Vaccines —

RFK Jr. ends presidential bid as vaccine opposition persists

Rare viruses reignite vaccine and pandemic conspiracies.

RFK Jr. ends presidential bid as vaccine opposition persists

Rare viruses reignite vaccine and pandemic conspiracies.

An anti-vaccine figure aiming for federal influence and a rare viral outbreak in Massachusetts dominated online conversations about vaccines this week. Vaccine opponents were enthusiastic about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspending his presidential campaign and having a prospective position in a potential future Trump administration. Meanwhile, some Massachusetts communities faced backlash after instituting a voluntary curfew to curtail the spread of a mosquito-borne illness that causes brain swelling. Finally, over the weekend, a former federal health official’s West Nile virus diagnosis resurfaced the debunked claim that COVID-19 vaccines weaken the immune system, making people more susceptible to disease.

Regionally, vaccine conversations centered on whooping cough, school vaccine exemptions, and a COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness study.

Insights brought to you by the reporters and science writers of Public Good News (PGN), a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to improving community health.

On Friday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Donald Trump. The anti-vaccine figure appeared alongside the former president, who vowed to collaborate with Kennedy on a panel of “experts” to investigate chronic disease and childhood illnesses. Both Kennedy and his running mate have insinuated that Trump may appoint Kennedy to his administration. Vaccine opponents celebrated the possibility of Kennedy fighting the so-called “chronic disease epidemic,” which they claim is caused by childhood vaccines and big pharma “poison.” Some viral posts called for Kennedy to be appointed head of the FDA, while others advocated for dismantling “corrupt” health agencies, including the NIH, FDA, and CDC. In the midst of his dropout, Kennedy has continued to promote anti-vaccine talking points and conspiracy theories, including releasing a video to “set the record straight” on his vaccine stance. The video focuses on side effects and allegedly vaccine-related injuries and deaths, claiming that these issues are ignored.

Massachusetts health officials announced on August 16 that a human case of the rare and potentially fatal viral infection Eastern equine encephalitis had been detected in Worcester County. A horse and mosquitoes in the region also tested positive for the virus, leading officials to raise the risk level in surrounding communities to high and issue a voluntary dusk-to-dawn curfew in several towns. The state issued similar guidance for EEE outbreaks in 2005, 2012, and 2019 without issue. This year, however, some residents and online commentators are protesting the voluntary curfew, claiming it is unnecessary government overreach and fearmongering. One post attempted to connect the latest EEE case to Bill Gates, claiming that the billionaire uses genetically modified mosquitoes to spread disease. Another post suggested that the state’s guidance is a plot to steal the election, claiming that EEE stands for “Early Election Emergency.”

After news broke over the weekend that former NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci was hospitalized with West Nile virus, some vaccine opponents recycled the myth that COVID-19 vaccines are depleting people’s immune systems. Some social media posts speculated that the more vaccine doses a person has received, the higher their risk of contracting COVID-19 and other illnesses. None of these posts provided sources to support this claim. A popular Spanish-language post claimed that only vaccinated people get West Nile virus or mpox.

Read the fact checks:

What’s happening in the Northeast:

In an August 22 op-ed in a Hartford, Conn., newspaper, a mother shared her experience of losing her infant son to whooping cough. The mother notes that the majority of children who die from the disease are unvaccinated, including her son who was too young to receive the vaccine when he died. She emphasizes that these deaths were preventable and encourages Connecticut parents to vaccinate their children and themselves against whooping cough to protect children who are too young to be fully vaccinated. The article garnered some positive attention on social media as people promote back-to-school immunizations.

What’s happening in the South:

In an August 25 social media thread, a physician with a history of promoting vaccine myths accused the Florida Department of Health of an undisclosed conflict of interest due to a reported $1.8 billion “COVID-19 cooperative agreement” with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC. The post describes the agreement as COVID-19-related and emphasizes that it began in 2019, insinuating that the entities had prior knowledge of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of August 28, the post has received over 100 responses, with many accusing the Florida health department of accepting bribes to institute “draconian” pandemic policies.

What’s happening in the Midwest:

A March 2024 Cleveland Clinic study is making the rounds on social media by vaccine opponents claiming that the risk of COVID-19 infection increases “dramatically” with each vaccine dose. One post claims that the vaccines were not designed to protect but to “injure and kill.” The observational study of health care found that the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine provided moderate protection against COVID-19, but protection waned as new variants emerged. The researchers also observed that health care workers with more vaccine doses were more likely to test positive for COVID-19 during the study period. The same research team conducted an analysis of the 2022 bivalent COVID-19 booster with similar results, which they noted may be explained by behavioral differences among more highly vaccinated health workers. Neither study found that COVID-19 vaccination causes increased COVID-19 risk.

What’s happening in the West:

A video circulating online claims without evidence that attendance in California schools is declining because the state does not allow nonmedical vaccine exemptions. The video includes a letter from a father who claims the policy is dangerous to his son, who allegedly has a medical condition that puts him at risk of “any and all vaccinations.” The father claims that doctors have refused to provide a medical exemption for his son for fear of losing their license. Responses to the video encourage parents to homeschool their children to avoid vaccinations. One commenter claims to have left California because of the legislation.

Check out more data on trends in vaccine narratives

Recommendations brought to you by the health communication experts behind Infodemiology.com.

Talking points for public health professionals

Each week, the Infodemiology.com team will provide messaging recommendations in response to some of the trending narratives outlined above. Use these helpful tips when creating content, updating web pages and FAQs, and to inform strategy for messaging about vaccines.

False claims about the alleged health risks of vaccines can increase vaccine hesitancy, especially when such claims come from a public figure. Emphasizing that decades of research have found no link between routine immunizations and any chronic illness or developmental disorders is recommended, as is highlighting how anti-vaccine advocates circulate this persistent myth to discourage vaccination. Messaging may explain that vaccines are an important part of pediatric care that protects children from deadly and debilitating diseases.

Preventative measures during disease outbreaks can be controversial, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Messaging may emphasize that public health guidance—such as encouraging people to stay indoors when they are most likely to be exposed to disease-carrying mosquitoes—can prevent a deadly outbreak. Talking points may explain that it is the job of health officials to monitor disease outbreaks, alert the public of risks, and develop guidance and policies to reduce the spread and impact of infectious diseases.

Vaccine opponents have been circulating the myth that COVID-19 vaccines weaken the immune system for nearly as long as the vaccines have existed. Debunking messaging may emphasize that there is no evidence from scientific studies or real-world data to support this claim. Emphasizing that COVID-19 vaccines train the body to recognize and fight COVID-19 is recommended, as is highlighting research showing that COVID-19 infection can cause lasting damage to the immune system.

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