The Lancet: The perils of RFK Junior's anti-vaccine leadership for public health
30 December 2024
Essay at The Lancet by Y Tony Yang, Sc.D., LL.M., M.P.H.
With global measles cases surging more than 20% in a year, the spectre of an anti-vaccine leader like Robert F Kennedy Junior at the helm of US health policy has alarmed public health experts. Kennedy, a well-known vaccine sceptic, has long promoted dangerous misconceptions about vaccines, and his influence could worsen an already dire situation.
WHO reported that measles cases increased globally from 8·6 million in 2022 to 10·3 million in 2023.1 Tragically, most of these infections occurred in low-income, conflict-ridden regions, where vulnerable populations are already struggling with inadequate access to health care. Even worse, the growing vaccine hesitancy spurred by pandemic-era disruptions has contributed to these rising numbers,2 making a future under Kennedy's leadership potentially catastrophic.
A stark example of the devastating impact of vaccine misinformation is Samoa's 2019 measles outbreak.3 In this island nation of 200 000, more than 5700 people were infected and 83 people died, most of whom were young children. Samoa's Ministry of Health cited Kennedy's visit and his rhetoric as exacerbating vaccine hesitancy at a crucial moment.4 Kennedy's non-profit, Children's Health Defense, contributed to this atmosphere of mistrust just months before the outbreak.4 Samoa's experience underscores how even one prominent anti-vaccine figure can ignite a public health crisis.
In the USA, Kennedy's influence could parallel the troubling trends observed in Florida under Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, who has publicly questioned the necessity and safety of vaccines. Since Ladapo's appointment in 2021, childhood vaccination rates in Florida have fallen precipitously.5 A particularly telling case occurred in Broward County, where a measles outbreak sickened unvaccinated children. Despite clear US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, Ladapo's advisories contradicted science-based protocols, fuelling further mistrust in vaccines.
The USA, long seen as a global standard-bearer for public health policy, faces a dire risk if Kennedy gains control over the Department of Health and Human Services. His misleading and often conspiratorial claims have already weakened confidence in public health, a legacy that could have far-reaching and deadly consequences both domestically and globally. It is not just the poorest and most vulnerable who will suffer; unvaccinated infants, immunocompromised individuals, and entire communities are at risk.
Vaccines are among civilisation's greatest achievements, backed by decades of rigorous research.6 Kennedy's promotion of debunked claims, such as the false link between vaccines and autism, shows a troubling disregard for science and public welfare. With so much at risk, public health leaders must act decisively to safeguard our progress and combat dangerous misinformation.
I declare no competing interests.
My related essays:
Take It From a Scientist. Facts Matter, and They Don’t Care How You Feel, 22 September 2024
Scientific American endorsed Kamala Harris, arguing that Trump’s attack on scientific fact is singularly dangerous, 24 September 2024
The public health implications of the election could not be greater, 3 November 2024
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