In case you’ve been living under a rock, let me clarify what I mean.

The US government has now put the nation’s health into the hands of a well known anti-vaccinator.

And why am I – in Australia – so concerned? Well, the US has funded a lot of medical research, and its opinions matter in the context of global health. It has (well, used to, but probably doesn’t now, courtesy of the withdrawal of funding to USAID) supplied vaccines to developing countries, and has assisted in health initiatives all over the world, courtesy of having a large population, and a large budget. (But using less than 1% of it for international aid.)

And now, due to political expedience (because what else could it possibly be?), the health future of the entire US is in the hands of someone who is utterly, and absolutely, unfit to have such control.

There was a small chance that if another three republicans had voted no, then this would not have happened. Notable is that the only ‘no’ vote from the republican side was a man whose life has been affected by polio. Also notable, is that a doctor, whose term is up next year for re-election, voted ‘yes.’ I mean, where is integrity?

What, in my opinion, can the world look forward to? Things that come immediately to mind:

A reduction in vaccine take up in the US – anti-vaccinators will be emboldened by this, and I suspect vaccine exemptions will be easier to come by, driving up pockets of under vaccinated children. Elsewhere, in other countries, local anti vaccinators will also be emboldened, as the fallout from lower vaccination rates takes a few years to show up. Basically, until the threshold for herd immunity is breached. For measles, that’s 92-94% vaccinated, due to its infectious nature.

Increases in measles outbreaks. There’s already one in a hotbed of anti vaccination Texas. What effect could this have on the rest of the world? Transportation of the measles virus internationally – it takes about ten days incubation before symptoms show.

Increases in things like HPV driven cancers in the US – since the introduction of the HPV vaccine here, our cases of cervical cancer have reduced amazingly. Zero cases in women who were vaccinated at the age of twelve. How amazing is that?

The possibility that if vaccination rates drop, or the opportunity for vaccination is reduced in the US, that it will become a less favoured tourist destination. (Mind you, some of that’s already happening for other reasons.) The possibility that international destinations will place conditions on vaccination for entry on Americans.

Reduced research, due to his plans to lay of much of the NIH staff, which will have a flow on effect across the world, as scientists frequently collaborate across national boundaries.

The delaying of promising new vaccines – flow on effect worldwide. (Ebola, anyone?) Outbreaks of vaccine preventable disease at home in the US, but also across the world in developing countries, which are most at risk.

The delaying of new treatments for a variety of diseases, like different types of cancer, neurological disorders, and genetic diseases, due to the reduction of NIH driven/funded research.

Increased tooth decay (RFK Jr is well known to dislike fluoride in water) in the US, particularly in lower socioeconomic areas.

The promotion of ineffective ‘cures,’ ‘treatments’ and other ‘woo’ that Mr Kennedy favours.

And heavens knows what will happen to the health system, which is one I still can’t quite get my head around. I mean, how on earth does an insurer have the last say in someone’s treatment plan? Add to that Medicare and Medicaid, which RFK Jr demonstrated he knew nothing about at the senate confirmation hearing, and the recipe for utter chaos is there.

Maybe I’m writing overly pessimistically, but I really, seriously, didn’t think anyone in their right minds could possibly put this bloke in charge of health. I mean, how?

I’ll leave with a link to the Betoota Advocate, which if you’ve never heard of it before, has a particularly Australian bland of dark humour to it. It references our ‘Temu Trump.’

Temu Trump Promises To Appoint Pete Evans As The Health Minister If He Wins Election

But all I can really say is: Good luck America? Still gobsmacked.