RFK Jr. Appoints Vaccine Misinformation Ally to Health Department Role, Drawing Sharp Criticism

In a move stirring widespread concern within the medical and scientific communities, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has appointed Lyn Redwood, a longtime vaccine skeptic and former president of the controversial organization Children’s Health Defense (CHD), to an unspecified position at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The appointment was first reported by The Washington Post and later confirmed by a source familiar with the matter, although Redwood’s exact title and responsibilities remain undisclosed. An HHS spokesperson, Andrew Nixon, declined to comment.

A Controversial Figure at the Heart of U.S. Health Policy

Redwood has long been a leading figure in the anti-vaccine movement. As president of CHD—founded by Kennedy himself—she has promoted disproven theories linking vaccines, particularly those containing the mercury-based preservative thimerosal, to autism.

In a 2024 podcast appearance with Kennedy, Redwood again claimed her son’s autism was caused by mercury exposure from childhood vaccines—a belief that flies in the face of decades of scientific consensus.

“Thimerosal was removed from all routine childhood vaccines in the U.S. out of an abundance of caution,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Infectious Diseases. “Many studies have demonstrated that it is safe and has no association with neurodevelopmental disorders.”

Controversial CDC Presentation Raises Red Flags

Redwood is expected to speak at the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting on Thursday, using a presentation that has already raised alarm. The presentation initially included a citation of a 2008 study that, according to its supposed author, does not exist.

“To the best of my knowledge, the study in rats referred to in the planned CDC presentation by Lyn Redwood… does not exist,” said Robert F. Berman, professor emeritus at the University of California Davis. “None of my research has made any statements about possible thimerosal effects on microglia in the brain or resulting in neuroimmune effects.”

The citation has since been removed from the revised version of Redwood’s online presentation.

This development comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to reiterate that thimerosal—which is now only found in about 4% of U.S. flu shots—has been thoroughly studied and deemed safe. The Institute of Medicine concluded in a comprehensive 2004 report that there is no causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism.

“The CDC and independent researchers have consistently found no evidence linking thimerosal to autism,” reads a CDC public health statement.

Public Health Experts Sound the Alarm

The inclusion of Redwood at the federal level has alarmed many vaccine policy experts and health officials who fear that her influence could undermine public confidence in vaccines and threaten U.S. immunization rates.

“It is troubling that Redwood may now have an official role within HHS and will potentially be in a position to interfere with official messaging about vaccine safety,” said Fiona Havers, a 13-year CDC veteran who worked on vaccine policy.

Other experts worry about the practical consequences of casting doubt on the safety of thimerosal. If thimerosal is further restricted or removed from even the small share of flu shots in which it’s still used, vaccine supply could drop, especially in vulnerable populations.

“Any decrease in the number of flu vaccines available will likely result in fewer people being vaccinated and, subsequently, more hospitalizations and deaths,” O’Leary warned. “Its removal could also signal to the general public unwarranted safety concerns.”

Politics, Science, and a Growing Divide

Redwood’s appointment is emblematic of the ongoing tension between the Biden-to-Trump-era federal health framework and the Kennedy administration’s more populist and often controversial approach to public health.

While RFK Jr. has long been a critic of pharmaceutical companies and vaccine mandates, his critics argue that elevating vaccine skeptics to senior roles threatens hard-won gains in public health, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread misinformation about vaccine safety.

With Redwood now potentially playing a role in shaping national health messaging, advocates and scientists are bracing for what could be a new phase of vaccine policy—one where pseudoscience and official government channels dangerously intersect.

Also Read:

• CDC panel to examine vaccine safety messaging amid controversy

• RFK Jr.’s evolving vaccine stance: From outsider to health chief

• How vaccine misinformation spreads—and how to stop it