In a controversial Fox News interview this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. repeated long-debunked claims about childhood vaccinations, sparking sharp criticism from public health experts and pediatricians. The remarks come amid rising concerns over the erosion of public trust in immunization programs — a trend that many in the medical community view as a growing threat to national health.

Kennedy, a vocal vaccine skeptic and now a central figure in the Trump administration, attempted to justify his recent dismissal of the CDC’s entire vaccine advisory committee. He cited what he called an “explosion” in mandatory childhood vaccines, claiming that children are now required to receive between 69 and 92 doses before turning 18. This figure, experts say, is wildly exaggerated and dangerously misleading.

This is simply false,” said Dr. David Higgins, a pediatrician and preventive medicine specialist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. “Depending on the combination of vaccines and whether a child gets annual flu or COVID shots, most receive between 35 and 58 doses — not 92.

Dr. Mona Amin, a Florida-based pediatrician, stressed that the inflated figures are intentionally misleading. “It’s OK to be vaccine curious,” she said, “but it is not OK to falsely claim something is dangerous when evidence shows it is safe.

Kennedy further stoked fears by asserting that most childhood vaccines — aside from the COVID-19 shot — are not properly tested for safety, a claim experts categorically reject.

Every single vaccine on the childhood schedule undergoes years of rigorous testing for safety and efficacy,” Dr. Higgins emphasized. “This includes pre-clinical research, multiple phases of human clinical trials, and post-market surveillance to catch rare side effects.

Dr. Amin added that vaccines are among the most scrutinized medical products available today. “The idea that they are not tested or lack oversight is not only incorrect — it’s dangerously misleading.

Kennedy also alleged that these vaccines are not placebo-tested, a cornerstone of modern clinical trials. In response, Higgins clarified that placebo-controlled trials are conducted when ethically appropriate. However, when a safe and effective vaccine already exists, it is unethical to withhold it from a control group. “That’s why comparisons are often made to current standards of care,” Amin explained.

Beyond misinformation, the broader impact of vaccine skepticism is beginning to manifest in real-world health consequences. Recent measles outbreaks in Texas and a resurgence of whooping cough highlight what Dr. Higgins calls “the deadly cycle of vaccine hesitancy.”

Vaccines have been victims of their own success,” he said. “Because they’ve been so effective, people forget the devastation these diseases once caused.

Higgins noted that before the polio vaccine, 1 in 200 infections led to permanent paralysis. Similarly, thousands of children died annually from whooping cough — deaths that are now preventable.

As vaccine misinformation proliferates, many in the medical community worry that the political weaponization of public health may push the U.S. into a dangerous backslide. “Leaders can ignore the science,” said Higgins, “but the diseases won’t. They’ll come back. And when they do, people will suffer and die.

Dr. Amin echoed this sentiment. “It’s unsettling to see trusted public figures peddle misinformation. Science is being drowned out by conspiracy, and that’s deeply alarming.

In these uncertain times, doctors urge parents to seek information from qualified professionals. Even Kennedy himself once advised against taking his own medical advice. “Follow that guidance,” said Amin. “Talk to a real doctor.

By Staff Writer, Courtesy of Forbes | June 27, 2025 | Edited for WTFwire.com
Source: HuffPost