Robert F Kennedy Jr., better known as RFK Jr., has been officially confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in President Donald Trump’s new administration. The U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination on Thursday.
While Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pledged to ‘Make America Healthy Again’ alongside Trump, his appointment has raised concerns among health experts due to his history of vaccine skepticism and controversial health claims. From alleging a link between vaccines and autism to spreading misleading information about fluoride in drinking water, here are some of RFK Jr.’s most debated statements.
Skepticism on vaccine safety
RFK Jr. has a long record of promoting anti-vaccine views. He, along with his anti-vaccine nonprofit group, Children’s Health Defense has been pivotal in spreading fear and distrust around vaccines. He has peddled debunked claims that vaccine is linked with autism in children. In a 2023 interview with Fox News, he repeated his false claim that “autism comes from vaccines”. Decades of research have already concluded there is no connection between autism and vaccines. However, RFK Jr. went on to say “There’s no vaccine that is safe and effective.” The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that global immunization efforts have saved at least 154 million lives in the past 50 years.
Misleading claims about fluoride in drinking water
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long campaigned against the fluoridation of public water. He has alleged that fluoride is linked with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease. “On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water,” RFK Jr. said in a tweet in Nov. 2024.
However, this is yet another misleading statement. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed there is no convincing evidence linking adverse health effects to fluoride intake at recommended amounts. In fact, fluoride, which is a naturally occurring mineral is known for its ability to prevent tooth decay, and is added to water supplies in many countries, including the U.S. Approximately 63% of the population receives fluoridated water.
Promoting raw milk
Robert F Kennedy Jr. earlier criticized the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and stated that the entire department ‘have to go’, and also promoted drinking raw milk. “FDA’s war on public health is about to end. This includes its aggressive suppression of psychedelics, peptides, stem cells, raw milk, hyperbaric therapies, chelating compounds, ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, vitamins, clean foods, sunshine, exercise, nutraceuticals and anything else that advances human health and can’t be patented by Pharma,” he claimed.
However, food safety experts have long warned of the dangers of consuming raw milk. Raw (unpasteurized) milk can contain dangerous pathogens such as E. coli, listeria, and salmonella, which raises the risk of severe food-borne illnesses.
Unscientific claims about antidepressants
RFK Jr. has said that mass shootings are linked to prescription drugs. In an X Spaces discussion with Elon Musk, he blamed the mass shootings on drugs such as antidepressants “Prior to the introduction of Prozac, we had almost none of these events.” There is no scientific evidence that links psychiatric drugs and mass violence.
Base-less conspiracy theory about COVID-19
During a July 2023 press event in New York City, RFK Jr. claimed that “Covid-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people.” He also stated that “the people who are most immune [to the virus] are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.” According to him, this is because, of “genetic differentials among different races of the ACE2 receptor,”
Health experts have confirmed that these claims are false, and the virus does not target any specific race or ethnic group.
(Pic courtesy: AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr., File)