Trump and RFK Jr are dismantling public health—aided and abetted by powerful doctors

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Source: BMJ

Original: http://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj.s19.short?rss=1...

Published: 2026-01-06T07:16:01-08:00

President Donald Trump and Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held press events promoting dangerous health misinformation. Influential doctors stood by them and expressed their support despite the oath to "first do no harm". In May 2025, RFK Jr. announced that the government will no longer recommend the Covid-19 vaccine during pregnancy. This decision ignored the evidence to support vaccination in this group and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommendation that all pregnant and lactating individuals receive an updated vaccine. The wider medical community should address this phenomenon by warning the public against misleading information, emphasizing scientific consensus, and mapping the networks that spread controversial information. The fight against them should include political and legal strategies.