Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, anyone who questioned lockdowns, mask mandates, the lab leak or school closures was vilified by the media, politicians and the ‘expert’ community.
Unproven policies without any supporting evidence, as even Dr. Anthony Fauci now admits, were suddenly immutable truths that could not be questioned. Those who did raise legitimate questions about the efficacy of such policies were labeled ‘grandma killers’ or anti-science ‘freedumb’ lovers.
Well, in a surprising turn of events you can now count the former head of the CDC as a member of the ‘anti-science’ community. In particular was the role of Covid vaccines, and how influential Big Pharma was in pushing for indefensible mandates.
Dr. Robert Redfield discussed our pandemic response in a recent interview with Chris Cuomo and made some stunning admissions about how our Covid policies and mandates developed and were justified.
And suddenly those of us who claimed that masks didn’t work or that our response was a dramatic overreach don’t seem so ‘free dumb’ anymore. But don’t expect apologies anytime soon.
Former CDC Director Discusses Lab Leak, Vaccine Rollout
Redfield, who ran the CDC for most of 2020, said he believes that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was working on vaccine development in the lab, and that its research was directly responsible for the release of the coronavirus.
This isn’t the first time that Redfield has spoken out about his belief that the virus spread as a result of a lab-related incident, but it takes on increased significance as Dr. Fauci desperately attempts to downplay his own role in gain-of-function research or the suppression of the lab-leak theory.
Redfield also shared how the rollout of the Covid vaccine played out very differently than it should have, while admitting that vaccine mandates were a disastrous mistake.
“I thought that these vaccines should be prioritised for nursing homes, prioritised for assisted living, prioritised for the elderly, over 60, 65, and yet that’s not what happened,” Redfield said. “There was this, everyone had to get vaccinated.”
That’s precisely what various medical voices like Scott Atlas and Jay Bhattacharya declared after the vaccines were released. And they were demonised, attacked and labelled for their efforts. Now the former head of the CDC just admitted that should have always been the case.
Cuomo wondered why the priorities changed, asking, “Was it because of Big Pharma?” Redfield agreed, saying “Yeah, I think there definitely was a huge influence by the pharmaceutical industry, Pfizer, Moderna, I think you did, you know, you pointed out that there was a big push.”
Wait a second; anyone who previously said that Pfizer and Moderna were using their power and leverage to influence politicians, regulatory bodies, advisory organisations, media and the ‘expert’ community to promote their vaccines was labelled a conspiracy theorist. Now someone who ran one of those very organisations admits that they were, in fact, pressuring people to ‘push’ their vaccines?
Redfield also stated that in his own medical practice he prefers to use the protein-based vaccines, not mRNA, because we don’t make the body a “manufacturing plant” for the spike protein.
“The spike protein is immunotoxic. You get infected, it’s immunotoxic. But when you give the vaccine, we make the spike protein.”
“When I give you an mRNA vaccine… I don’t know how much spike protein you make because I give you mRNA and then your body goes and makes it… You may make it for a week… You may make it for a month.”
“I use the protein vaccine so I know exactly how much spike protein you get. Your body’s not becoming a [spike protein] manufacturing plant.”
After being told for years to listen to the ‘experts’, trust the science and comply with whatever you were told to do by those with public health credentials, it seems unlikely the media will suddenly be willing to cover what Redfield now says. ‘The Science’ can only be trusted if it’s repeating what the political Left wants to believe.
Redfield Admits No One Wanted to Release Negative Information about Covid Vaccines
Redfield also told Cuomo that he believed there was a concerted effort by the CDC under Rochelle Walensky and the Biden administration not to release information that could make the vaccines look bad.
“I mean, I was upset with CDC when I left because they stopped tracking people that were infected that were previously vaccinated,” Redfield said. Cuomo jumped in to ask, “Why?”
Redfield continued, “Well because then you couldn’t report that there were people vaccinated that got infected.” Cuomo asked again why they stopped tracking it. And that’s when Redfield admitted what was obvious to many outside observers since 2021: “I think there was a decision not to do anything that made the vaccine sound like it didn’t work.”
That one sentence, now on the record from the former head of the CDC, explains perfectly how so many inexcusable policies were enacted and continued for years on end. The pharmaceutical companies, Fauci, the Biden administration’s CDC and other ‘experts’ simply wouldn’t acknowledge that the vaccine was not performing to the level they’d expected it to.
Fauci, Redfield’s replacement Rochelle Walensky and the public health industrial complex had assured the public that the vaccine would be 100% effective in preventing the spread of the virus. The media repeated those claims while demonising the ‘unvaccinated’ and platforming the very same ‘experts’ who were wrong about masks and lockdowns to be wrong about vaccines. So tracking the so-called ‘breakthrough’ cases was untenable, since it made Pfizer and Moderna’s shots appear ineffective.
Those of us paying attention already knew this to be the case, because intellectually honest jurisdictions showed how ineffective the vaccines and boosters actually were at preventing infection or transmission.
And highly vaccinated populations saw uncontrolled spread.
None of it mattered though, because ‘experts’ wouldn’t acknowledge it.
Vaccine Mandates Were Unjustifiable
Redfield also admitted that many cases early on after the vaccine rollout were – despite public messaging – among the vaccinated. Part of that was the fault of the Biden administration which mandated and attempted to mandate the Covid vaccines for everyone.
“You know I’ve always tried to be honest that I think there were some major mistakes in the vaccines, they should have never been mandated,” he said. “I also felt that people should have been more honest about the fact that there were side-effects to those vaccines and some people were actually harmed.”
“The other thing I thought is that there should be more honesty about the fact that the vaccines don’t protect against infection. I remember Biden saying this is an epidemic of the unvaccinated. When I was [Larry] Hogan’s Chief Public Health Advisor in Maryland after I left CDC, I was saying, ‘wait a minute, two-thirds of the people that I’m seeing infected in Maryland have been vaccinated.’”
Yet the media had no interest in telling that story and acknowledging that the vaccines were not preventing infection. And they were helped along by Biden, Fauci and the new CDC.
“I mean the President of the United States said ‘This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated’, Tony wasn’t aggressive in putting this in perspective, the CDC didn’t put it in perspective.”
Perspective sure would have been nice, wouldn’t it?
Lockdowns Were “Overreach”
Redfield discussed Government “overreach”, how officials took advantage of pandemic uncertainty to demand ever more harmful mandates.
“Was there overreach by the Government, I think there’s no question about it,” Redfield said. “I might even argue it got worse in the Biden administration. For example, absolutely never should have mandated vaccines, period. Terrible decision. These vaccines do not prevent infection.”
While Redfield said they prevent serious illness and death for the elderly, he also said there was no justification for mandating them for young people.
“The rationale for mandating vaccines for healthy firefighters, police officers and the military and hospital workers, teachers… was emotional. We should have always honoured individual choice on those vaccines,” Redfield said.
He also defended natural immunity, saying it was ignored and people were fired. “The lockdowns, overreach,” he continued.
Redfield admitted that Fauci, Birx and the President had the meeting to decide if lockdowns should be continued, and that he was against closing schools. It wasn’t science-based policy, it was “emotionalism” with teachers. “All of that, no doubt was overreach by the Government,” he said. It was also a “big mistake,” and we “paid a big price for it”.
Amazing to see the former CDC Director now sound exactly like the ‘Covid minimisers’ that the media loved to criticise. Especially to Chris Cuomo, whose brother Andrew as Governor of New York was one of the chief architects of the forever lockdown, school closures, mask mandates and vaccine mandates. All of it. He demonised anyone who said these policies had negative, harmful side-effects that would cause more harm than good.
This is all great to hear now, but where was he when these policies were in effect? Why was his own agency undermining his positions? The answer to that is likely the ideological capture on the part of the vast majority of CDC employees, as well as lack of interest on the part of the media which clearly preferred to push Peter Hotez or Leana Wen’s egregious disinformation.
It’s a perfect summation of how emotional overreaction and overreach overran the country during the pandemic, causing immense harm with zero benefits. No wonder Fauci doesn’t want to take responsibility now for the damage he caused then.
Ian Miller is the author of Unmasked: The Global Failure of Covid Mask Mandates. He writes a Substack newsletter, where this article first appeared. It was also published by the Brownstone Institute.
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“Knave can’t see Queens because of Queen”.
Reminds me of that headline about “Queen in brawl at [Crystal] Palace”! In all honesty though, the footballing authorities have long been a bunch of numpties. People can’t drink alcohol within site of the pitch at matches (though if they go into the club bar or watch the same match in a pub, it’s alright). I’ll just say this decision on cancelling should have been left up to individual clubs, or possibly leagues. It does seem heavy handed that even very junior leagues have to cancel games. It also seems odd that horse racing went ahead as usual today. Were the St. Leger’s Classic being disrespectful? Hardly likely.
So far as I’m concerned, segregation should be ended at football matches, and all-seating requirements abolished in line with other sports, and anyone who causes serious problems should be locked up. We can’t be living in fear of ruddy hooligans, and segregation should not be something for a civilised society. If football supporters were treated like civilised people, perhaps they might behave in a more civilised way.
Totally agree. Idiotic.
And of course she was a big fan of horse racing. The last thing she would want to happen is for the races to stop; it’s good that they carried on.
This is just another example of over-arching control from the state and institutions.
Respect comes from inside the individual, like responsibiity. It is not created or imposed from outside. If people wish to show respect, they should be left alone to do it in whatever way that they think fit.
Yep, football is for the commoners and they must bow and pay their respects in the way they are told. It is these very people that the elites fear the most – the dirty masses coming together and seeing through all their bullshit. They MUST be reminded of who they are and who is in charge; they know that without that authority power will be back in the hands of the people.
What about all those people who rely on football matches to make a living: the pie men, sandwich makers, the breweries?
What about those who get a little income top-up when matches are on: the casual club staff like stewards, the taxi drivers, café owners, the pubs?
Some people almost live for their weekend football yet it was allegedly taken away in order, allegedly, to show a mark of respect to a 96 year old dead woman!
Do me a favour. Even if the instruction to cancel came from the footballing authorities let’s not pretend that some leaning wasn’t carried out from government “representatives.” A deliberate decision to inflict further miseries on working people and basically to rile them. Obviously it has riled Toby and I fully understand why even though I have negligible interest in the game. Other sports were allowed to proceed but not the footy.
Why?
Are we seriously expected to believe that footballing authorities don’t talk to other sporting bodies?
More rubbing the noses of the working people in the dirt:
Just look you plebs, we can even take away your weekly circus. Doubtless, shortly to be followed by their daily bread.
Am I being over the top? Maybe but these days I wouldn’t put ANYTHING past TPTB.
Evil barstewards.
Football was cancelled for the same reason that Footvall was one of the first places where pro-Ukraine, anti-Russia propaganda appeared – almost within hours of the Russian invasion, the place where ludicrous “anti-racism” rituals take place, the place where pro LGBT propaganda is displayed.
Football is very much an instrument of the establishment. It is a powerful instrument of communication and manipulation.
Football has the claws of the establishment elites deeply sunk into its skin and is used for whatever purpose is required.
On this occasion, the plebs need to be persuaded of the awesome power of the monarchy, in case anyone is thinking this is a good time to pursue republican ideals.
Don’t forget BLM [inc] (not to be mistaken with anti-racism, i.e: ‘Respect’ in the footie world) which to this day is still pandered to with this imported display of kneeling. “The crowd boos”. “Oh, it’s normal – they’re just a bunch of white supremo racists.” Er, no!!! They’re anti-Marxist grifters making money off the suffering of an ethnic group – and spending their ill-gotten gains on million dollar exclusive properties and claiming it as.. “a space for Black folks to share their gifts with the world and hone their crafts”. Yeah ok, whatever.)
Oh forgive me. I missed your “anti-racism” ritual mention. Was distracted and didn’t see anything other than the big caps letter acronym.
Pretty sure one would not have approved of this decision.
The last 3 stages of the Cycling Tour of Britain were cancelled too! I was well miffed…
Relating to priorities following the death of an elderly relative. A fair number of years ago, a Welsh family lost a beloved Grandma on the Wednesday before the Ireland v Wales 5 Nations match in Dublin. As the family all had tickets, Grandma included, they decided to go to the match as that would be the most fitting way of honouring Grandma’s memory.
Apparently Grandma would have been furious if the tickets had been wasted!!!
Ever come face to face with an irate Welsh Grandma? I do not recommend it!
The decision by the PL and EFL was very quickly announced. I think they probably wanted to be ‘ahead on the virtue signalling’, and didn’t appreciate that they would be on their own (pretty much).
One thing they can decree, please, is for the ‘taking of the knee to be ended. We have already witnessed the disgusting spectacle of a minutes silence for Prince Phillip, a man who faithfully served this nation for 70 plus years, being followed by players taking the knee for a dead drug addict and criminal from 4000 miles away. Please, not for our beloved Queen. Black arm band, silence, belt out ‘God save the King’ and get on with the game.
https://youtu.be/uHqgvWivkyY
I wonder if this Next Tuesday Warrior had anything to do with cancelling the footy?
It was just another way for “the Elites” to signal their superiority and their fear/disdain of “the lower orders.”
It’ll probably get called a mistake, like every one of the countless other major assaults on our traditions/normality over the last few years.
Once again you mistake incompetence and mistakenness for a deliberately malevolent act by the football authorities who take their orders from elsewhere. For reasons which are obvious to many, football high ups do not wish the fans to experience any sense of unity, national pride, togetherness. Rather the promotion of division and uber wokery is their only mantra. Consider how quickly the footie was used to aid and abet the lockdown nonsense, QR codes for little kids going to play in their Sunday leagues. They had the plan long before we had the sniffles: discuss.