Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made several false statements about vaccines during an appearance on Fox News Thursday.
Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) earlier this week, a surprising move that shocked medical experts. Kennedy defended his decision in an interview with Fox News’ Martha MacCallum, claiming that “97 percent of ACIP members have a conflict of interest.”
Kennedy repeated falsehoods about vaccines, which were immediately fact-checked by doctors on the social media platform X. He falsely claimed that between 69 and 92 vaccines were currently required in the United States and that most vaccines, with the exception of the COVID-19 vaccine, had not undergone safety testing.
“So no one has any idea what the risk profile of these products is, and we don’t know if they’re related to the chronic disease epidemic,” Kennedy said, without providing any evidence to support his claims.
These are products designed to disrupt your immune system, to impair it for life, and we’re currently witnessing an epidemic of immune dysfunction in our country.
Doctors and social media users denounced his “dangerous” rhetoric.
“It’s absolutely insane that the director of the Department of Health and Human Services is telling Americans that none of the vaccines given to their children have been safety tested, when all of them have,” wrote writer James Surowiecki on X.
Jonathan Reiner, a professor of medicine and interventional cardiologist, also criticized Kennedy for his false claims.
“The only vaccine to have undergone placebo-controlled clinical trials before approval is the COVID vaccine,” said Robert Kennedy Jr. “This is patently false. Every initial vaccine is evaluated in randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. “Once a vaccine is proven safe and effective against a placebo, it becomes unethical to test a subsequent vaccine for the same virus against a placebo,” Reiner wrote on X.
Jake Scott, an infectious disease physician, refuted five of Kennedy’s claims. These false statements were made during his appearance on Fox News.
Scott wrote on X: “Robert Kennedy Jr. went on national television and spouted outrageous and dangerous lies about vaccines. As a father and an infectious disease physician, I couldn’t stay silent. Fox News may not fact-check his statements, but I will.” I’ve reviewed the trials, I’ve cataloged them, and I have receipts.”
During his X-related remarks, Scott fact-checked Kennedy’s false claims, emphasizing that experts know the “risk profiles” of each vaccine and that vaccines do not weaken the immune system.
Scott wrote: “Robert Kennedy Jr. went on national television and systematically deceived millions of Americans with false claims about vaccines. But the real evidence is there. The studies are there. The safety data is publicly available. Why this matters: I’ve seen so many people die from vaccine-preventable diseases, and this is truly the worst thing I’ve ever seen.”
Kennedy was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in February after promising not to change the vaccination schedule. But less than a week later, he pledged to conduct research on childhood vaccines that protect against measles, polio, and other serious diseases.
Kennedy ignored some recommendations passed by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in April, including the approval of a new combination vaccine protecting against five strains of meningococcus and the expansion of vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
In late May, Kennedy ignored the committee and announced that the government would change its recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination for children and pregnant women.
On Monday, Kennedy dismissed the 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, announcing that he would appoint a new panel before the next meeting, scheduled for late June. The agenda for that meeting has not yet been published, but a recent federal notice stated that votes were expected on vaccinations for influenza, COVID-19, HPV, RSV, and meningococcal bacteria.
