In May 2021, while millions of Americans were getting COVID-19 shots, with schools reopening and churches filling, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made a striking move. He asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to stop all COVID-19 vaccines. This decision has gained new attention now that Kennedy is President-elect Trump’s nominee to lead the nation’s health agencies.
Why This Matters
When Kennedy filed his request, the vaccines were already saving lives. About half of American adults had gotten their shots. Schools were opening again. Research showed these vaccines had kept 140,000 Americans alive who might have died without them.
Kennedy, through his organization Children’s Health Defense, claimed the vaccines were too risky. He suggested using other treatments instead, like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. But these treatments had already been deemed ineffective against COVID-19. The FDA quickly rejected Kennedy’s request, saying the vaccines were clearly helping more than harming.
What Health Experts Say
Doctors and scientists strongly disagreed with Kennedy’s attempt to stop the vaccines. Dr. Robert Califf, who runs the FDA, called it a “huge mistake.” Dr. John Moore, professor of immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College, said Kennedy showed “terrible judgment.” Another expert, Dr. Gregg Gonsalves from Yale, said putting Kennedy in charge of health agencies would be like “letting someone who thinks the Earth is flat run NASA.”
The numbers tell a clear story. By early 2024, COVID-19 vaccines had saved about 800,000 American lives. People who didn’t get vaccinated were 14 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those who got their booster shots. Between May 2021 and September 2022, vaccines could have saved 230,000 more lives if everyone had taken them.
Political Picture
This puts Kennedy at odds with Trump’s earlier view on COVID-19 vaccines. In December 2020, Trump proudly called the vaccines “something of a miracle.” He considered their quick development one of his biggest achievements. Yet now Trump defends Kennedy, saying he “won’t be as extreme as people think.”
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What This Means for Public Health
If confirmed by the Senate, he’ll control important health programs. He would oversee $8 billion meant to help children get vaccines. He could also choose who helps decide which vaccines states should use.
Kennedy has tried to soften his position lately. He told NBC in November that he wouldn’t have blocked COVID-19 vaccines completely, but would have “made sure we had the best science.” Yet he remains a plaintiff in a lawsuit against President Biden and others, contesting efforts by government officials to limit his ability to suggest on social media that Covid vaccines were not safe.
Looking Ahead
Many doctors worry about Kennedy running health agencies. In 2021, he wrongly called COVID-19 vaccines “the deadliest ever made.” Over 17,000 doctors have signed a letter asking senators not to give him the job.
They’re especially worried about how he’d handle new health threats. For example, experts fear bird flu could cause the next pandemic. But Kennedy said on social media there’s “no proof” bird flu vaccines work.
This situation shows a bigger challenge in public health: what happens when someone who questions proven medical science is picked to lead the agencies that protect public health? Kennedy will soon face tough questions about this from senators who must decide whether to approve him for the job.
