Vaccine trials have indeed been carried out utilizing placebo-controlled methodologies, in contradiction to Kennedy's assertions.
Revamped Analysis:
Straight Talkin' on Vax Trials:
Let's rip the band-aid off here: The controversial claim that US vaccines for children have never been tested against inert placebos like saline or water? False.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., US Health and Human Services Secretary, has made this assertion numerous times. But the facts show otherwise.
Kennedy's argument sounds something like this: Only the Covid vaccine has been tested against an inert placebo; all other childhood vaccines haven't gone through placebo-controlled trials. In a statement to Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) in May 2023, Kennedy declared, "We don't understand the risk profile for those products, and that's something I intend to remedy."
But, here's the thing: Dr. Jake Scott, an infectious disease specialist at Stanford University, did his homework. He assembled a team of volunteers to scour medical literature on vaccine trials since the dawn of time (okay, since April 2023) and the results are in: There have been 258 randomized, controlled clinical trials of vaccines. Over half - 153 studies - were placebo-controlled. Of these, 127 used inert placebos.
So, yeah, it looks like Kennedy Jr. was, ahem, inoculated with a healthy dose of misinformation on that one.
Breaking it Down
Now, let's dive a bit deeper into Kennedy's argument. He insists that for a trial to be valid, it must test the vaccine against an inert placebo, provide prelicensing testing, be conducted with large numbers of participants, and take place over extended periods. But, uh-oh, folks: scientific consensus states that randomized, controlled trials are the cream of the crop for high-quality evidence. (And yes, that includes studies with other vaccines as their placebos.) So regardless of Kennedy's personal preference, these standards aren't necessarily a requirement for reliable results.
Crowdsourcing the Truth
Dr. Scott's investigation may have caused HHS some awkward moments – or perhaps not, as the department didn't respond to CNN's request for comment on the new project's findings or clarification on Kennedy's statements. Bet they're twiddling their thumbs right about now.
But, not to worry! Scott shared the results of his study in a publicly posted spreadsheet for all to see. Casting shade over questionable information – just another day in science land!
- While RFK Jr. argues for the need of inert placebos in vaccine trials for reliable results, scientific consensus has demonstrated that randomized, controlled trials – including those with other vaccines as placebos – are considered high-quality evidence in the field of health and wellness and medical-conditions research.
- Dr. Jake Scott, an infectious disease specialist, has diligently debunked misinformation surrounding the usage of inert placebos in vaccine trials by conducting an extensive research on the medical literature, discovering that over half of the clinical trials – 127 out of 258 – employ inert placebos, contributing significantly to new findings and advancements in the realm of science and medical-conditions.
