Bulwark Takes Mysterious “Secret Recording” Accusations Roil CDC Hearing
Sep 17, 2025
The discussion dives deep into the Senate HELP hearing featuring former CDC chief Susan Monarez. Topics include RFK Jr.'s controversial campaign to delay childhood vaccines and debates around the hepatitis B shot for newborns. Insightful revelations emerge about how CDC scientists were sidelined during outbreaks and faced pressure regarding untested therapies. Tensions heighten with claims of a 'secret recording' that might reveal confrontations between Monarez and RFK Jr., showcasing the intense partisanship in public health discussions.
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Risk Of Delaying Hepatitis B Shot
- RFK Jr. and his team sought to push back the newborn hepatitis B vaccine to age four, risking early-life infections.
- Jonathan Cohn warns delaying the first dose would increase chronic hepatitis B and long-term liver disease in children.
Doctor's Story From Alaska
- Jonathan Cohn relays a doctor's experience in Alaska watching children die from liver cancer before widespread newborn hep B vaccination.
- He uses that history to show how early vaccination has prevented severe outcomes.
Child Vaccine Schedule Could Change
- Susan Monarez testified RFK Jr. told her the childhood vaccine schedule would change starting in September.
- Jonathan Cohn and Sam Stein highlight this signals potential sweeping alterations to multiple pediatric vaccines.