U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced intense scrutiny from both Democrats and Republicans during a Senate hearing regarding his recent vaccine policies. The hearing, held on Thursday, highlighted significant differences between Kennedy's approach and the successful vaccine development initiatives from President Donald Trump's first term.

A key point of contention was Kennedy's decision to dismiss Susan Monarez, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), just a month after her appointment. This decision drew sharp criticism from several senators. Trump, speaking at the White House after the hearing, expressed his support for Kennedy, stating that he has a "different take" on vaccines.

Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican and physician, questioned Kennedy about the cancellation of $500 million in COVID vaccine contracts. He pointed out that this decision has left some doctors and cancer patients without access to vaccines. "I would say, effectively, we're denying people vaccines," Cassidy stated. In response, Kennedy asserted, "Well, you're wrong."

Kennedy also faced questions about his previous comments regarding vaccines. Cassidy praised Trump for accelerating the development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in 2020 and asked Kennedy if he believed Trump deserved a Nobel Peace Prize for this initiative. Kennedy agreed but later denied having said that vaccines killed more people than COVID. He acknowledged that vaccines prevented deaths but did not specify how many.

A study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal indicated that COVID vaccines saved approximately 14.4 million lives globally in their first year of use. Kennedy's cancellation of $500 million in funding for mRNA technology research, which was crucial for the development of widely used COVID vaccines, was also criticized by Cassidy.

Trump commented on Kennedy's approach, saying, "He means very well, and he's got some little different ideas." He added that many people appreciate Kennedy's perspective and emphasized the importance of considering various viewpoints.

Other Republican senators, including Thom Tillis and John Barrasso, who are also physicians, echoed Cassidy's concerns. Barrasso expressed his worries about vaccine standards, citing recent measles outbreaks and questioning the use of mRNA vaccines. He reminded Kennedy of his commitment to uphold high standards for vaccines during his confirmation hearings.

Kennedy defended his decision to fire Monarez, suggesting that he might need to make further personnel changes. Monarez, who was appointed to lead the CDC less than a month ago, was reportedly dismissed by Trump after she resisted changes to vaccine policy that contradicted scientific evidence. In an opinion piece, Monarez claimed she was directed to pre-approve vaccine recommendations and fire career CDC officials, describing her ouster as part of a broader effort to weaken U.S. vaccine standards.

Kennedy refuted Monarez's claims, stating that he never instructed her to pre-approve decisions but did ask her to dismiss certain officials, which she refused to do. Monarez's legal team responded, stating, "Secretary Kennedy's claims are false, and at times, patently ridiculous. Dr. Monarez stands by what she said in her Wall Street Journal op-ed."