The announcement that President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has brought renewed attention to the candidate’s many comments on public health.
Kennedy was announced as President Trump’s nominee on November 14th. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he would lead the department that regulates critical public health programs and oversees countless agencies that conduct scientific research. The list includes the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means Mr. Kennedy could be involved in almost any issue that touches everyone, including drug and vaccine approvals and food safety.
Although many of Kennedy’s views on health issues go against decades of research and widespread scientific and medical consensus, he still enjoys public support. Here’s a look at the established science behind some of the key issues that Kennedy has raised in the past and that could be affected under the new administration.
Fact: Vaccines save lives
Kennedy is a powerful force in the anti-vaccination movement (SN: 5/11/21). he told podcaster Rex Fridman in a July 2023 interview.There is no safe and effective vaccine.”
Not true. Regarding effectiveness, the World Health Organization says:Vaccines saved more lives “Better than any other medical invention in history” – a accolade backed by ample evidence.
Numerous infectious diseases, including polio, diphtheria, measles, and smallpox, affected hundreds of thousands of people in the United States during the 20th century. By the end of that century, The number of cases has decreased by 95-100 percentmainly due to the widespread introduction of vaccines.
COVID-19 vaccination during coronavirus pandemic 14.4 million deaths prevented Researchers reported infections worldwide from December 2020 to December 2021, the first year it was available. lancet infection In 2022.
And research continues into the beneficial effects of vaccines. Since 1974, Vaccination against 14 pathogens prevented 154 million deaths Around the world, most of them are children: immunization has averted 146 million deaths in children under 5, researchers reported. lancet In May.
In the United States, Routine vaccination for children People born between 1994 and 2023 prevented an estimated 508 million illnesses, 32 million hospitalizations, and 1.1 million child deaths, researchers report to the CDC did. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report In August.
The spread of misinformation and disinformation about vaccine safety has a long history, but is now reaching an even wider audience through social media (SN: 11/11/21). Kennedy’s own Instagram account was deleted between 2021 and 2023 for posting debunked claims about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines. Common misinformation about vaccine safety It was refuted By a large amount of evidence. For example, vaccines do not reduce the body’s ability to mount an immune response.
Vaccines are tested in humans for safety and effectiveness before they are approved by the FDA. After approval, in multiple countries Surveillance systems continue to monitor vaccine safety.
“Vaccines are the safest and most cost-effective way to protect children, families, and communities from disease, disability, and death,” Benjamin Hoffman, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said in a Nov. 15 statement.
Fact: Measles vaccine does not cause autism
Anti-vaxxers, including Kennedy, continue to push the false idea that vaccines cause autism. This is a paper published in 1998. lancet The aim is to discover links between measles, mumps and rubella vaccines and autism. The paper, which was based on fabricated data, was later retracted, but the damage was done and the idea that vaccines in general could cause autism spread (SN: 5/11/21).
Science has been solved: no evidence This suggests that vaccines, or the ingredients they contain, cause autism spectrum disorders.
The cause of autism is unknown, but probably complex (SN: October 16, 2018. SN: July 29, 2011). Current thinking focuses on differences in brain development early in life, perhaps even in the womb. Scientists are investigating genetic differences and differences in the way neurons grow as possible links, and are researching ways to detect this disorder early in life (SN: February 27, 2014. SN: January 11, 2019. SN: April 10, 2017).
Fact: Fluoride in water strengthens teeth
Earlier this month, President Kennedy announced a goal to remove fluoride from drinking water.
Fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral, has special superpowers in rebuilding teeth. When acids from bacteria eat away at tooth enamel, fluoride breaks through the cracks, making it easier for other strong minerals like calcium and phosphate to stick. This process is called remineralization and keeps cavities at bay.
This is why fluoride has been added to U.S. water supplies since the 1940s. This movement was explained by the CDC in 1999: 10 Great Public Health Achievements of the 20th century.
Kennedy and other fluoride skeptics argue that fluoride damages a child’s developing brain. And in high doses, it can be. Fluoride toxicity has been reported from all over the world. But as the saying goes, the dose makes the poison. In the United States, the optimal dose of fluoride is set at 0.7 milligrams per liter of water, far below levels that are considered harmful.
Some communities that have removed fluoride from their municipal water supplies have reported an increase in tooth decay. In Canada, children in Calgary, where fluoridation was stopped in 2011, it was more corrupt than children in Edmonton neighborhoods where fluoride remained in the water. A similar trend of increasing tooth decay is emerging in the following regions: Israelstopped water fluoridation in 2014, JuneauAlaska stopped fluoridation in 2007.
Tooth decay can cause pain, difficulty speaking and eating, and social and psychological harm. Untreated tooth decay can be fatal in both children and adults. The background behind fluoridated water is medical institution These include the World Health Organization, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American Dental Association.
Fact: Microorganisms in raw milk can make people sick
In an Oct. 25 post on X, Kennedy accused the FDA of “actively suppressing” the clean-out list of substances, which included raw milk.
Raw milk is not pasteurized, which is a process of heat-treating food to kill harmful microorganisms.SN: November 18, 2022). Proponents cite a variety of reasons to drink raw milk. Some bacteria in raw milk may be beneficial for gut health. However, those bacteria come from cows and farm environments, and only microbes that come from humans are an asset to our health.
Pasteurization is key to kill the bad stuff food safetyaccording to both the FDA and CDC. People who drink raw milk can be exposed to food-poisoning bacteria such as: Escherichia coli, Salmonella and listeria monocytogenesAll of these can cause serious illness.
Additionally, genetic signatures of avian influenza appeared in milk during an outbreak in U.S. dairy cows (SN: 4/25/24). Although pasteurization kills viruses, they can remain in raw milk and pose an infection risk. rat it Consuming milk contaminated with the virus For example, the possibility of contracting bird flu suggests that humans may also be at risk.
Fact: Hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin do not treat COVID-19
Hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, two drugs that have gained notoriety during the coronavirus pandemic, also appeared in Kennedy’s Oct. 25 X post. Initial research conducted on cells in dishes raised hopes that the treatment could help patients with COVID-19, but it has since been tested with the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine and the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin. Countless studies have shown that it is ineffective against coronavirus (SN: 2020/8/2).
Despite overwhelming evidence against the use of drugs against the coronavirus, some people, including Kennedy, continue to falsely claim that drugs could have saved lives during the pandemic. . in July 2023 fox news interviewPresident Kennedy said that if hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin had been available to treat the coronavirus, fewer deaths would have occurred. The FDA had authorized emergency use of hydroxychloroquine early in the pandemic. However, authorities withdrew its approval after studies showed it was as good as a placebo in preventing and reducing disease (SN: 2020/6/15).
