r/Health • u/theindependentonline The Independent • Mar 03 '25
article Notorious vaccine skeptic RFK Jr finally urges people to get measles jab after deadly outbreak
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/rfk-jr-kennedy-measles-vaccine-texas-hhs-b2707984.html428
u/metzgie1 Mar 03 '25
I’m going to listen to the doctors the already eradicated measles once.
186
u/princesspool Mar 03 '25 edited Mar 03 '25
The "do you own research" generation all got the MMR vaccines and they're preventing their kids from getting them. Imagine holding your child sick and dying with measles and knowing you're immune but your child isn't. Just imagining this scenario makes my blood boil, I'm with you
18
u/UndcvrJellyfish Mar 03 '25
At this point it’s just evolution and selection of the fittest: the smart will live and the dumb will die. Ijdk how else to make sense of what is happening and how to understand it besides looking at it from a bigger perspective.
21
u/AllGrey_2000 Mar 03 '25
But dumb people do have smart kids sometimes
2
u/pridejoker Mar 06 '25
Dumb nice people have smart kids. Shitty dumb people will hobble their own children to shuck off their own feelings of guilt and inadequacy.
3
u/CookieBarfspringer Mar 05 '25
No, it’s not. The concept of “survival of the fittest” is not some wise sky daddy who kills the ones you hate and saves the ones you like. That’s religion.
People don’t succumb to disease based on how “smart” or “dumb” they are. There’s plenty of very intelligent immunocompromised people who don’t deserve to die because some people insist on rejecting science.
4
16
2
2
-8
u/CarnivorousChicken Mar 03 '25
If they eradicated it, it wouldn’t be here
7
u/metzgie1 Mar 03 '25
Bad take, and you know it. We have a vaccine which all but erases it, as you know. But some people and communities are ‘anti-vaccine’, as you know. And they are getting sick. And now vulnerable communities are at risk. We had zero cases of measles in the US recently. Now we don’t. As you know.
3
-2
u/CarnivorousChicken Mar 03 '25
No I don’t know, i know there have been measles outbreaks every year
-5
u/CarnivorousChicken Mar 03 '25
Did RFK tell people not to take measles vaccine?
4
u/metzgie1 Mar 03 '25
Disingenuous statement and you know it.
-7
u/CarnivorousChicken Mar 03 '25
Nah im sorry little liberal it’s far from disingenuous. You are disingenuous because you know he didn’t and are trying to imply he’s to blame because he’s with your daddy, daddy Trump, enjoy
8
u/metzgie1 Mar 03 '25
Nope. He’s anti-vaccine, and sadly has influence over people in his current role. He gives unscientific advice, based on feelings. I guess believing in experts and scientists and education etc makes me a little liberal. Gotcha. Education = bad.
0
u/CarnivorousChicken Mar 04 '25
Americans pay the most for medical care and have the worst outcomes, for all of your science and education,why?
2
u/metzgie1 Mar 04 '25
We have a lot of poverty in this country. And the gap correlates with lower education.
184
u/spazzcat Mar 03 '25
Most likely too late to get these people to get vaccinated.
26
u/No-Needleworker5429 Mar 03 '25
Please recall the COVID messaging: It’s never too late.
10
u/spazzcat Mar 03 '25
Except I'm willing to wager that these people don't have any Covid vaccines either.
120
u/michaelfrieze Mar 03 '25
This guy sucks but hopefully he convinces some unvaccinated people to get the MMR vaccine.
77
u/jazzplower Mar 03 '25
This. Antivaxers aren’t going to convinced by researchers. They’re only going to be convinced by one of their own.
25
u/piperonyl Mar 03 '25
Its almost like he said those things to get publicity.
I remember when they asked if his kids were vaccinated and he was like of course they are.
301
u/ButthealedInTheFeels Mar 03 '25
Stop calling vaccines “jabs” for fucks sake. That’s what the idiot anti vaxxers call them.
80
u/Rocketbird Mar 03 '25
That’s what they call them in the UK
38
13
u/ishamm Mar 03 '25
Nah not really, it's been co-opted largely by antivaxers here
6
u/SarahMagical Mar 04 '25
Ok sure, but it is true that it’s the common term for vaccinations in the UK.
2
u/shepardownsnorris Mar 05 '25
Which, fittingly enough, is also the birthplace of the modern antivax movement.
43
u/Puzzleheaded-Trip990 Mar 03 '25
I'm okay with the British calling them jabs. It's when Americans and Canadians called it that to imply it being forced on them.
-7
u/Tfock Mar 03 '25
I’ve never read it that way. I think this is typical liberal language policing that turns off normies.
18
u/STylerMLmusic Mar 03 '25 edited Mar 03 '25
Words mean things. It's not liberal policing, it's called thinking about what you say.
I promise you, the antivaxxers are very intentionally using the word jab. It's not liberal policing to be aware of why they're calling it as such.
In the same way they called it Obamacare to make stupid people hate it, and so people voted away their ACA.
It's not liberal policing to know what words mean and why they're used. It's stupidity, to think it doesn't matter.
-1
u/Tfock Mar 03 '25
The nurse is literally jabbing you with the shot. That’s the meaning.
Even if you’re right that antivaxxers are trying to associate that word with a negative connotation, that only works if you let it. Stop letting bad people define the terms of how we speak. An example of this is that the Gadsden flag is basically a right wing symbol now despite it being American history. I’ve seen that flying the ‘76 flag is a “Nazi dog whistle”, it’s absurd. Don’t let the worst amongst us rewrite the rules and meanings of everything.
9
u/knightress_oxhide Mar 03 '25
Oh, so you think the word "jab" offends liberals. That is not the case. Whatever I believe about the word jab means nothing to the people who hear "jab" and thinks it is a bad thing.
1
u/STylerMLmusic Mar 03 '25
Have you seen Clerks 2? That dude tried to bring porch monkeys back. Do you recall if it worked?
5
u/Puzzleheaded-Trip990 Mar 03 '25
I'm Canadian and my anti vaxx friends call it a jab. We don't use that term in Canada it's vaccine or shot.
7
u/PerpetwoMotion Mar 03 '25
This is an article from The Independent, a UK newspaper. American newspapers calls them shots, not jabs.
11
u/llama_ Mar 03 '25
Agreed
I’ve said before we shouldn’t refer to their delivery method at all (shot / jab) a vaccine can be oral, it can be a nasal spray, it’s not always an injection
5
u/ButthealedInTheFeels Mar 03 '25
I’m waiting for boofing vaccines rectally
5
u/PerpetwoMotion Mar 03 '25
Go to France- doctors there prescribe rectal and vaginal stuff, and the same prescriptions are oral in other countries.
3
1
u/Sufficient_Loss9301 Mar 03 '25
Seriously, it seems like a lot of infantile language has become common in the public vocabulary and it’s completely ridiculous. We should not be using such childish remarks when addressing serious issues.
161
u/Rocketbird Mar 03 '25
Honestly we should applaud someone changing their mind instead of stubbornly committing to a stance and refusing to adapt in the face of evidence. It’s like a little baby taking its first step.
105
u/alexp68 Mar 03 '25
Sure. If the person you’re referring is John/Jane Public and not the HHS director. This idiot is just that, a fck’ing idiot.
26
39
u/TheTruthDoesntChange Mar 03 '25
No way should the moron be applauded. Waiting for people to be put in danger or die because of his purposeful ignorance and arrogance. He should be jailed.
7
12
u/Admirable-Deer-9038 Mar 03 '25
We have got to let people change their minds. The inability to runs really really deep. Example: kid messes up, kid is told to apologize and fix it, kid does, parents say their forgive kid, but every time down the line parents bring back up that one time kid messed up. What will kid do next time? Adult behavior is deeply rooted in how child did or did not feel safe in presence of adult. We have to first let kid make amends and then not ever bring it back up and we have to let adults change their minds when they admit evidence shows they need to. Lambasting anyone does not work, it just shapes more ego and ever deeper shame.
-1
57
u/Acrobatic_Reality103 Mar 03 '25
If he has come to realize that the measles vaccine has value, does that mean he will change his stance on other vaccines? Of course, this is sarcasm. He will only recommend vaccines after people start to die, and it is too late for them to help.
30
u/friend_jp Mar 03 '25
"vaccine skeptic..." You spelled denier wrong. Skepticism is based on a lack of evidence for something. This Jackass just ignores all the evidence.
9
u/kscouple84 Mar 03 '25
The time to talk about the importance of vaccines was before you flooded the market with anti-vax messages and measles started spreading.
10
u/PedalBoard78 Mar 03 '25
He’s going to get replaced, talking that business. He’s not there to encourage.
18
u/Nanny0416 Mar 03 '25
Who put a gun to his head to make him come out with this statement, a 180 from previous ones? Will he say the same for polio vaccines and others that save lives? I hope so. And too bad it wasn't in time to help the Samoans.
5
u/Real-Philosophy5964 Mar 03 '25
Wow. What a man of science, anti-vax all the way until he looks at the science. Trump’s administration is filled with dumbasses.
20
u/golgi42 Mar 03 '25 edited Mar 03 '25
The CDCs updated Vitamin A recommendations are troubling. Studies show they work to help mitigate the measles infection in extremely deficient children in developing nations. Well guess what, getting all vitamin levels up in these children would help. The same studies do not apply to most if not all children in the US. This is misinterpreting the studies and applying guidance, and I don't like the doctors who are quoted on this saying "well it can't hurt I guess".
This kind of guidance will cause a run on Vitamin A when the outbreak really takes hold. And Joe Rogan listeners will trying pounding it instead of updating their vaccine. This will cause a shortage.
Edit with link to the change:
https://www.cdc.gov/measles/hcp/clinical-overview/index.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/vitamin-a-measles-virus-texas-cdc-what-know-rcna194288
9
u/firsmode Mar 03 '25
Vitamin A is essential for vision, immune function, and skin health, but excessive consumption can lead to toxicity. Here are the potential side effects:
Short-Term Side Effects of Excess Vitamin A
Nausea & Vomiting – Especially after consuming large doses.
Dizziness & Headache – Common in acute toxicity.
Blurred Vision – Due to increased intracranial pressure.
Fatigue & Drowsiness – May cause lethargy or sluggishness.
Irritability – Mood swings can occur.
Long-Term Side Effects (Chronic Toxicity)
Liver Damage – Over time, high doses can cause liver toxicity and fibrosis.
Bone Fractures & Osteoporosis – High vitamin A intake can weaken bones.
Hair Loss – Chronic excess consumption can lead to thinning or loss.
Dry, Peeling Skin – Similar to retinoid (vitamin A derivative) side effects.
Birth Defects – Excessive vitamin A during pregnancy can cause fetal malformations.
Hypercalcemia – Can lead to calcium buildup in soft tissues.
Recommended Limits
Adults: 900 mcg (men), 700 mcg (women) per day.
Upper Limit: 3,000 mcg per day for adults (from retinol, not beta-carotene).
Toxic Dose: 25,000–50,000 IU daily for months can cause toxicity.
Sources of Vitamin A
Retinol (preformed vitamin A) – Found in liver, dairy, fish oils.
Beta-carotene (provitamin A) – Found in carrots, sweet potatoes, and leafy greens (less risk of toxicity).
7
4
u/HealthGent Mar 03 '25
Not sure antivaxxers are going to trust the man they trusted because he was antivax.
3
u/PiperArrow Mar 03 '25
"Notorious door skeptic finally urges farmer to close door after horses stolen."
5
u/jackparadise1 Mar 03 '25
What a tool. Nice that he came around, be nicer if he could have prevented the suffering and death. But he is still a tool.
6
u/tsdani11 Mar 03 '25
These pathogens have evolved to kill you or your child or loved one. Not have a debate about when they will infect you.
That said, RFK’s lack of transparency and direct communication, to those he is supposed to serve, to get vaccinated has possibly cost innocent lives to be lost.
If after being presented the information you then decide to still believe to not be vaccinated, that is your choice. But you should recognize the risk you present to yourself, or those you act as a guardian for but also own up to the responsibility to not put others that you do not know at risk. Therefore by going about life interacting as if you are not a potential carrier of something that may kill someone else is irresponsible or at least that is my opinion.
There may be medically valid reasons why you shouldn’t get vaccinated but still realize if that is the case, just like the fact that you, that individual, does not want to get sick or compromise your fragile health balance you should realize the need to isolate or take precautions such as mask wearing to prevent others from getting an illness from you.
Appreciate your willingness to hear others opinions including mine.
2
3
u/Wuzzupdoc42 Mar 03 '25
Now let’s get him to allow the experts to develop our flu shot for this year
4
u/PophamSP Mar 03 '25
I wish everyone would stop using the word "jab"!
17
u/golgi42 Mar 03 '25
Dude its a UK publication, that is what a "shot" is called there.
0
u/Both_Painting_2898 Mar 03 '25
Anti-vaxxers in US call vaccines the “ jab”
7
u/golgi42 Mar 03 '25
Well a whole nation doesn't need to change a term that has been around for decades because of some idiots in the US.
0
u/Both_Painting_2898 Mar 03 '25
Never said they did … just explaining why folks in US take issue with it 🤷🏻♀️
7
u/Unhappycamper2001 Mar 03 '25
Jab is a term used in England and probably some other places.
1
u/PerpetwoMotion Mar 03 '25
Now that Trump has declared English as the official language of the USA, maybe Americans can start to learn English.
2
u/tickandzesty Mar 03 '25
That man had blood on his hands from what he did in n Belize. But, being a Nazi I suppose that didn’t count.
2
u/Admirable-Deer-9038 Mar 03 '25
Absolutely cannot stand the guy and also appreciate anyone who is willing to change their stance when all evidence shows they need to.
2
2
1
1
1
u/SlinkySlekker Mar 04 '25 edited Mar 04 '25
He vaccinates his own kids. His anti-vaccine stance was a type of cognitive-dissonance pandering. He immediately recognized he’d be blamed for this, and did the right thing.
Don’t get used to it. He’s still a liar & a con, just like the rest.
Except he’s one of the few in that heinous administration who understands the long look they’re getting, from historians. Self-serving to the end, is my guess.
1
1
u/SciencedYogi Mar 04 '25
Yes, so... He was using the debunked narrative of the vaccine causing Autism Then the HHS spokesperson abruptly resigns Then he starts touting the vaccine. Got it. 👌
1
u/Pablo_Hassan Mar 04 '25
WHAT? as a non doctor, it turns out he didn't know what he was talking about?
1
1
u/GreenConstruction834 Mar 07 '25
Notorious anti- vaccine charlatan and 14-year heroin addict, RFK. There. Fixed it.
1
1
1
1
-1
u/androk Mar 03 '25
Sort of, but eating well is best for not being sick. Never mind that measles don’t care if you’re a healthy 4 year old
-7
Mar 03 '25
[deleted]
11
u/Alon945 Mar 03 '25
Stop listening to them. They have no arguments backed by science or data. It’s just vibes and bunk studies on autism.
Diverse opinions aren’t by default a good thing.
6
u/murderedbyaname Mar 03 '25
The diverse voices should only be between actual educated medical professionals, not educated medical professionals vs a bunch of anti vaxxers, respectfully.
0
0
-4
Mar 03 '25
Reverse psychology... watch liberals refuse the vaccine now.
0
u/29187765432569864 Mar 03 '25
liberals will only get vaccinated in the left arm, not the right arm.
-30
u/Pristine-Today4611 Mar 03 '25
He’s not against all vaccines
38
u/COPE_V2 Mar 03 '25
RFK in July 2023, “There’s no vaccine that is safe and effective.”
6
u/Noressa Mar 03 '25
There is no vaccine that is 100% safe and effective for the entire population, sure. But to say that there is no purpose for them at all? Some people right now get to FAFO.
Bird flu is coming around now and I'm mortified that I'm hearing nothing about a bird flu vaccine, timeline, or effectiveness from anyone. Give me that vaccine.
12
u/Articulationized Mar 03 '25
We won’t even get a new regular flu vaccine this year because of the current administration sabotaging the process. Don’t hold your breath for a bird flu vaccine.
3
u/Noressa Mar 03 '25
I'm aware. I've got a low but existing idea that some of my family recently had bird flu (symptoms match /r/nursing posts and my family is among the first to get our annual updates at our respective pharmacies) but my mom was still hospitalized for a little over a week and it took my niece about 2 weeks to get her energy back after being laid low by this for a week including 3 days of fever that never quite managed to be enough to send her to the ER.
Working as a nurse I was one of the first in the Austin area to get a shot in December the year Covid came out and still was stressing for months until I could get it for my family. I hate large swaths of this timeline.
1
u/PerpetwoMotion Mar 03 '25
Several years ago I had a friend whose daughter got bird flu. She had a heart transplant, and had a leg amputated.
5
u/Cidlicious Mar 03 '25
In jan they gave funding to moderna to develop a bird flu vaccine and last week they're considering nixing it. So no bird flu vaccine i guess
3
-1
u/Pristine-Today4611 Mar 03 '25
This is what he agrees with and wants more studies of them.
5
u/Noressa Mar 03 '25 edited Mar 03 '25
This is rich coming from the group that is literally stopping research studies from getting grant funding at the moment, and has for the last month+ now, in addition to trying to change the terms of how funding can be allocated in direct opposition to the legislation passed on 2018 stating any changes to funding allocations must be passed through Congress, and there are two lawsuits currently going to court over the administration's attempts as of mid February.
If that's what he wanted he should be allowing it to happen. Not literally halting the ability to post meetings for discussion which is a legally required step, so that no funding is able to be discussed. Or was that not part of his pretty sound bite.
Hahaha, looks like the freezes are partially undone, as of 5 days ago it was partially lifted but as of 3 days ago several of the major universities that do research are still saying that while their initially granted funding is starting to be restored, they haven't seen anything on new grants. The NIH is asking for "incrimental" reinstatement of requests which in the last 5 days I've seen only 50 apparently sent to be looked at. If you've never been in research, 50 is a laughably low number. Research in America is effectively dead in the water right now.
37
27
u/tenderooskies Mar 03 '25
i saw a video of him where he said he would not vaccinate his children for mmr of born today bc there’s no need. he’s a grifter and will say whatever’s convenient.
-8
u/Pristine-Today4611 Mar 03 '25
Yea that’s one vaccine.
7
u/tenderooskies Mar 03 '25
bro - he literally has said he thinks vaccines cause autism. what are you even talking about? also - its 3. MMR is measles, mumps and rubella. so no, its not 1.
he's also an AIDs skeptic. dude is about as anti-vax as you can be. he just likes to obfuscate it whenever asked about it by the media point blank so he doesn't sound like the kook that he is.
His anti-vax stance directly led to ~80 kids in Samoa dying...so congrats to your hero
1
u/Noressa Mar 03 '25
Oh but you see, those kids are in another country. Their country should be caring for them, not ours. /s
→ More replies (1)
-1
u/Puffin_fan Mar 03 '25 edited Mar 03 '25
Hint
He is not a skeptic
He is a front man for the death camps in Europe
Just like his uncle and his Granpa
Family tradition
-3
u/mad_titanz Mar 03 '25
Didn’t RFK Jr claim that there’s many measles outbreaks? What a freaking liar.
•
u/AutoModerator Mar 03 '25
Bot message:
Help make this a better community by clicking the "report" link on any comment made by any anti-vaxxers or any other user that breaks the sub's rules. Thanks!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.