None of 72 Children’s Vaccines Tested with Placebo
- regarding the number of vaccines children receive and the testing protocols used have been widely refuted by medical experts and fact-checkers.
- As of April 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children under 18 receive vaccinations for 19 different diseases.
- Many of these vaccines, such as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, hepatitis B vaccine, and annual influenza vaccine, are recommended for nearly all children.
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RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Claims Debunked: A Look at the Facts
Table of Contents
- RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Claims Debunked: A Look at the Facts
- RFK Jr. and Vaccine Claims: Your Questions Answered
Claims made by Robert F.Kennedy Jr. regarding the number of vaccines children receive and the testing protocols used have been widely refuted by medical experts and fact-checkers. Kennedy’s assertions,particularly the claim that children receive 72 vaccines untested against placebos,misrepresent established scientific and medical practices.
As of April 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children under 18 receive vaccinations for 19 different diseases. The exact number of doses can vary based on individual health factors, maternal vaccination history, and state requirements.
Many of these vaccines, such as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, hepatitis B vaccine, and annual influenza vaccine, are recommended for nearly all children. Others, including those for dengue fever, mpox (monkeypox), and Meningococcus B, are targeted toward specific at-risk groups.
State vaccination requirements can differ,with some states establishing stricter health mandates or allowing exemptions for religious or philosophical reasons.
The “72 Vaccines” claim: A Misinterpretation
Kennedy’s assertion about 72 vaccines stems from counting each individual dose as a seperate vaccine.In a 2020 debate, he stated that children receive “72 doses of 16 vaccines.” While the CDC’s recommended vaccine schedule may involve approximately 50 doses by age 18 (including annual flu shots and maximum dose options), this figure does not represent 72 distinct vaccines.
Placebo Testing: Separating Fact from Fiction
Kennedy has also claimed that none of the childhood vaccines have been tested against a placebo.This is demonstrably false. the Food and Drug Governance (FDA), the agency responsible for regulating and approving vaccines in the U.S., requires clinical trials that often include placebo groups.
Numerous childhood vaccines, including those for hepatitis B, chickenpox, rotavirus, and COVID-19, have undergone placebo-controlled trials. These trials compare the vaccine’s effectiveness against an inert substance to determine its efficacy.
In some instances,new vaccines are compared against existing,approved vaccines rather than placebos. This approach is considered ethical by organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and medical experts, as it avoids withholding potentially life-saving protection from study participants when effective alternatives already exist. The MMR and pneumococcal vaccines, for example, were tested against other approved vaccines.
The Persistence of Misinformation
kennedy has repeatedly made claims about the “72 vaccines” and the lack of placebo testing since at least 2019,continuing to spread this misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic and his presidential campaign. These claims have been widely debunked by news organizations, fact-checking groups, and medical experts.
This persistence illustrates the “illusory truth effect,” a psychological phenomenon where repeated exposure to a statement, even if false, can increase its perceived credibility.Research indicates that misinformation, when repeated frequently, is more likely to be believed and shared.