Mitch McConnell is a scourge for many reasons that are too long to list.
But as someone who reports on disability, I did take an interest in McConnell’s proof-of-life letter after nearly four weeks of absence from Congress. It's in this letter that he mentioned that polio has impacted his mobility, suggesting that the disease contributed to a recent fall. You might recall that due to his experience with polio, McConnell is a fan of vaccines and has encouraged his constituents in Kentucky to get vaccinated against the infectious disease. He also notably voted against confirming RFK Jr., saying that he would "not condone the re-litigation of proven cures.”
I spoke with survivors of polio and health experts about the importance of McConnell's outspoken support of vaccines and the openness with which he has discussed the disabling impact of polio in an anti-vax landscape. I encourage you to read the full piece. But one nugget is that when I asked a bioethicist and polio survivor what he thinks about parents arguing autonomy when it comes to not vaccinating their kids, his response was “that is utter bullshit.”
—Julia Métraux
|
