Since his appointment as Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has wasted no time in reshaping the country’s public health priorities. True to his controversial past, Kennedy is already steering the nation’s health agencies down a dangerous path, most recently by rescinding the federal recommendation for flu vaccines containing thimerosal – a preservative that has long been a target of debunked anti-vaccine rhetoric. Kennedy’s move doesn’t just lack scientific justification; it has dangerous real-world implications.
Thimerosal is a mercury-based compound used to prevent bacterial contamination in multidose vaccine vials. Although it has been largely phased out of vaccines in the United States, it remains an important tool in certain public health settings, especially in emergency scenarios where storing numerous single-dose vials is impractical. By restricting access to a safe, effective preservation method, he has made it more difficult for some Americans, especially those living in underserved or rural communities, to get the vaccinations they want.
This decision is not an isolated event. Kennedy’s crusade against vaccines has long included a jihad against thimerosal – which he has repeatedly and falsely linked to autism despite overwhelming scientific consensus to the contrary. But his fringe ideas don’t stop there. He’s also vilified aluminum, another common and well-studied ingredient used in some vaccines to boost the body’s immune response. According to Kennedy, aluminum is responsible for a host of chronic illnesses, including allergies and autism. In a 2021 interview, he speculated, “You wonder why a whole generation of children is allergic to stuff. It’s because we’re inducing allergies, pumping them full of aluminum.”
But speculation is not science.
Kennedy’s claims, all of which have been extensively studied, are false. A landmark study published this July evaluated the health outcomes of more than 1.2 million individuals, specifically looking for any association between aluminum exposure from vaccines and more than 50 chronic health conditions – including autism and allergies – concluded definitively that there is no link. None. The study has been called “the largest and most definitive observational study on the safety of vaccine-related aluminum exposure in children” to date.
Kennedy's reaction to this scientific milestone? Malicious silence.
This is particularly disappointing given the promises he made during his confirmation hearings. At the time, Kennedy assured both Congress and the American people that, as HHS Secretary, he would put his personal beliefs aside and adhere to rigorous scientific standards. He pledged to follow the evidence, even if it contradicted his prior convictions. Those assurances were crucial in securing his confirmation. But now, in the face of evidence that directly challenges some of his most fervently held beliefs, Kennedy has failed to adjust his policy direction accordingly.
The United States is currently grappling with declining childhood vaccination rates. Misinformation and vaccine skepticism have eroded public trust, and we are already seeing the consequences. This year’s measles outbreak is the worst the country has experienced in decades and diseases once thought eliminated or easily controlled are now resurfacing. In this environment, every statement from senior public health officials carries weight – especially when it comes from the very top.
Clear, evidence-based communication from leaders like Kennedy is not optional; it is vital. Public health policy must be grounded in science, not guided by personal crusades or discredited theories. Americans deserve to know that the vaccines they receive are safe, effective, and that the decisions affecting their health are based on facts rather than fearmongering.
Secretary Kennedy still has an opportunity to do the right thing. He should publicly acknowledge the findings of the new aluminum study and reaffirm his commitment to evidence-based medicine. He should clarify that there is no scientific basis for linking vaccines to autism or chronic conditions and work to ensure vaccine access remains as broad and effective as possible.
Words matter – but actions matter more. If Kennedy meant what he said during his confirmation, he must now show it. It’s essential to keeping Americans healthy.
Peter J. Pitts, a former associate commissioner for the Food and Drug Administration, is president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest and a visiting professor at the University of Paris School of Medicine.
