Health
Behind R.F.K. Jr.’s Vow to ‘Follow the Science’ on Vaccines
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spent the first day of his back-to-back confirmation hearings deftly avoiding questions about his views on vaccines. On the second day, when a prominent Republican senator insisted there was no link between vaccines and autism, Mr. Kennedy shot back that a new study “showed the opposite.”
“I just want to follow the science,” Mr. Kennedy declared.
Following the science has been a familiar refrain for Mr. Kennedy, whose confirmation as health secretary appears all but assured in a vote expected Thursday. But the exchange in the Senate raises questions about just what type of science Mr. Kennedy is consulting. It foreshadows how, if confirmed, Mr. Kennedy could continue to sow doubts about vaccines.
Academics have pounced on the study that Mr. Kennedy cited during the hearing, shredding it as methodologically faulty and biased. The study emanated from a network of vaccine skeptics who share some of Mr. Kennedy’s views — an ecosystem that includes the author of the study, the editor of the journal that published it and the advocacy group that financed it.
“We authors were delighted and honored that R.F.K. Jr. referred to our work in his confirmation hearing,” the study’s lead author, Anthony Mawson, said in an email. A spokeswoman for Mr. Kennedy did not respond to a request for comment.
Dr. Mawson, an epidemiologist, said he first met Mr. Kennedy at an autism conference in 2017. Mr. Kennedy cites Dr. Mawson’s research 33 times in his 2023 book, “Vax-Unvax: Let the Science Speak.”
His study was rejected “without explanation” by several mainstream medical journals, Dr. Mawson said. So he turned for advice to Andrew Wakefield, the author of the 1998 study, now retracted, that sparked the initial furor over vaccines and autism. Mr. Wakefield encouraged him to submit the study to a new journal called Science, Public Health Policy and the Law.
That publication is led by some notable vaccine critics, including three who headlined a Washington rally in 2022 with Mr. Kennedy to protest Covid vaccine mandates.
As the nation’s health secretary, Mr. Kennedy “would have wide powers to advance his favored research studies, publications, or scientific data,” according to Lawrence O. Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University. Mr. Kennedy’s critics fear that the public will have neither the time nor the training to sort through a war that seems to pit one study against another, and that the result will be a rapid decline in confidence in vaccines.
“The Mawson paper epitomizes Kennedy’s consistent inability to distinguish junk science from reliable information,” said Dr. John P. Moore, professor of microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College, who said that study and some of the others Mr. Kennedy has cited in the past are published by “fringe journals.”
Mr. Kennedy has said that he is not anti-vaccine, but rather in favor of vaccine safety.
“I support the measles vaccine. I support the polio vaccine,” Mr. Kennedy said on the first day of his confirmation hearings. “I will do nothing as H.H.S. secretary that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking it.”
Mr. Kennedy’s insistence that more research is necessary when it comes to vaccine safety has drawn support from some Republicans, who say they welcome his skepticism.
“I don’t understand why my colleagues all of sudden say we can’t question science,” Senator Markwayne Mullin, Republican of Oklahoma, said during one of Mr. Kennedy’s hearings. He added, “When you start looking at the rise of autism, why wouldn’t we be looking at everything?”
But Michael T. Osterholm, an epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota who has advised administrations of both parties, said Mr. Kennedy’s demands for additional data go too far when they concern vaccines and autism. Mainstream scientists say the issue is settled.
“That’s the equivalent of me saying until Newton comes back and shows me that apple falling from the tree, I do not believe gravity exists,” Dr. Osterholm said.
Doctors who have examined the way Mr. Kennedy uses scientific research say he also has a tendency to cherry-pick particular findings from prominent researchers, as he did during a podcast in 2022.
During that appearance, he cited a study published in the journal Pediatrics in 2000 to suggest that improvements in sanitation and hygiene — and not vaccines — fueled a drop in deaths from infectious diseases during the first half of the 20th century. That is true. But Mr. Kennedy failed to note that the study also reported that vaccines introduced in the second half of the 20th century had “virtually eliminated” deaths from diseases including polio and measles.
During one of his confirmation hearings, Mr. Kennedy cited work by a well-known vaccine scientist, Dr. Gregory Poland, to suggest Black people should follow a different vaccine schedule because they needed fewer antigens, the vaccine components that provoke an immune response.
Dr. Poland did not respond to requests for comment. But he told National Public Radio that his work did not support Mr. Kennedy’s assertion.
Mr. Kennedy and Dr. Mawson have long aired similar concerns about vaccines.
In an appearance before the Mississippi legislature in 2009, Dr. Mawson called for more vaccine safety research and “a more flexible approach to vaccination requirements for school attendance.” In a 2011 lawsuit, Dr. Mawson said the testimony had cost him his job as an epidemiologist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
In 2017, Dr. Mawson published a pilot study comparing vaccinated to unvaccinated children.
The study relied on a survey of parents who home-schooled their children and found higher rates of autism among vaccinated children, compared with those who had not been vaccinated. The study was funded in part by Generation Rescue, a nonprofit associated with Jenny McCarthy, a television personality who has promoted claims of a link between vaccines and autism.
Dr. Mawson by that time had established the Chalfont Research Institute, a charity that operates out of his home in Jackson, Miss. The institute reported revenue of just $57 in 2021, the most recent figures available.
In 2019, it received charitable contributions of $160,000, tax records show. The bulk of that money, $150,000, came from the National Vaccine Information Center, a group whose mission includes supporting research on “vaccine-associated deaths, injuries and chronic illness.”
Like Mr. Kennedy, the group’s president and co-founder, Barbara Loe Fisher, has long called for research comparing “total health outcomes” including the risk of autism, in vaccinated and unvaccinated children. When Dr. Mawson approached her group with a proposal, she said, the center reviewed his pilot study of 2017, approved his plan and provided $150,000 in funding.
That money paid for the paper Mr. Kennedy cited at the hearing, during an exchange with Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana and a doctor.
The journal that published the study, Science, Public Health Policy and the Law, advertises itself as peer-reviewed, meaning its research is evaluated by anonymous independent experts before publication. Dr. Mawson said his paper had undergone review by two such experts.
Some people associated with the journal are also associated with Mr. Kennedy.
James Lyons-Weiler, the journal’s editor in chief, described himself as a longtime ally of Mr. Kennedy’s in a yearslong “fight across 20 states” for vaccine exemptions.
“Honored to call him my friend,” he wrote on social media last year.
The journal’s editorial board includes the chief executive and the chief scientific officer of Children’s Health Defense, the nonprofit that Mr. Kennedy led until he began his presidential campaign in 2023.
The board also includes members who sell products or services for people who are concerned about vaccines. One of its editorial board members offers $2,350 telehealth appointments for “post-vaccine syndrome.” Another sells $90 “spike detox” supplements marketed for “vaccine injury syndrome” that is meant to get “you back to that pre-Covid feeling.”
The study by Dr. Mawson that Mr. Kennedy cited at the hearing focused on about 47,000 children enrolled in Florida Medicaid from 1999 to 2011 and looked at billing data to determine their vaccination status.
The study found very few billing records for unvaccinated children with autism — eight who were born prematurely and 54 overall. It concluded that vaccination was significantly associated with higher rates of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, particularly in infants who were born prematurely.
By contrast, large-scale studies in respected medical journals, including an analysis of five studies involving more than 1.2 million children, have found no association between vaccines and autism.
But even as Dr. Mawson’s research took shape, problems emerged. The paper notes that researchers lost access to the database they used to perform the study. Dr. Alex Morozov, an expert on clinical trial design who met with Dr. Mawson to discuss the study, said he viewed that as a red flag.
Dr. Morozov also said the study had a “fundamental flaw”: It failed to account for the possibility that vaccinated children might have more encounters with the medical system than unvaccinated children, whose illnesses would not be captured by billing data.
The study also failed to account for factors like family history of autism, the child’s gender (boys are diagnosed with higher rates of autism than girls) or the possibility that children might have been vaccinated outside the Florida Medicaid system, said Bertha Hidalgo, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Dr. Mawson strongly defended the work, noting that the study “carefully documents both its strengths and limitations,” but contending that critics focused only on the limitations. “Nevertheless,” he said, “further research is needed to replicate the findings and to unravel the mechanisms involved.”
At the Senate hearing, Mr. Cassidy pressed Mr. Kennedy to accept that the vaccines and autism debate was settled. He reminded Mr. Kennedy that he had been shown the study of 1.2 million children that found no link between the two.
“I’m a doc, trying to understand,” Mr. Cassidy said, adding, “Convince me that you will become the public health advocate, but not just churn old information so that there’s never a conclusion.”
To that, Mr. Kennedy replied, “I’m going to be an advocate for strong science. You show me those scientific studies, and you and I can meet about it. And there are other studies as well. I’d love to show those to you.”
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Flu season is among us, and a new strain has emerged as a major threat.
Influenza A H3N2, or the subclade K variant, has been detected as the culprit in rising global cases, including in the U.S.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Neil Maniar, professor of public health practice at Boston’s Northeastern University, shared details on the early severity of this emerging strain.
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“It’s becoming evident that this is a pretty severe variant of the flu,” he said. “Certainly in other parts of the world where this variant has been prevalent, it’s caused some severe illness, and we’re seeing an aggressive flu season already.”
Influenza A H3N2, or the subclade K variant, has been detected as the culprit in rising global cases. (iStock)
The variant seems to differ from prior strains of the flu, with heightened versions of typical symptoms like fever, chills, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat and runny nose.
Subclade K is the “perfect storm” for an aggressive flu season, Maniar suggested, as vaccination rates overall are down and this year’s flu vaccine does not address this specific strain.
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“The vaccine is very important to get, but because it’s not perfectly aligned with this variant, I think that’s also contributing to some degree to the severity of cases we’re seeing,” he said. “We’re going in [to this flu season] with lower vaccination rates and a variant that in itself seems to be more aggressive.”
“There’s a lot of concern that this could be a particularly difficult flu season, both in terms of the total number of cases [and] the severity of those cases.”
Staying indoors during the colder months increases the risk of exposure to winter illness. (iStock)
Because subclade K is “quite different” from prior variants, Maniar said there is less natural immunity at the community level, further increasing the risk of spread and severity.
Those who are unvaccinated are also at risk of experiencing more severe symptoms, as well as a higher risk of hospitalization, the doctor emphasized.
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In addition to getting vaccinated, the doctor recommends washing hands frequently and properly. While the flu can spread via airborne transmission, a variety of other illnesses, like norovirus, can stick to surfaces for up to two weeks, he added.
The holiday season also boosts the risk of infection, as gatherings, large events, and packed planes, trains and buses can expose people to others who are sick.
The flu vaccine can help to prevent hospitalization and reduce severe symptoms, doctors agree. (iStock)
Those who are not feeling well or exhibiting symptoms should “please stay home,” Maniar advised — “especially if you think you are in that contagious period of the flu or any of these other illnesses that we’re seeing … whether it’s norovirus or COVID or RSV.”
“If you’re not feeling well, stay home. That’s a great way to recover faster and to ensure that you’re not going to get others around you sick.”
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For those who are unsure of their health status or diagnosis, Maniar recommends seeing a healthcare provider to get tested. Some providers may be able to prescribe medication to reduce the severity and duration of the illness.
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“It’s important that everyone stays vigilant and tries to take care of themselves and their families,” he added.
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As snow blanketed parts of the U.S. this week, heart health experts have shared warnings of the physical strain shoveling can take — particularly for older adults.
A 2025 Mayo Clinic review found that just 10 minutes of heavy snow shoveling can push the heart to about 97% of its maximum rate. Exposure to cold air was also found to increase blood pressure and reduce coronary blood flow.
While there isn’t an official age that’s “too old” to shovel, some cardiologists recommend that individuals over 45 should exercise more caution to lower their chances of a cardiac event.
When to take caution
“While there’s no strict age cutoff, generally above the age of mid 40s and above, we tend to be a little more cautious — particularly in people who are less active [without] regular exercise,” Dr. Navjot Kaur Sobti, M.D., an interventional cardiologist at Northwell’s Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York, told Fox News Digital.
Heart health experts have shared warnings of the physical strain shoveling can take — particularly for older adults. (iStock)
“Certainly in people who are above the age of 65 — and who have risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity or sedentary lifestyle — we recommend being very, very cautious about shoveling snow,” she advised.
Dr. John Osborne, M.D., a practicing Texas cardiologist and volunteer for the American Heart Association, shared similar guidance for people older than 45, especially males over 65.
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“Unless you are in good cardiovascular shape and conditioned, it may be a good idea to ask someone for help,” he said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
The impact of snow removal is especially concerning for those with existing cardiovascular risks and a history of heart attack or stroke, according to the cardiologist. “People with these characteristics and those who have had bypass surgery or coronary angioplasty simply should not be shoveling snow in any conditions,” he said.
Just 10 minutes of heavy snow shoveling can push the heart to about 97% of its maximum rate, a 2025 Mayo Clinic review found. (iStock)
Osbourne said he often sees cardiac episodes in people who are typically sedentary and sit at a computer most of the day with little or no exercise. “Then once or twice a year, they go out and try to shovel the driveway after a heavy snowfall, and that unexpected exertion can unfortunately lead to tragedy.”
Hidden strain
The stress that is placed on one’s heart while shoveling snow is similar to what occurs during a cardiac stress test, Sobti pointed out, and may even exceed it.
Cold temperatures can cause blood vessels to constrict and blood pressure to spike — which, coupled with existing hypertension and the exertion of lifting snow, can significantly tax the heart, she warned.
“It’s almost like an at-risk person is putting themselves through an unsupervised maximal exertion stress test without a cardiologist actively monitoring them,” Sobti told Fox News Digital.
The stress that is placed on one’s heart while shoveling snow is similar to what occurs during a cardiac stress test. (iStock)
In addition to the exertion of shoveling, frigid temperatures can also strain the heart. Recent research has shown that cold exposure accounts for nearly twice as many cardiovascular deaths as heat exposure, including heat exhaustion.
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That study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine last month, also found that those over age 65 had higher rates of temperature-related deaths.
“So the risk is very, very high,” Sobti cautioned. “It’s really that sudden rise in blood pressure coupled with the physical stress of snow shoveling itself.”
Safer shoveling tips
The cardiologist said it’s ideal to have someone else help with snow removal — but if you do choose to use a shovel, she recommends pacing yourself and using a “pushing or sweeping” motion instead of heavy lifting.
Recent research has shown that cold exposure accounts for nearly twice as many cardiovascular deaths as heat exposure. (iStock)
To protect against the cold, Sobti also recommends covering your mouth, nose and extremities, wearing a hat and gloves, and using extra caution in windy conditions.
Using an automated snow blower can still raise the heart rate — up to 120 beats per minute, compared to 170 while shoveling, the American Heart Association states on its website.
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It is also important to be aware of any symptoms of a potential cardiac issue while shoveling, Sobti emphasized.
If a person starts to experience warning signs such as chest pain, shortness of breath, a racing heart or palpitations, those should not be ignored.
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Even if the symptoms resolve after a few minutes, a person “could still be experiencing symptoms of a heart attack” and should call 911 for evaluation, Sobti said.
“It’s better really to be safe than sorry.”
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More than three-quarters of the global population is falling short on omega-3 intake, a nutrient gap that may increase the risk of heart disease, cognitive decline, inflammation and vision problems.
That’s according to an analysis published in Nutrition Research Reviews, in which researchers from the University of East Anglia, the University of Southampton and Holland & Barrett analyzed omega-3 intake patterns across multiple countries and age groups.
The review found that 76% of people worldwide are not meeting the recommended levels of two omega-3 fats that are essential for heart health: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
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The analysis considered recommendations from global health authorities and assessed how closely populations follow them.
Most adults should aim for at least 250 milligrams of EPA and DHA per day, though actual intake is far lower in many regions, according to the researchers.
A new study found that 76% of people fall short of their recommended omega-3 intake. (iStock)
To explore the health implications of low omega-3 intake, Fox News Digital spoke with Michelle Routhenstein, a New York–based preventive cardiology dietitian at Entirely Nourished.
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Low omega-3 levels can have a noticeable impact on heart health, cognitive function and inflammation throughout the body, the expert confirmed.
Low intake can also increase the risk of heart attacks and sudden cardiac death, she added. It’s also associated with higher triglycerides, irregular heart rhythms and plaque in the arteries.
Most adults should aim for at least 250 milligrams of EPA and DHA per day, researchers say. (iStock)
Inadequate omega-3 levels have also been linked to changes in brain function, including faster cognitive decline, a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and increased rates of depression.
Routhenstein noted that low levels may also worsen inflammation in autoimmune conditions such as psoriasis, and can negatively affect eye health, since omega-3s play a key structural role in the retina.
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To improve omega-3 levels, the expert said it’s important to understand how much is needed and where to get it.
“The richest dietary sources of EPA and DHA are oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, trout and anchovies,” Routhenstein told Fox News Digital.
Oily fish, such as salmon, are among the richest natural sources of omega-3s. (iStock)
Many people benefit from eating oily fish more frequently, often three to four times per week, Routhenstein noted. For individuals who do not eat fish regularly, supplements can help raise EPA and DHA to healthier levels.
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For those taking omega-3 supplements, dosing should be based on lab results, medications, omega-3 levels and overall medical history, according to Routhenstein. Moderate, quality-controlled supplements are generally considered safe for most people.
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There is also some evidence supporting prescription-strength omega-3 products.
“High-dose EPA, such as 4 grams per day of icosapent ethyl, has been shown to reduce major cardiovascular events in certain high-risk populations, while similar doses of mixed EPA/DHA have not consistently shown the same benefit,” Routhenstein said.
Omega-3 dosing should be individualized based on lab data, medication use, current levels and overall medical history. (iStock)
Testing omega-3 levels can also help determine whether intake is adequate. The omega-3 index, a blood test that measures EPA and DHA in red blood cells, is considered one of the most reliable ways to assess status.
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“Levels around 8% are associated with lower cardiovascular risk, while levels below approximately 4% are considered low,” Routhenstein said.
Understanding baseline levels can help guide more personalized decisions about diet and supplementation.
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Those who are unsure about their omega-3 status or whether supplementation is appropriate should speak with a healthcare provider to determine the best approach.
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