Hoalst said that in recent months, White had started talking more and more about her distrust of COVVI-19 vaccines and would transform him into occasional conversations on fully unrelated subjects.
Disinformation
We can draw a straight line from the alleged fears of White to the past comments of Kennedy. Kennedy is one of the most prolific distributors of anti-vaccine disinformation and disinformation in the United States and has spent years sowing doubt and fear of vital immunizations. During the pandemic, he only raised his dangerous rhetoric. As the New York Times noted, in 2021, Kennedy falsely called COVID-19 shots the “drugmest vaccine ever made”. He also described the CDC “corruption power”.
On Sunday, CNN reported that the CDC had held a video with around 800 staff members to discuss the traumatic event and allow them to ask questions. The staff said they felt like “seated ducks” while balls whistled just above their cabin walls and dived for the floor.
Stat also had access to the call and reported that another employee has asked the newly confirmed CDC director, Susan Monarez, if she had been in contact directly with Kennedy on the shooting.
“Do you expect the secretary Kennedy to make a statement on this subject, and are you able to talk about disinformation – disinformation – which caused this problem and what your plan is to make sure that this will not happen again?” The employee asked.
Monarez did not answer the question directly, only saying that she had been in contact with Kennedy’s office. “This is a good question. We were in constant communication with the secretary’s office, and others will be to come,” said Monarez.
“Deeply disturbing”
The officer killed in the attack was identified as David Rose, 33, of the DEKALB County Police Service, who had been at work for almost a year. He was seriously injured by the shooter and died later in the hospital. Rose was the father of two children with a third on the way.
In addition to the CDC staff threatened in the shooting, the CDC campus also has a daycare, which was responsible for 92 children at the time, CNN reported.
A union representing CDC staff published a declaration saying in part:
This tragedy was not random and aggravates months of ill -treatment, negligence and dissemination that CDC staff have endured. The deliberate targeting of CDC through this violent act is deeply disturbing, completely unacceptable and an attack on each official. The first reports indicate that the shooter was motivated by the disinformation of vaccines, which continues to constitute a dangerous threat to public health and security.
The staff would have been informed that they could work remotely on Monday.
