RFK Jr. Shares Confusing Information With Congress. Here's What It Means For Public Health
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 16: U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks ... More during a news conference at the Department of Health and Human Services on April 16, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by)
The Department of Health and Human Services, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., sent a document to Congress defending its decision to remove COVID-19 recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women. The problem? Many of the studies cited in the document are taken out of context, unpublished or are under dispute.
For example, the HHS document says a cited study found 'an increase in placental blood clotting in pregnant mothers who took the [COVID-19] vaccine.' However, the study makes no references to placental blood clots in pregnant women.
The HHS document also cites studies to support the claim that the COVID-19 vaccine can be dangerous to pregnant women, but the studies mentioned actually support the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.
There are several other instances of questionable citations and mentions of unpublished studies. But what does this all mean for public health and policy going forward?
Most members of Congress are not scientists and may not have the expertise to recognize false citations or mischaracterized findings from studies. So, to ensure the health and well-being of all Americans, it is critical that they receive proper citations to substantiate claims that will undoubtedly affect public policy.
The recommendations in this case could affect Americans' access to life-saving vaccines. Remember, COVID-19 vaccines were responsible for saving more than 14 million lives, including the lives of children and pregnant women, according to research.
Policies and recommendations not based on scientific evidence open the door for the promotion of fringe theories that have no basis in facts or science. If the federal government does not promote vaccines, vaccine hesitancy is likely to grow and more people will opt out of getting vaccinated. Even those who want vaccines could lose access since insurance coverage for vaccines is largely dependent on endorsement from the federal government and its advisory committees.
Lower vaccine rates translate into more infectious disease outbreaks and rising cases throughout the country, which is what we're currently seeing with whooping cough and measles. There are currently over 1,000 documented cases of measles in the U.S., largely fueled by vaccine hesitancy and decreased vaccination rates among children.
Deeper than just the health effects and influence on public health is the strained trust for science that will continue to pervade the United States. If agencies like HHS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are viewed as politicized, promoting the agendas of those in power, the public will become skeptical of important health guidelines. Without trust and transparency in public health, Americans cannot make informed decisions about their families' health. Public health depends on trust, and trust is built on evidence-based recommendations that have been shown to benefit society, not theories that cannot be substantiated.
Kennedy promised 'radical transparency' and gold-standard science. This would be impossible to accomplish by sending documents to lawmakers that are filled with unpublished studies and misinterpreted citations. Gold-standard science is based on facts, evidence and rigorous peer-review. Public health suffers when inaccurate information comes from the top.
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