Dr Kevin Bardosh, Full Opening Statement at Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic

7/27/2023 - Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic
Dr. Kevin Bardosh, Affiliate Assistant Professor at the University of Washington, detailed the findings of his research paper regarding the societal and scientific effects of forcing a novel vaccine on millions of Americans: “Our analysis strongly suggests that mandatory COVID-19 vaccine policies have had damaging effects on public trust, vaccine confidence, political polarization, human rights, inequities, and social well-being. We question the effectiveness and consequences, of course, of vaccine policy in pandemic response and urge the public health community and policymakers to return to nondiscriminatory trust-based public health approaches. We started the results section of this paper with what is kind of a shocking statement, actually, when you think about it, and I quote ‘Although studies suggest that current COVID policies are likely to increase population vaccination rates to some degree, gains were largest in those under 30 years old, a very low risk group and in countries with below average uptake.’ So the totality of actual data on increases in vaccination rates from mandates and passports does not suggest an overwhelmingly positive impact. For example, a recent study on indoor vaccine passports, found no significant impact on COVID-19 vaccine uptake, cases, or deaths across all nine U.S. cities that implemented this policy.”