How Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Policies Could Impact Health Inequities

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will likely have a considerable impact on American public health over the next four years, given his nomination to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services under President-elect Donald Trump. The president-elect said he would let Kennedy “run amok on health care.”

His views on vaccines are particularly concerning because they could lead to huge health disparities across the United States.

RFK is a known vaccine skeptic and has repeatedly claimed that childhood vaccines can lead to autism. This association has not been proven based on evidence-based studies. Childhood vaccination rates,which have already declined in recent years due to misinformation, vaccine hesitancy, and access issues, will likely worsen if RFK continues to question their effectiveness.

The decline in childhood vaccination rates threatens herd immunity and will ultimately allow the resurgence of diseases that were thought to be eradicated. This is already happening in some cases, such as measles. The disease was declared eradicated by the United States in 2000, but due to declining vaccination rates among children, 283 cases of measles have already been documented nationwide, and the majority in unvaccinated children. according to the CDC.

Many, if not all, of these cases could be prevented through childhood vaccination and herd immunity. Herd immunity refers to the protection afforded to a population against contagious diseases when a certain percentage of a population is protected against a disease through vaccination or prior exposure. For measles, this requires a 95% vaccination rate.

RFK’s vaccine rhetoric will undoubtedly lead to more vaccine hesitancy among Americans, which will invariably threaten herd immunity. Americans who will suffer most from a lack of herd immunity are those who are less likely to receive vaccines or those who do not benefit optimally from vaccines due to compromised immune functions. These individuals include underserved populations such as those living in rural areas where access to vaccines may be difficult, Black and Hispanic Americans who already have disproportionately lower vaccination rates than white Americans, and those who are not. insured and cannot afford to be vaccinated. CDC Data shows these groups already have lower vaccination rates than many other Americans.

Additionally, patients with weakened immune function, such as those with HIV or cancer patients, will also be affected by a decrease in herd immunity, as their bodies may not mount an appropriate immune response to vaccines, even if They are vaccinated. This means that as vaccination rates for certain diseases decline in America, it is these patients who will suffer the most because they are more likely to become infected and even hospitalized as diseases spread.

Declining vaccination rates and herd immunity will invariably affect vulnerable populations, worsening health disparities and inequities that already exist for those who cannot get vaccinated or mount an appropriate response to vaccination . This means they will get sicker and potentially suffer complications from various illnesses. In the case of measles, this could lead to pneumonia, brain swelling and even death.

Even beyond vaccines, RFK’s views and potential policies on fluoride in public water will also worsen health inequities. On his social networks Kennedy wrote: “On January 20, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to eliminate fluoride from public water. » Fluoride is known to prevent and protect individuals from dental caries and tooth decay. Fluoride reduces tooth decay by 25% in children and adults according to the American Dental Association.

Removing fluoride from public water supplies could lead to a sharp increase in oral cavities across America. Additionally, those most likely to suffer are those who cannot afford to go to the dentist, those who live in rural areas who cannot easily access dental offices, as well as underserved communities who do not have the luxury of purchasing fluoridated water. . Research showed that water fluoridation not only reduces cavities, but also decreases socioeconomic inequalities in oral health.

In the modern era where medical misinformation is rampant, public health leaders who rely and lead through evidence-based practices are necessary to protect the health of all Americans. To make America healthy again, we must never forget the millions of Americans who are underserved and have limited access to health care resources.