Medical journal The Lancet blasts RFK Jr.’s health work as a failure

Source: Ars Technica

Lancet editorial on RFK Jr.’s tenure at HHS

The Lancet’s editorial argues that, as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is “driving” the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “into the ground.” The board states that his “politicization at the NIH, FDA, and CDC is imperiling the future of US science and innovation and throttling the public health enterprise that keeps the country safe today.”

Overhaul of CDC vaccine recommendations

Kennedy has orchestrated an unprecedented overhaul of the CDC’s childhood‑vaccine schedule, a move that has been rejected by more than half of U.S. states. Details of the policy change can be found in the Ars Technica report.

Controversial vaccine trial in Guinea‑Bissau

The HHS under Kennedy granted $1.6 million for a newborn vaccine trial in Guinea‑Bissau. The World Health Organization labeled the trial “unethical,” comparing it to the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study.

Concerns about funding and scientific direction

According to the editorial, HHS under Kennedy has “made a habit of throwing good money after bad science,” elevating “junk science and fringe beliefs.” At the same time, promising research—such as work on mRNA technology—and critical disease‑monitoring efforts (e.g., the surge in measles and pertussis cases) are being abandoned or neglected.

Calls for resignation and accountability

The Lancet joined a broad chorus of medical and scientific voices urging Kennedy’s resignation and calling on Congress to hold him accountable for what they describe as a failure of public‑health leadership.

Kennedy’s response to medical journals

Kennedy has previously attacked top medical journals, including The Lancet, branding them “corrupt” for alleged pharmaceutical‑industry influence—a recurring tactic he uses against critics.