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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

RFK Jr. Minimizes Measles Outbreak in Texas

RFK Jr. Minimizes Measles Outbreak in Texas

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., head of the Department of Health and Human Services, downplayed the seriousness of an ongoing measles outbreak in Texas, falsely claiming that people had been hospitalized “mainly for quarantine” and misleadingly stating that the situation is “not unusual.” The Texas outbreak is already larger than any single outbreak last year and has led to the first measles death in the U.S. since 2015.

FactChecking RFK Jr.’s First Interview as HHS Secretary

FactChecking RFK Jr.’s First Interview as HHS Secretary

In Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first interview as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, he made multiple incorrect or misleading statements, including about seed oils, an abortion drug and the notion that the U.S. has the “sickest population in the world.”

RFK Jr. Cites Flawed Paper Claiming Link Between Vaccines and Autism in HHS Confirmation Hearing

RFK Jr. Cites Flawed Paper Claiming Link Between Vaccines and Autism in HHS Confirmation Hearing

In his second day of confirmation hearings, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, refused to say that vaccines do not cause autism — despite a large body of evidence showing there is no link. He also pointed to a flawed paper to suggest that there is credible evidence to claim vaccines cause the disorder.

Whoppers of 2024

Whoppers of 2024

Our annual roundup of the worst falsehoods of the year.

Fox News Commentator Had Aggressive Cancer Before COVID-19 Vaccines Were Available

Fox News Commentator Had Aggressive Cancer Before COVID-19 Vaccines Were Available

Fox News health commentator Dr. Kelly Powers was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in July 2020, months before COVID-19 vaccines were made available in the U.S. But social media posts are baselessly linking her death on Dec. 4 to the vaccines. There is no evidence that the vaccines cause or worsen cancer.

Sen. Mullin’s Misleading Vaccine Testing Claim

Sen. Mullin’s Misleading Vaccine Testing Claim

Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s suggestion that vaccines might cause autism because “there’s not been a direct study on each individual vaccine” misunderstands what’s known about autism, the extensive research on the subject and how science works.

Trump Embraces RFK Jr.’s Views on Vaccines, Fluoride

Trump Embraces RFK Jr.’s Views on Vaccines, Fluoride

In the waning days of his campaign, former President Donald Trump has further embraced some of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s incorrect or controversial views on health, including vaccines and fluoride.