Reality: RFK Jr. is not anti-vaxx; he is pro-science and advocates for vaccine safety, transparency, and informed consent. He has said, “My vaccination policy will not take away vaccines from anybody who wants access to them.”
1. RFK Jr. is Vaccinated
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly clarified that both he and his children are vaccinated. This fact directly contradicts the label of “anti-vaxxer.” During his testimony before Congress on July 20th, 2023, he addressed these accusations head-on:
“At one point you say I’m anti-vaxx and that’s a bad thing. The other moment you point out that all my children are vaxxed. I’m fully compliant with the vaccine schedule myself except for COVID. I took flu vaccines for 20 years straight. I have never been anti-vaxx.”
2. RFK Jr. is Pro-Science
Kennedy emphasizes the importance of rigorous testing and transparency in vaccine development. His primary concern is that vaccines should undergo the same rigorous safety and efficacy testing as other medical products. In an interview with Brian Tyler Cohen on May 26th, 2024, he stated:
“What I want is good testing, good safety testing for vaccines, good efficacy testing so that everybody knows and can make informed consent about whether they want this product or not, whether it’s good for their age group, whether it’s good for their cohort, whether it’s good for them. And let’s do the same kind of safety testing that we require for other drugs and we don’t do that for vaccines.”
Under U.S. Code § 300aa–22, the law acknowledges that vaccines have unavoidable side effects, which is why vaccine manufacturers are generally immune from liability in most cases:
“(b) Unavoidable adverse side effects; warnings (1) No vaccine manufacturer shall be liable in a civil action for damages arising from a vaccine-related injury or death associated with the administration of a vaccine after October 1, 1988, if the injury or death resulted from side effects that were unavoidable even though the vaccine was properly prepared and was accompanied by proper directions and warnings.”
RFK Jr simply believes that vaccine manufacturers should not have blanket immunity. These companies are not immune when patients have adverse effects from their pharmaceutical drugs; vaccines should be no different.
3. RFK Jr. is Pro-Medical Freedom
RFK Jr. strongly believes that vaccination should be a personal choice and opposes mandatory vaccination policies. He argues that no medical intervention should be mandated without informed consent. In the same interview with Cohen, he emphasized:
“My vaccination policy will not take away vaccines from anybody who wants access to them. My only issue is they should not be mandated. I don’t think any medical intervention should be mandated.”
Kennedy’s stance is clear: while he supports the availability of vaccines for those who want them, he opposes mandates and insists on the necessity of informed consent based on transparent and thorough safety data. The more data that is available, the more people will feel confident to make the right choice.
Take smoking as an example. Doctors at one time said smoking was fine for people, even pregnant women. While cigarettes are not banned, their use has gone down as additional science was performed. This gives consumers informed consent.
4. RFK Jr. has Never been Called Anti-Fish
Kennedy’s work as an environmental lawyer includes significant efforts to remove mercury from waterways. Mercury is a known toxin, and the CDC warns about its dangers:
“All forms of mercury can affect the nervous system and the kidneys.”
This is a stance that CDC contradicts itself on. On one hand, it says all forms of mercury are dangerous, on the other hand, they say some forms of mercury are ok in vaccines.
“Two types of mercury to which people may be exposed — methylmercury and ethylmercury — are very different.”
Through his environmental advocacy, Kennedy discovered that mercury was also present in vaccines in the form of thimerosal, a preservative. Worried moms started to appear at all his events to tell him about their experiences with vaccines and how they believe their children were harmed by them. These moms knew RFK Jr. was serious about getting mercury out of fish, so they wanted him to be serious about it in all aspects.
He campaigned for its removal from vaccines. Today, mercury is out of some vaccines, but not all. According to the CDC, “Influenza (flu) vaccines are currently available in both thimerosal-containing (for multi-dose vaccine vials) and thimerosal-free versions.”
Many vaccines also contain aluminum. “More research attention has been given to EtHg and findings have showed a solid link with neurotoxic effects in humans; however, the potential synergic effect of both toxic agents has not been properly studied,” were the findings in this analysis.
“I fought to remove mercury from fish but nobody called me anti-fish.”
This quote encapsulates his position: advocating for the removal of a harmful substance does not equate to opposing the entire category. Similarly, advocating for vaccine safety does not make him anti-vaccine.
Conclusion
Labeling Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as “anti-vaxx” oversimplifies his position and misrepresents his advocacy efforts. RFK Jr. is pro-science and focuses on vaccine safety, transparency, and regulatory reform. He supports the use of vaccines that are thoroughly tested and proven safe and believes that enhancing public trust in vaccines requires addressing valid safety concerns and ensuring that regulatory processes are transparent and free from conflicts of interest.
This mini documentary goes through the smear campaign on RFK Jr, his environmental work, how he learned about mercury in vaccines, and what he wants to do going forward.
