RFK Jr.: A Symptom, Not an Outlier

Authored by: Sophia Li

Art by: Mia Hsu

Every American, no matter their race, gender, age, class, or all else, will be touched by the actions of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHS oversees agencies that pay for medical care for vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and disabled, protects our population against domestic and international health threats, and oversees the regulation of our food and pharmaceutical products [1]. Stemming from its humble beginnings, over 200 years ago as a network of hospitals, HHS has always looked out for the greater health of those residing within American borders, spending nearly $2 billion a day primarily on Medicaid and Medicare [1]. It might be beneficial to provide a statistic about how this organization has helped.

Appointed by the new administration, the head of the Department of HHS takes on the common stance of promoting greater health, but with a strong departure from previous perspectives. Robert F Kennedy Jr, the new head of HHS, has promoted a brand of American health that emphasizes less processed food and a greater emphasis on exercise. 

Simultaneously, RFK Jr. has touted unsubstantiated medical beliefs that have brought on rightful critiques from medical professionals and public health experts alike. For example, he linked vaccinations to autism diagnoses, even demanding the retraction of a Danish study that refuted the stance that aluminum in vaccinations is linked to autism [2]. This is an unusual action to be taken by any public health official, but even more so demonstrates how RFK Jr. expects science to bend to his will, despite evidence contrary to his beliefs. 

This fall, he also took a strong stance against the use of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in common medications like Tylenol, for pregnant women, once again linking usage to autism in children [3]. Despite a 2024 study involving 2.4 million children finding “no causal link”, RFK Jr. has continued to make broad-sweeping, influential statements with minimal scientific backing [3]. His abrasive, unconventional opinions seem to net much national attention, sparking criticisms but also paving the way for other government officials to follow suit. In a political environment that has become so abrasive, coming off the anti-vaccination wave that COVID-19 sparked, RFK Jr. has sparked criticisms from medical experts and scientists, particularly with his cancellation of research into mRNA vaccines and his continual vaccine skepticism [4]. 

This new HHS has already begun to shift the public health sphere in the United States. Spearheaded by Florida’s surgeon general, Dr. Ladapo, the state seeks to end vaccine mandates, even for schoolchildren [5]. Dr. Ladapo’s stance directly rebukes a tradition beginning five decades ago of vaccinating schoolchildren to protect their weaker immune systems against diseases like measles and polio, with massive success, effectively eradicating polio and measles from the general population and improving the health outcomes of millions [4]. In a statement, he stated the vaccine mandate “drips with disdain and slavery” [5]. This vaccine skepticism undermines centuries of public health improvements supported by federal and state governments, beginning with mass smallpox vaccination. It does not seem unreasonable now to assume we will continue to see previously rare outbreaks, such as measles, much more often. 

Although RFK Jr. holds a position of massive power over public health, he is but a symptom of a much larger problem. Increased vaccine skepticism has been observed on an international scale and has been attributed to many factors, such as expanded social media access, spreading “alternative” viewpoints on medicine, and increased conspiracy ideation [6]. The sheer efficacy of vaccines in our societies has also rendered the everyday person complacent about their benefits, potentially making them much more sensitive to possible risks [6]. 

In order to combat growing vaccine hesitancy, it is more important now than ever to maintain medical literacy and encourage others to conduct their own research regarding the benefits and risks of current medical treatments. It is typically not effective for medical experts and government agencies to appeal to those who have subscribed to anti-vaccine theories due to rampant mistrust in “Big Pharma” and agencies that hold authority [6]. Thus, I propose that the more effective method of combating vaccine misinformation is through the utilization of personal connections. 

Most people likely know at least one person who has demonstrated vaccine hesitancy. By maintaining one’s medical literacy, subscribing to empirical evidence, and staying an educated member of a school campus, a community, or even just a family unit, people may have a higher chance of softening the vaccine hesitancies of those close to them than a distant, unknown medical professional. The actions of RFK. Jr. will undoubtedly have a massive impact on medical research and public health, but we are not all helpless in this. I encourage everyone to take the steps to do their own research, to look into empirical evidence, not only for themselves but also for those around them. 

References:

1. Schaeffer, L. D., Schultz, A. M., & Salerno, J. A. (2009). Introduction. In www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK215021/

2. Fieldhouse, R. (2025). RFK Jr demanded a vaccine study be retracted — the journal said no. Nature, 645(13-14). https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-02682-9

3. Schaeffer, L. D., Schultz, A. M., & Salerno, J. A. (2009). Introduction. In www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK215021/

4. Bonitatibus, S. (2025, June 27). RFK Jr. Is Systematically Undermining Vaccine Science and Endangering Health. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/rfk-jr-is-systematically-undermining-vaccine-science-and-endangering-health/

5. McPhillips, D., & Nottingham, S. (2025, September 3). Florida plans to end vaccine mandates statewide, including for schoolchildren. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/03/health/florida-vaccine-mandates

6. Browne, M. (2018). Epistemic divides and ontological confusions: The psychology of vaccine scepticism. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 14(10), 2540–2542. https://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2018.1480244