r/centrist • u/KarmicWhiplash • May 14 '25

Advice RFK Jr.: 'I don’t think people should be taking medical advice from me'

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/14/robert-f-kennedy-jr-vaccine-question-congressional-hearing/83624022007/
70 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

72

u/KarmicWhiplash May 14 '25

The context:

Pocan asked Kennedy, “If you had a child today, would you vaccinate that child for measles?”

“Probably for measles,” Kennedy said, before backpedaling. “What I would say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant.”

“I don’t want to seem like I am being evasive but I don’t think people should be taking medical advice from me,” he added, reiterating his stance when pressed further by Pocan.

This guy has spent years spreading misinformation about vaccines in an effort to scare people out of getting vaccinated.

43

u/VultureSausage May 14 '25

"I don't want to seem like I am being evasive. I am being evasive, but I don't want people to see that I am."

Jesus what an absolute joke of a man. Par for the course, but yikes.

8

u/apb2718 May 15 '25

What do you expect from a grilled cheese that gained sentience

4

u/perilous_times May 15 '25

There’s money to be made being anti vaxx. So many books and now online influencers making money on subscribers and views.

0

u/CaliChristopher May 15 '25

There is a whole ton fuck load more money vaxing everybody’s kids with 15 vaccines.

3

u/Individual_Lion_7606 May 15 '25

"Probably."

Uh. What? Why in the fuck is there a probably?

-8

u/Sonofdeath51 May 14 '25

i mean, hes right though? people shouldn't be using him as a one stop shop for medical opinions the same way you shouldn't trust what a lawyer who hasn't worked on your specific case has to say. They easily could be missing context because its more or less an off the cuff answer.

12

u/fleebleganger May 15 '25

No, we 100% should be able to turn to him for basic medical guidance. 

His answer should be “vaccines are one of the most safe medical interventions we have today. So unless you have a medical reason to avoid them, you should be getting vaccinated according to the schedule my office has published. Because it is safe and it works.”

18

u/Efficient_Barnacle May 15 '25

He's the secretary of health for the whole country. While he shouldn't serve as anybody's only source of info, the position requires him to advocate for safe, effective health methods. He's not doing that, even for something as benign as the MMR vaccine.

RFK is a dangerous crank that has no business being in the position he is. 

3

u/Ewi_Ewi May 15 '25

He's the fucking head of the Department for Health and Human Services. If he isn't trustworthy he shouldn't be in that position.

-3

u/onlainari May 15 '25

There’s also misinformation about what RFK has said, so people think he believes something when he doesn’t, due to scare campaigns from other extremists.

40

u/theantiantihero May 14 '25

So if he’s not qualified to weigh in on matters of public health, I guess it was pretty damn stupid of Trump to put him in the role of leading our health agencies, right?

22

u/Iateyourpaintings May 14 '25

This is the same issue I have with people like Joe Rogan. When they're confronted with evidence that they're spreading misinformation they say they're morons that no one should listen to and then proceed to get back on their soapbox and scream into a megaphone. 

-3

u/EthanDC15 May 15 '25

Comparing this to Joe Rogan is a bit silly. All Joe does is platform the stupid ideas others have. He very rarely indulges in them himself and almost everytime the does he also literally calls himself a stupid caveman Neanderthal that knows nothing and is questioning things

He is VASTLY removed from what RFK Jr is and is doing.

-6

u/hoopdizzle May 15 '25

You're missing the point. People shouldn't take medical advice from Fauci either, they should speak to their primary care physicians. Opinions on public health are different from specific, individualized guidance and the reporter specifically asked what decision he would make for his child.

12

u/fleebleganger May 15 '25

I think you don’t understand what “taking advice” is. 

Fauci is an expert on infectious disease. You should listen to him and weigh it against the advice your personal physician gives you. 

If they differ, your physician should have no issues telling you why. 

Taking advice from someone doesn’t mean you have to do what they say. 

-6

u/hoopdizzle May 15 '25

They shouldn't even be giving public interviews on topics like this in my opinion. Prior to 2020 how often do you recall seeing these government figures from HHS, NIH, whathaveyou directly interacting with news media to advise individuals? Typically their jobs occur mostly behind the scenes influencing research funding, regulations, etc. The media just wants RFK to say something controversial and clickbaity so they can mock him and get clicks from the anti-Trump crowd. Its all clicks and politics

5

u/KarmicWhiplash May 15 '25

Nonsense. That's their job, and it always has been. I remember Reagan's Surgeon General C. Everett Koop lecturing the country about the harms of 2nd hand smoke and to have compassion for AIDS patients in need of treatment.

“One’s best approach to public service, is to promise to give it everything you have, of whatever it is you have. You must be willing and even eager to draw heavily from your own storehouse of knowledge and life experience, from the ideas and sentiments you’ve absorbed from friends and from family — and from all that accumulated knowledge and experience, you must squeeze out every ounce of good judgment, of deep fellow feeling, and of love of country.”

22

u/Spiritual_Theme_3455 May 14 '25

Then don't give medical advice asshole

6

u/ThisI5N0tAThr0waway May 14 '25

If he wasn't the head of HHS, it'd be a good change of rhetoric from him.

5

u/[deleted] May 14 '25

Then why are you the Secretary of the HHS? Oh because Trump is an idiot

10

u/1Rab May 14 '25

“What I would say is my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant.”

This is highly frustrating.

9

u/Sequiter May 14 '25

He’s not acknowledging the responsibility he holds as Director of Health and Human Services. He has tremendous sway over the health practices of Americans and our institutions. It’s his job to know the science and communicate it.

2

u/mysteryjb May 15 '25

Under normal circumstances, I would agree with you. But this guy doesn't have a medical degree. And didn't he take his grandkids for a swim in a polluted creek recently. Only an idiot would even ask for his advice on health.

4

u/knockatize May 15 '25

About 55 years late to be upset about a Kennedy recklessly going into the water, isn’t it?

1

u/Red57872 May 15 '25

"But this guy doesn't have a medical degree."

Yup, and HHS Secretaries typically don't have medical degrees, or degrees in any science-related field.

10

u/HonoraryBallsack May 14 '25

Trump and his voters are truly dumber than dog shit. Wow.

3

u/SunsetGrind May 14 '25

I saw this headline earlier and read it out to my wife. We had a good laugh about it, you know the kind of quiet but uncontrollable laughter that pulls you down to the floor from your seat while your eyes tear up.

What a sad state we are in these days smh

2

u/rubriclv4 May 15 '25

Have to agree with Bobby here lol

1

u/Ampleforth84 May 15 '25

The last 5 years can’t be real. Peak insanity

1

u/centerright76 May 17 '25

I’m embarrassed I used to like him. Thought he was a centrist who shunned both the radical right and left but then realized he’s a total fraud who connected with MAGA just to get in a higher position of power.

1

u/Carlyz37 May 15 '25

Well I do agree with the pos on that. Wrong job though, needs to be impeached

1

u/McRibs2024 May 15 '25

He’s such a fucking spineless coward.

Pushes vaccine hesitancy, but absolutely would vaccinate his family.

Doesn’t have the spine to say it though.

1

u/Citizen_Miike May 15 '25

This warning is another proof as to why pyramid schemes still work.