The appointment of vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the new Head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is as alarming as it is ironic. But what more can we expect from the man who thought COVID-19 could be killed with an ultraviolet light? The United States public now faces a potentially conspiracy-driven shift in public health policy, endangering vaccine administration and disease prevention efforts nationwide, with potentially disastrous effects.
As the head of HHS, RFK Jr. will oversee major health agencies such as the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). This is deeply concerning considering his very well-documented history of promoting conspiracy theories and false claims about vaccines.
Several instances of misinformation
Kennedy called COVID vaccines “a crime against humanity” and claimed that they were “the deadliest thing ever made.” Meanwhile, studies show Covid vaccines reduced global deaths by 63%, saving 19.8 million lives in the first year they were administered to the public.
Additionally, Kennedy and his nonprofit heavily advocated for the Samoan government to suspend their vaccination program, using false information to fuel their campaign. Vaccination rates in Samoa plummeted and led to a measles outbreak that infected over 5,700 people and killed 83 people, mostly young children.
Kennedy also continues to promote the claim that vaccines are a cause of autism, despite the overwhelming scientific evidence disproving this.
So how do vaccines work?
Vaccines are one of humanity’s greatest achievements. Its relationship with our bodies is like a coach is to a boxer. It trains our bodies’ immune systems to fight disease. A pathogen, an organism that causes disease in the host, has proteins on its outer surface called antigens. Our immune system uses these “antigens” to recognize the pathogen as a foreign substance and neutralize it through antibody production.
When our body has encountered a disease-causing germ, the immune system has memory cells that store information about how to fight it, so it can enact a response quicker. Vaccines introduce a harmless fragment of a pathogen to teach the body to recognize and neutralize future threats effectively.
Some vaccines benefits
Vaccine effects go beyond disease prevention. From 2001 to 2020, 10 vaccines generated $820 billion in global economic value, with a return of 44 times the initial investment. Additionally, vaccines have given us the luxury to focus on child development rather than child survival through protection against infections that can stunt growth, impair cognitive capacity and reduce economic productivity.
A great example of this is the measles vaccine, which the CDC recommends be administered at 12 to 15 months old for the first dose and four to six years old for the second. It grants us immunity against a disease that has the ability to damage protective immune memory for a two to three-year period. It increases your susceptibility to not just measles but other types of infections as well by killing off pre-existing antibodies to different pathogens after an infection.
The dangers of misinformation and vaccine hesitancy
Vaccine hesitancy comes from a mix of religious beliefs, personal philosophies and a desire for more education. However, the most prevalent cause comes from misinformation heard from acquaintances, fueled by media outlets, or promoted by figures in positions of power like Kennedy. About one-third of parents feel they lack sufficient information about vaccines, which leaves them susceptible to false claims directing them to poor decisions for themselves, their children and their communities.
The case for vaccines: why we must fight misinformation
Vaccines save lives, shield us from disease, protect the next generation and benefit us economically. With the turn of power in the United States looming over us, it becomes even more important to educate ourselves on issues that impact our day-to-day lives. We must counteract the misinformation the new administration uses to hide their true goals to protect ourselves. Because I fear, come Jan. 20, the American people will be left out to dry, and the only ones to weep our sorrows will be ourselves.