1 00:00:01,880 --> 00:00:04,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to Wellness. I'm mass I'm doctor Nicole Safire and 2 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 1: this is your weekly rundown. First stunning development out of 3 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,559 Speaker 1: Washington this week. President Biden's personal physician in both the 4 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: Fifth Amendment during a House Oversight Committee testimony where they 5 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:18,960 Speaker 1: were asking him about the president's cognitive health during his 6 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: four years administration. Now, let's be clear, this isn't about 7 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:26,760 Speaker 1: hippo or privacy. The Fifth is used to avoid self 8 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: incrimination in criminal matters. Now, as a physician, this is 9 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: not normal. I can tell you that if there's nothing 10 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: to hide, why not just simply state the president was 11 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: fit to lead. Pleading the Fifth in this context raises 12 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:44,520 Speaker 1: questions like was there falsification of medical records? Like did 13 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:48,200 Speaker 1: he give him cognitive tests and the president failed them 14 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 1: but he covered them up? Did he omit them entirely 15 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: despite the fact that every medical organization recommends cognitive evaluations 16 00:00:56,840 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: for elderly patients and President Biden at the time fit 17 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: that classification. Was it a political cover up? I mean 18 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: the public seems to think so. The public has a 19 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: right to know if their president is cognitively capable of leading. 20 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 1: It's about national security, not personal privacy. By pleading the 21 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: Fifth The president's physician didn't just dodge a legal question, 22 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:21,240 Speaker 1: he may have betrayed the trust of all Americans. A 23 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: doctor's duty is not only to protect the patient, but 24 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,679 Speaker 1: to protect the public when the patient holds the nuclear codes. 25 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: If a patient is suicidal, the physician is supposed to 26 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 1: report them because they're a danger to self. If the 27 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:39,080 Speaker 1: patient is homicidal, the physician is supposed to report them 28 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 1: because they're a danger to others. If the President of 29 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 1: the United States is not cognitively fit to be taking 30 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: these meetings and be responsible for nuclear codes, the physician 31 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: had a right and a necessity to tell the American public. 32 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: So when you sue the most powerful office in the world, 33 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: your responsibility isn't just your patient, the country. The American 34 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: people were not given clarity, they were given the Fifth Amendment. 35 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: This is not acceptable. And while we all deserve privacy 36 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: in our medical care, elected leaders, especially the commander in chief, 37 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: they have a higher bar for transparency, and the silence 38 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 1: here really speaks volumes. Meanwhile, in another highly charged story, 39 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: several physician groups have filed a lawsuit against RFK Junior 40 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: for removing the recommendation of COVID vaccines from healthy adults, 41 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: pregnant women, and kids. The truth is children have consistently 42 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 1: been the lowest risk group throughout the entire pandemic. According 43 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: to CDC data, the infection fatality rate for children and 44 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 1: healthy adults remained well below zero point zero one percent. 45 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:44,239 Speaker 1: In fact, for healthy children with no underlying medical conditions, 46 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 1: the risk of severe COVID outcomes, hospitalizations, and death were 47 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: extremely rare. So while some groups are suing RFK Junior 48 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 1: for questioning and changing the CDC guidance, other physicians like 49 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: myself believe a more targeted vaccine strategy makes sense. That's 50 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,360 Speaker 1: it for this week's Wellness Unmass Weekly Rundown. I'm doctor 51 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: Nicole Sapphire. Thanks for listening to Wellness on Mass on 52 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 1: America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow Wellness on Mass 53 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: with doctor Nicole Sapphire and start listening on the free 54 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app wherever you get your podcasts.