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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Q&A on Changes to Recommendations for Combined MMR and Chickenpox Vaccine

Q&A on Changes to Recommendations for Combined MMR and Chickenpox Vaccine

On Sept. 18, the vaccine advisory committee for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to change its recommendation on the combined vaccine for chickenpox and measles, mumps and rubella, called the MMRV vaccine. We spoke to experts about claims made at the meeting as well as the implications of the vote.

Trump Administration’s Problematic Claims on Tylenol and Autism

Trump Administration’s Problematic Claims on Tylenol and Autism

In a Sept. 22 press conference that he had billed as “one of the biggest [medical] announcements … in the history of our country,” President Donald Trump touted an unproven link between autism and the use of Tylenol, or acetaminophen, during pregnancy.

Repeated Falsehoods at Autism Press Conference

Repeated Falsehoods at Autism Press Conference

An hourlong press conference about autism was filled with false and misleading claims about the condition and vaccines from President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., many of which we have written about before.

Rural Health Fund Falls Short of Estimated Medicaid Cuts

Rural Health Fund Falls Short of Estimated Medicaid Cuts

In the battle over how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act affects rural hospitals, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has touted a five-year $50 billion fund as “an infusion of cash” that will “restore and revitalize” rural communities. But his statements ignore the higher estimated Medicaid spending cuts to rural areas under the law.

The Facts Behind Claims on Autism, Tylenol and Folate

The Facts Behind Claims on Autism, Tylenol and Folate

News reports have indicated Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may point to Tylenol and folate deficiency in his promised announcement on the causes of autism. But neither Tylenol nor folate deficiency has been shown to cause autism. Some evidence has pointed away from Tylenol as a risk factor.

COVID Vaccines Are Harder to Get, Despite Claims from HHS, RFK Jr.

COVID Vaccines Are Harder to Get, Despite Claims from HHS, RFK Jr.

Heated exchanges between some senators and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a Sept. 4 hearing amplified confusion about the availability of COVID-19 vaccinations for the fall, with Kennedy misleadingly claiming that “anybody” can still get a vaccine. HHS policies have created roadblocks to vaccine access.

RFK Jr. Cherry-Picks and Misuses Data on Aluminum-Containing Vaccines

RFK Jr. Cherry-Picks and Misuses Data on Aluminum-Containing Vaccines

A large Danish study recently provided reassurance that aluminum-containing vaccines are not associated with increased rates of chronic health conditions in children, including autism. But Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. misrepresented the study’s findings, claiming that the paper’s supplementary data “shows calamitous evidence of harm.”

RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Court Spin

RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Court Spin

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. misrepresented the country’s compensation program for those who are harmed by vaccines, alleging that it’s biased and corrupt and falsely claiming that a person can’t sue a vaccine company “no matter how negligent they are.” He also incorrectly said there is “zero incentive” for vaccine companies to produce safe vaccines.

RFK Jr. Justifies Cuts to mRNA Vaccine Projects With Falsehoods

RFK Jr. Justifies Cuts to mRNA Vaccine Projects With Falsehoods

In justifying the government’s termination of $500 million in funding for mRNA vaccine projects, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. falsely claimed mRNA vaccines “fail to protect effectively” against COVID-19 and suggested they are unsafe. The mRNA shots saved millions of lives during the COVID-19 pandemic and have shown promise against influenza.