RFK Jr. Urges Public Not to Seek Medical Advice from Him Amid Vaccine Debate

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RFK Jr. Urges Public Not to Seek Medical Advice from Him Amid Vaccine Debate

 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., serving as Donald Trump’s health secretary, told Congress this week that the public should not rely on him for health advice, emphasizing that his personal beliefs on vaccines are not meant to guide others. "I don’t want to seem like I’m being evasive, but I don’t think people should be taking medical advice from me," Kennedy said during a House select committee hearing on Wednesday morning.

 

The statement came in response to Representative Mark Pocan, a Democrat from Wisconsin, who asked Kennedy whether, as head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), he would currently vaccinate his own children against measles. The U.S. is grappling with its worst measles outbreak in decades, with over 1,000 confirmed cases and three deaths reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

 

Kennedy replied that he would “probably” vaccinate his child for measles but quickly dismissed the relevance of his opinion. "My personal views are irrelevant," he told lawmakers. Instead, Kennedy said he had tasked Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with creating clear, research-based information outlining both the risks and benefits of vaccines so that the public can make informed decisions. “I think if I answer that question directly, that it will seem like I’m giving advice to other people, and I don’t want to be doing that,” he added.

 

Pocan pushed back, noting, “That’s kind of your jurisdiction.” Kennedy also declined to say whether he would vaccinate a newborn child against chickenpox or polio, further avoiding direct endorsements of any specific immunization.

 

The discussion occurred during a House appropriations committee hearing where Kennedy faced criticism not only for his vaccine stance but also for proposed budget cuts to major health agencies. The administration’s 2026 budget plan includes a proposed $18 billion reduction in funding for the NIH and a $3.6 billion cut to the CDC. Simultaneously, it allocates $500 million for Kennedy’s “Make America Health Again” initiative, aimed at addressing chronic disease in the country.

 

Kennedy argued that U.S. health agencies are handling the current measles crisis more effectively than those in other countries. He also claimed that staffing reductions at HHS had not compromised the agency’s essential programs.

 

His judgment was also questioned earlier in the week after he posted a photo on X (formerly Twitter) of his grandchildren swimming in Washington, D.C.’s Rock Creek Park during a Mother’s Day outing. The creek is widely known for its unsafe water quality due to contamination from raw sewage. The National Park Service (NPS) states on its website that “Rock Creek has high levels of bacteria and other infectious pathogens that make swimming, wading, and other contact with the water a hazard to human (and pet) health.”

 

Despite mounting concerns over public health messaging and transparency, Kennedy maintained that his focus remains on making scientific data accessible to Americans without inserting his personal beliefs into public health policy.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Telegraph  2025-05-16

 

 

[newbee2022]

4 hours ago, Social Media said:

accessible to Americans without inserting his personal beliefs into public health policy.

As long he will decide what will be "accessable" there will be no science results be published but nonsense as usual.👎

[Denim]

4 hours ago, Social Media said:

"I don’t want to seem like I’m being evasive, but I don’t think people should be taking medical advice from me,"

 

Said for the benefit of the idiots out there who already have.

[FlorC]

Smart . So they can't sue him with the typical lefty lawfare.

[Nickcage49]

Oh don't worry. I'm not. I generally don't get my medical advice from wackadoos with a worm in their brain...

[natway09]

Which basically says "I am in the wrong job"

[johng]

6 hours ago, FlorC said:

Smart . So they can't sue him with the typical lefty lawfare.

He is treading the high wire over a minefield...but has  had some success already with the removal of GRAS and fluoridation  we of course await the studies into the

"safe and effectives"

I wish him well in his momentous task.

[Lacessit]

4 minutes ago, johng said:

He is treading the high wire over a minefield...but has  had some success already with the removal of GRAS and fluoridation  we of course await the studies into the

"safe and effectives"

I wish him well in his momentous task.

I'm sure removing fluoride from drinking water will have American dentists applauding, he has probably tripled or quadrupled their income in the next few decades.

Dentists in Hawaii can immediately tell whether patients are from the military base there, or the civilian population.

 

Patients from the military base have far fewer dental caries. It's also the only location where drinking water is fluoridated.

 

Some people will reject such data, no matter how convincing it is. They are like smokers who deny their habit puts them at higher risk of lung cancer.

[johng]

1 minute ago, Lacessit said:

Some people will reject such data, no matter how convincing it is.

The data says fluoride lowers IQ

if you want to use toothpaste with fluoride to reduce cavities then up to you  why force everyone to use it...

my body my choice ha were did that disappear to ?

[newnative]

Or, any other advice, for that matter.

[Lacessit]

40 minutes ago, johng said:

The data says fluoride lowers IQ

if you want to use toothpaste with fluoride to reduce cavities then up to you  why force everyone to use it...

my body my choice ha were did that disappear to ?

Fluoridation of water in Australia is a universal dental health measure.

 

In the USA, it depends on which state you are in. 72% of water supplies are fluoridated.

 

The average Australian IQ is 102.57. The average USA IQ is 99.74.

 

It's very tempting to speculate a ban of fluoride in the USA will make Americans even dumber, but I am content with shooting down your ridiculous claim in flames.

[candide]

1 hour ago, johng said:

The data says fluoride lowers IQ

if you want to use toothpaste with fluoride to reduce cavities then up to you  why force everyone to use it...

my body my choice ha were did that disappear to ?

From studies in developping countries such as India, and for concentrations (found in natural water) which were higher than the concentration applied and monitored for tap water in developped countries. Studies also did not test for other contaminants, which is an issue as water in developing countriesmay be of poor quality on that matter and is often poorly monitored.

https://theconversation.com/is-fluoride-really-linked-to-lower-iq-as-a-recent-study-suggested-heres-why-you-shouldnt-worry-247093

[johng]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

The average Australian IQ is 102.57. The average USA IQ is 99.74.

 

So your claim is that fluoridation increases IQ  ???

[Denim]

15 hours ago, Lacessit said:

The average Australian IQ is 102.57. The average USA IQ is 99.74.

 

Apparently,  the average Thai IQ is 102.

 

Makes you wonder what the ' I ' stands for. Must be a lot of budding Einstein s mixed in with the general population. 

[Lacessit]

32 minutes ago, Denim said:

 

Apparently,  the average Thai IQ is 102.

 

Makes you wonder what the ' I ' stands for. Must be a lot of budding Einstein s mixed in with the general population. 

The data I am looking at indicates an IQ of 88-89, with 98.6 in the student population.

[Lacessit]

14 hours ago, johng said:

 

So your claim is that fluoridation increases IQ  ???

Your claim was fluoridation lowers IQ. I have debunked it.

 

Can you post a peer-reviewed study by a reputable journal that supports your claim? Didn't think so.

[Digitalbanana]

If the Health Secretary cannot be trusted for health advice, it undermines public confidence and the administration’s health agenda, implying Trump may have misjudged the appointment. However, Kennedy’s emphasis on transparency in scientific data could align with some reform goals, though it doesn’t fully offset the core issue of his credibility on health matters.

[Denim]

3 hours ago, Lacessit said:

The data I am looking at indicates an IQ of 88-89, with 98.6 in the student population.

 

I just looked at a random google link :

 

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/average-iq-by-country

[johng]

3 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Your claim was fluoridation lowers IQ. I have debunked it.

Rubbish, you haven't "debunked" anything

where is your "peer reviewed"  study proving fluoridation increases IQ ?

[stevenl]

25 minutes ago, johng said:

Rubbish, you haven't "debunked" anything

where is your "peer reviewed"  study proving fluoridation increases IQ ?

Where is his claim fluoridation increases IQ?

[johng]

9 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Where is his claim fluoridation increases IQ?

 

He seems to think removing fluoride from water will make Americans dumber

therefore I asked if he claims fluoride increases IQ

19 hours ago, Lacessit said:

It's very tempting to speculate a ban of fluoride in the USA will make Americans even dumber, but I am content with shooting down your ridiculous claim in flames.

 

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-begins-action-remove-ingestible-fluoride-prescription-drug-products-children-market

 

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced that it is initiating action to remove concentrated ingestible fluoride prescription drug products for children from the market. Unlike toothpaste with fluoride or fluoride rinses, these products are swallowed and ingested by infants and toddlers. They have also never been approved by the FDA. Ingested fluoride has been shown to alter the gut microbiome, which is of magnified concern given the early development of the gut microbiome in childhood. Other studies have suggested an association between fluoride and thyroid disorders, weight gain and possibly decreased IQ."

[stevenl]

6 minutes ago, johng said:

He seems to think removing fluoride from water will make Americans dumber 

Again, where is that claim? 

[Lacessit]

41 minutes ago, johng said:

Rubbish, you haven't "debunked" anything

where is your "peer reviewed"  study proving fluoridation increases IQ ?

I have not claimed fluoridation increases IQ. I have simply illustrated the stupidity of your original statement.

 

You are shifting the goal posts, from fluoride in drinking water to prescription drugs.

 

"Fluoridation" is the term you are using. That term applies to water, not drugs.

 

I have no problem accepting an excess of anything is harmful. Show me a link that says 0.5 mg/L of fluoride in drinking water is.

[johng]

2 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Again, where is that claim? 

Again  can you not read ?

 

20 hours ago, Lacessit said:

it's very tempting to speculate a ban of fluoride in the USA will make Americans even dumber,

 

[Lacessit]

Just now, johng said:

Again  can you not read ?

 

 

Obviously, your understanding of English does not encompass the difference between speculation and a claim.

[bamnutsak]

I'd contact him for Roadkill Recipes or DC's Top 10 'pools', before getting his health advice.

[johng]

5 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Obviously, your understanding of English does not encompass the difference between speculation and a claim.

 

Obviously..so now you say that removing fluoride from the water  will not make Americans dumber ,  thanks for clearing that up for  such a dumbass as me 🤣

[Lacessit]

2 minutes ago, johng said:

 

Obviously..so now you say that removing fluoride from the water  will not make Americans dumber ,  thanks for clearing that up for  such a dumbass as me 🤣

Always happy to educate the less fortunate.

[cjinchiangrai]

22 hours ago, johng said:

The data says fluoride lowers IQ

if you want to use toothpaste with fluoride to reduce cavities then up to you  why force everyone to use it...

my body my choice ha were did that disappear to ?

If you read the label on tooth paste, it says "Active Ingredient: Fluoride". They say that for a reason.

[billd766]

On 5/16/2025 at 8:21 AM, Denim said:

 

Said for the benefit of the idiots out there who already have.

So why is he in that position in the first place?