In The Politics of Autism, I analyze the myth that vaccines cause autism. This bogus idea can hurt people by allowing diseases to spread. Examples include measles, COVID, flu, and polio. A top antivaxxer is HHS Secretary RFK Jr. He is part of the "Disinformation Dozen." He helped cause a deadly 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa. Last year, he lied about it under oath.
Since Trump took office in 2025, the U.S. has recorded more confirmed measles cases than in the previous 20 years combined.
With more than two months to go in 2026, the US has already DOUBLED its 2025 total.
Patrick Temple-West at The Financial Times:
Kennedy’s emphasis on healthy eating has been widely popular, but his vaccine scepticism contrasts with roughly 80 per cent of Republicans who have expressed confidence in childhood vaccines, said Republican pollster Whit Ayres.“When he is casting aspersions on the safety of vaccines, it’s running against the overwhelming belief in America that we have been blessed with a medical miracle,” Ayres said.“It just runs overwhelmingly against the strongly held view of public opinion and does not help the [Trump] administration.”...Texas Republican attorney-general Ken Paxton, who is running in a tight race for a US Senate seat, has been one of the most vocal Republican candidates to align with Kennedy against vaccines. Earlier this year, Paxton started investigating healthcare companies for possibly paying doctors illegally to dole out vaccines.Last year, two children died from measles in Texas.
