Questioner and witness link Secretary Kennedy remarks to U.S. whooping cough surge

A questioner in the transcript said that since taking office, Secretary Kennedy has cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of vaccines — including those for whooping cough — and linked that stance to falling vaccination rates and a recent spike in whooping cough.

The questioner asserted, "And now declining vaccination rates have helped fuel the nation's largest whooping cough outbreak in over a decade. In fact, just last year there were more than 28,000 confirmed cases of whooping cough resulting in the deaths of 16 individuals." A witness replied, "Correct. Multiple vaccines including DTP." The questioner then added, "That's not making America healthier again, right?" and the witness again responded, "Correct."

The exchange framed the figures and the public-health argument as a cause-and-effect sequence: the questioner named declining vaccination rates and cited the case and death counts, and the witness affirmed those statements. The questioner broadened the point, saying that weakening public-health systems — whether in response to screwworm, measles, whooping cough or other threats — "is making Americans hurt again," and concluded with the remark, "That's the new MAGA."

The transcript records the numbers and the speakers' assertions but does not provide sourcing beyond the speakers' statements; it does not show any government report or public-health official delivering the case counts within these segments. There is no recorded motion, vote or formal action in the excerpt.

The exchange ends with the mutual affirmations and the political framing; no next steps, policy proposals, or additional evidence appear in the provided segments.