Sen. Johnson hosting COVID-19 skeptics panel
Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson plans to bring together a panel of scientists and doctors who have been criticized for expressing skepticism about COVID-19 vaccines and promoting the use of unproven medications.
The discussion — billed as “COVID-19: A Second Opinion” — is scheduled for Monday in Washington, D.C., a day after a planned march against vaccine mandates on the National Mall.
Several of the announced speakers for the “Defeat the Mandates” event are due to provide information at Johnson’s discussion. It is not an official U.S. Senate hearing.
Among those scheduled to speak at both events is Robert Malone, an infectious disease researcher who has claimed to be an “inventor” of mRNA vaccines and has been accused of spreading misinformation that got him booted off Twitter.
Also expected to speak at both events is Texas cardiologist Peter McCullough, who has asserted COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe; Aaron Kheriaty, a University of California-Irvine School of Medicine physician fired for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine; and Wisconsin physician Pierre Kory, who has promoted the use of ivermectin as an early treatment for COVID-19.
Ivermectin is used to treat parasitic infections and public health experts have warned that it is unproven as a remedy for COVID-19.
Another ivermectin proponent, Virginia physician Paul Marik, is due to speak at both events. Marik recently resigned as professor of medicine and chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk.
Johnson, who recently announced he’s running for a third term, has promoted early treatments to deal with the virus, sown doubt over the efficacy of the vaccines and declined to get vaccinated.
According to a news release from Johnson’s office, “the panel discussion on the global pandemic response” will look at “what went right, what went wrong, what should be done now, and what needs to be addressed long term.”
“The panel will also discuss censorship from Big Tech and the mainstream media, pandemic response effect on children, and vaccine mandate impact on worker shortage,” the statement said.
The news release said Johnson has extended invitations to the chief executives of Pfizer and Moderna, federal agency heads including Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases “and other individuals who have developed, promoted, and led the response to the pandemic over the last two years.”