In an article in The Spokesman-Review in mid-November, misinformation was inappropriately called "thoughtful discussion." As noted by the U.S. surgeon general, the public's health is at an inflection point. Misinformation has been metastasizing, fueled by the spread of inaccurate information, outright disinformation and "facts" that are not facts at all. There is no greater perpetrator of this than Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been recommended to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
RFK Jr. was the most well-known member of the "dirty dozen," who were found to be responsible for almost two-thirds of the mis/disinformation surrounding COVID-19 that was spread on social media platforms. While these lies were spread about many aspects of the pandemic, such as wearing masks and non-evidence-based treatments like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, no greater lie was spread than that COVID-19 vaccines were unsafe.
Mistrust of vaccines is long-standing, dating back to skepticism around the very first vaccine for smallpox, in the 1790s and magnified by one of the most infamous studies (since-discredited) in scientific history associating autism with the MMR vaccine in 1998 (amplified by RFK Jr.).
As noted by researchers from Emory University, "Simply put: Vaccination saves lives." Ten historically fatal diseases have been reduced by between 92%-100% since the 20th century; the last known naturally occurring case of smallpox occurred in 1977; and until July 21, 2022, there had been zero cases of polio in the United States since 1993.
It's hard to question the data and facts — millions of lives, especially those of children, have been saved via the millions of dollars invested in vaccination programs in the U.S. and worldwide. That investment can also be measured in the trillions of dollars in return that a healthier society brings.
While the number of individuals not vaccinated because of falsehoods will never be known, research has suggested that an estimated 234,000 deaths could have been prevented among unvaccinated adults during the first 15 months of COVID vaccine availability. Alarmingly, two years into the pandemic, the U.S. had the highest COVID-related mortality rate of any wealthy nation, to some degree a function of its poor overall vaccination rates, especially within vulnerable populations.
More than 1.2 million Americans have died from COVID-19.
Mis/disinformation, aka lies, has done a great disservice to everyone. It undermines the efforts of health care providers and public health professionals to serve individuals and communities. These deceptions are often premised on politics, profit and anti-scientific consensus advocacy. They are presented on media platforms where anyone can say anything and claim to be an "expert." Refuting these statements and their echoes is often too great a hurdle to overcome, as it's difficult to disprove a negative.
RFK Jr. is a leader in conspiracy theories and lies. In addition to his support of vaccines causing autism, as reported recently in the Washington Post, other claims and conspiracy theories he's opined include linking antidepressants to mass shootings, suggesting AIDS is not caused by HIV, associating chemicals to changing children's sexuality and gender identity, and arguing that COVID-19 was "ethnically targeted" to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people.
RFK Jr. is probably best known for his anti-vaccine rhetoric. In a 2023 podcast interview, he said, "There's no vaccine that is safe and effective." He has called the COVID-19 vaccine "the deadliest vaccine ever made" and calls the recommended childhood vaccine schedule "dangerous." Most infamously, he has continued to support the lie that "autism does come from vaccines" referencing the retracted and discredited "research" by Andrew Wakefield, who committed unethical practices, did not disclose conflicts of interest and had his medical license revoked. Unfortunately, this lie continues to resound within the echo chambers of vaccine resistance.
"Health misinformation is a serious threat to public health. It can cause confusion, sow mistrust, harm people's health and undermine public health efforts."
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While it is unknown how many cases of measles, mumps and rubella this rhetoric has been responsible for in the U.S., his disinformation campaign contributed to the devastation on the independent island nation of Samoa in 2019, when a measles outbreak caused at least 83 deaths and almost 1,900 hospitalizations.
It's also notable that the Children's Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group he founded, received $23.5 million in contributions, grants and other revenue in 2022; it's one of four nonprofits engaging in mis/disinformation that together took in contributions of more than $118 million between 2020-22.
Robert Kennedy Jr.'s influence on America's health has already been damaging. But if confirmed to lead Health and Human Services, he could cause enormous harm. The federal agency has a projected budget of $1.83 trillion in fiscal 2025, and it oversees more than 21 agencies, including the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Indian Health Services. He would also serve as the primary adviser to the president, who has already demonstrated his disregard for science and the public's health.
As noted by the U.S. surgeon general, "misinformation has led people to decline vaccines, reject public health measures and use unproven treatments." He adds that it has also led to "harassment and violence against health workers... and other frontline workers tasked with communicating evolving public health measures."
Washington state and Spokane have seen declines in childhood immunizations since 2020, and we're currently experiencing a significant increase in cases of whooping cough, a vaccine-preventable disease. To be clear, there is no question misinformation and disinformation are not "thoughtful discussion" — rather, they are existential threats to the public's health. Don't trust social media to find health information; instead, find credible sources, such as your health care provider. ♦
Bob Lutz is the health officer for Asotin County. He was the health officer for the Spokane Regional Health District from 2017 until October 2020, when he was terminated. He has a wrongful termination lawsuit still pending against SRHD. After leaving SRHD, he worked for the Washington Department of Health until March of 2024.
