Sen. Rand Paul Grills HHS Sec. Becerra: "Quit Lying To People About Natural Immunity" Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) challenges HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra on the Biden administration's vaccine mandates and says the science is against Biden when it comes to naturally acquired immunity for those who have already had COVID-19. "The science is against you on this. The science is clear. Naturally-acquired immunity is as good as a vaccine," Paul said. "This isn't an argument against the vaccine, but it's an argument for letting people make a decision who already have immunity." "Mr. Becerra, are you familiar with an Israeli study that had 2.5 million patients and found that the vaccinated group was actually seven times more likely to get infected with Covid than the people who had gotten Covid naturally?" "I'm not familiar with that," Becerra replied. "I think you might want to be if you're going to travel the country insulting the millions of Americans, including NBA star Jonathan Isaac, who had Covid, recovered, look at a study with 2.5 million people, and say, well, you know what, I should make the decision. Instead, you've called Jonathan Isaac and others, myself included, flat earthers. We find that very insulting... Are you a doctor or a medical doctor?" "I have worked for over 30 years on health policy," Becerra said. Paul said: "You're not a medical doctor. Do you have a science degree? And yet you travel the country, calling people flat earthers, who have had Covid, looked at studies of millions of people, and made their own personal decision that their immunity they naturally acquired is sufficient but you presume somehow to tell over 100 million Americans who survived Covid that we have no right to determine our own medical care. You alone are on high and you've made these decisions, a lawyer with no scientific background, no medical degree. This is an arrogance coupled with an authoritarianism that is unseemly and un-American." "You, sir, are the one ignoring the science." "The vast preponderance of scientific studies, dozens and dozens, show robust, long-lasting immunity after Covid infection. Even the CDC does not recommend measles vaccine if you have measles immunity. The same was true for smallpox. But you ignore history and science to shame the flat earthers, as you call them. You should be ashamed of yourself and apologize to the American people for being dishonest about naturally acquired immunity." "You want more people to choose vaccination? So do I. You want to lessen vaccine hesitancy? So do I. You want to have that happen? Quit lying to people about naturally acquired immunity." "Quit lording it over people, acting as if these people are deplorable and unwashed. Try persuasion instead of government cudgels. Try humility instead of arrogance. Try freedom instead of coercion. Most of all, try understanding there is no more basic medical right than deciding what we inject into our bodies. Today, half a hearing that millions of people in a study prove -- show without a doubt that there is a great deal of immunity from getting it naturally, do you want to apologize to the 100 million Americans who suffered through covid, survived, have immunity, and yet you want to hold them down and vaccinate them? Do you want to apologize for calling those people flat earthers?" https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2021/09/30/sen_rand_paul_grills_hhs_sec_becerra_quit_lying_to_people_about_natural_immunity.html