Too much can go wrong with RFK Jr. at the helm of HHS

Imagine going to a doctor about an illness, sitting across from him in his office and seeing him pull out a deck of tarot cards. After shuffling and dealing a few cards, he tells you what’s wrong with you and how he’s going to fix the problem.

It’s not too far from reality that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will take over as head of the Department of Health and Human Resources. Even though he hasn’t officially taken the job yet, he’s already shuffling the cards and is about to break through and tell the American public that vaccines are bad. At least that’s what it says on the cards.

President-elect Donald Trump’s appointment of Kennedy, an ally of the former president, to head HHS has sparked significant debate and controversy in the health care industry and beyond. The problem is that Kennedy has no legitimate training or experience in health and human services. None at all.

One of the key agencies overseen by HHS is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which helps prevent and control infectious and chronic diseases. This includes conducting research, implementing vaccination programs and monitoring disease outbreaks. HHS also oversees the National Institutes of Health, the primary agency for biomedical and public health research. It conducts and funds extensive research to advance health knowledge and develop new treatments. Then there is the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, which leads the nation’s medical and public health preparedness for, response to, and recovery from disasters and public health emergencies.

In his imaginary office at the CDC, Kennedy has already laid out the tarot cards on his desk and claimed, without any scientific evidence, that the cards said vaccines were bad.

The CDC views vaccines as a critical public health tool to protect children from a variety of serious and potentially life-threatening diseases.

Vaccination is considered one of the most effective strategies for controlling and preventing the spread of disease, not only for individual health but also for public health. The CDC provides comprehensive immunization schedules for children from birth to age 18 and emphasizes the importance of following these recommendations to ensure the health and safety of children.

The agency believes vaccines are safe and effective and play a critical role in preventing serious illness, hospitalization and death from various diseases, including COVID-19.

Numerous peer-reviewed scientific studies have consistently confirmed the safety of vaccines. This includes a comprehensive review of vaccine safety studies that indicate that the recommended vaccines are safe for children and adolescents and that no link has been found between vaccines and conditions such as autism, diabetes or fertility problems. A meta-analysis of over 1.25 million children found no causal relationship between vaccinations and autism spectrum disorders. Studies of measles-containing vaccines such as the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine have not shown an increased risk of autism or inflammatory bowel disease. Research has confirmed the safety of vaccine ingredients, including thimerosal, once a concern because of its mercury content, and longitudinal studies have shown that timely vaccination in the first year of life has no negative impact on neuropsychological outcomes later in childhood.

Kennedy threatens to weaken or destroy one of the most important medical achievements of the last two centuries.

The development of vaccination rates already suggests that we face serious health risks if vaccines are tinkered with. Lower vaccination rates may lead to outbreaks of diseases that were previously under control. For example, the decline in MMR vaccination rates has been linked to the recent increase in measles cases. In 2024, 97 cases of measles were reported in the United States in the first quarter alone, a significant increase compared to the previous year.

Low vaccination rates can strain public health systems, leading to higher healthcare costs and more resources needed to manage outbreaks. The decline in vaccination rates is not uniform across all population groups. Particularly affected are children from racial and ethnic minority groups, people living in poverty, and people without private health insurance. Weakening mandates could further exacerbate these disparities and lead to poorer health outcomes for vulnerable populations.

High vaccination rates are also crucial to maintaining herd immunity, which protects those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. Lifting mandates could lead to a reduction in overall immunity, putting these vulnerable individuals at greater risk. The decline in the nationwide vaccination rate in kindergartens increases the risk of outbreaks in schools, potentially disrupting instruction and endangering children’s health. The CDC’s emphasis on vaccination as a key public health strategy suggests that lifting regulations could have long-term negative public health consequences, potentially reversing decades of progress in disease prevention.

Kennedy does not have the authority to lead HHS, and his unscientific biases have no place in affecting the health of our children.

AJ Russo is a retired biology professor from Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and has also taught at Drew University and Hartwick College. He is director of research at the Mensah Medical Research Institute in Warrenville, Illinois.