05/02/2025

RFK, Jr. Expected to Order Placebo Testing for New Vaccines

Such an action has health experts alarmed

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. intends to shift the way vaccines are tested, a move that the agency said will increase transparency; however, the action is one that medical experts fear could limit access to vaccines and undermine the public’s trust in immunization depending on its implementation.

The potential change outlined in a statement says all new vaccines will be required to undergo placebo testing, a procedure in which some people receive the vaccine and others receive an inert substance — such as a saline shot — before the results are compared.

“All new vaccines will undergo safety testing in placebo-controlled trials prior to licensure — a radical departure from past practices,” an HHS spokesperson told The Washington Post in response to questions about Kennedy’s comments on the measles vaccines and general vaccine policy.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.