.
His attacks on vaccines include claims that the version of polio vaccines that contained Simian Virus 40( SV40) caused cancer in humans.
Kennedy: The polio vaccine contained a virus called simian virus 40, SV40. It’ s one of the most carcinogenic materials that is known to man. In fact, it’ s used now by scientists around the world to induce tumors in rats and guinea pigs in labs. But it was in that vaccine— 98 million people who got that vaccine, and my generation got it, and now you’ ve had this explosion of soft tissue cancers in our generation that killed many, many, many, many more people than polio ever did.
So, if you say to me,“ The polio vaccine, was it effective against polio?” I’ m going to say, yes. And if you say to me,“ Did it kill more people … did it caused more death than averted?” I would say,“ I don’ t know, because we don’ t have the data on that. 2
BBC reporter Phil McCausland from late January this year noted that Mr. Kennedy has accused the FDA, via Twitter / X, of“ suppressing the use of psychedelics, peptides, stem cells, raw milk, hyperbaric therapies, chelating compounds, ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, vitamins, clean foods, sunshine, exercise, nutraceuticals and anything else that advances human health and can’ t be patented.”
It would be charitable to blame all this on that brain worm. I’ ve taken care of several truly devoted fishermen, and they are quite fond of worms, and speak of them highly. Birds like them too. I hold that worm blameless. But if one child gets paralyzed by polio in this country because of him, I will pin that on his conscience forever.
References;
1 https:// www. bbc. com / news / articles / c4gx3kkz8z3o
2
Robert F. Kennedy Jr: CIA, Power, Corruption, War, Freedom, and Meaning | Lex Fridman Podcast # 388.
Dr. Barry is an internist and Associate Professor of Medicine( Gratis Faculty) at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, currently retired and mulling her next moves.
STANDING OVATION
As your local medical society, we are always looking for ways to highlight the achievements of our members. We want to give a standing ovation to the following physicians on their great accomplishments in our medical community. We congratulate you on winning these awards and representing the Greater Louisville area so proudly!
Have you or a colleague recently won an award or been recognized for your work? Contact Kathryn Vance at kathryn. vance @ glms. org to be recognized in the next Louisville Medicine.
BUSINESS FIRST HEALTH CARE HEROES 2025
» Dr. Jennifer Porter – Health Equity Champion
» Dr. Jason Chesney – Innovator
» Dr. Abigail Rao – Innovator
» Dr. Jeffrey Bumpous – Manager
» Dr. Deborah Kozik – Provider
OPINION May 2025 37