18-06-2025
Shocking footage re-emerges of RFK Jr's outrageous claims about vital vaccine that's saved millions
Doctors have lambasted the US' most senior health chief for 'outrageous' claims made about one of the most life-saving vaccines.
In a viral clip that's resurfaced on social media, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Trump's Health Secretary, can be seen suggesting that the polio vaccine killed more people than it saved.
'The polio vaccine contained a virus called SV40. It is one of the most carcinogenic materials known to man,' the 71 year-old said in a filmed interview with computer scientist Lex Fridman, which was originally broadcasted in 2023.
'In fact it is used now by scientists around the world to induce tumours in rats and guinea pigs in lab.
'And now you've had this explosion of soft tissue cancers that kill many many many many many more people than polio ever did.'
The polio jab, which is known to have prevented 1.5million deaths, protects from a killer virus that invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours.
It is thought to have warded off some 20million cases of severe disability.
Reacting to a clip of the interview, which has so far garnered 2.6million views on X (formerly Twitter), Dr Neil Stone, an infectious disease specialist based in London, accused RFK of talking 'nonsense'.
RFK Jr: The polio vaccine 'killed far more people' than the polio virus itself.
— The Intellectualist (@highbrow_nobrow) June 14, 2025
'Remembering this outrageous piece of nonsense from your HHS Secretary,' he wrote.
'To be clear, for those who need the blatantly obvious spelled out to them, the polio vaccine has NOT killed more people than polio itself.'
Other doctors have commented on the X video to say it simply isn't true, including a genetic specialist at Washington University, Professor Mike White.
He wrote: 'This easily disproven lie should be completely disqualifying for a health influencer with no official responsibilities.'
In another comment, paediatrician Dr Carol Kennon called RFK's claims 'completely fallacious.
'Vaccines represent a first rate approach to preventive medicine,' she added. 'Years of vaccine success saving lives is a monumental public health achievement.'
Meanwhile, another medical expert pointed out that the jab has meant that '20 million people who would have been paralysed can walk today'.
'Approximately 1.5 million lives have been saved so far.'
'Globally, all childhood vaccines—including polio—have saved a staggering ~154 million lives since 1974.'
Claims that the polio jab fuelled a 'cancer virus' in millions of Americans have been thoroughly debunked.
The conspiracy stems from an misrepresentation of the contents of a fact sheet put out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) over a decade ago.
In the document, the agency said between 10 to 30 per cent of the 98 million shots administered between 1955 and 1863 were contaminated with the SV40.
But they added that most studies had found no causal relationship between SV40 and cancer in humans, despite small experiments finding a link in laboratory rodents.
In the viral clip, the now health chief elaborated: 'So if you say to me, "was the polio vaccine effective against polio? I'm going to say yes.
'If you say to me, "did it cause more deaths than it averted?" I would say, I don't know, because we don't have the data on that.'
He then said he couldn't be sure of the figures.
Mr Kennedy has recently U-turned on his attitudes towards the jab.
In his first appearance after being nominated by President Donald Trump in December last year, for the position of US Health and Human Services chief, he said he was 'all for' the polio vaccine.
This followed reports that RFK's top advisor, Aaron Siri, was pushing to revoke the polio vaccine's approval.
The health secretary, who is the nephew of JFK, has made a series of bizarre health claims over the years.
This includes that a worm 'ate' part of his brain, chemicals are making children question their gender identity and vaccines cause autism.
Polio is a highly infectious disease, mostly affecting young children, that used to be common all over the world and killed roughly 750 people every year in Britain before the introduction of the vaccine.
The disease itself can spread to the spinal cord, causing muscle weakness and in rare cases paralysis and death.
This led to polio becoming one of the most feared diseases globally by the mid-20th century, paralysing or killing half a million people every year.
Those who survive the disease were often affected for life with deformed limbs that needed leg braces, crutches or wheelchairs.
In some cases, people needed a breathing device like the iron lung that has long been associated with the disease.
A first successful vaccine was created in the 1950s which was followed by several others years later.
The UK was declared polio-free in 2003, while the US was declared polio-free by 1979.
In Britain, the polio vaccine is given to children aged eight, 12, and 16 weeks old as part of the 6-in-1 vaccines.
It also given at three years and four months old as part of the 4-in-1 pre-school booster and at 14 years old as part of the 3-in-1 teenage booster.
The NHS says you need all five vaccinations to be fully protected against polio.
Meanwhile in the US, the CDC recommends children get four doses of the vaccine at two months old, four months old, six to 18 months old and four to six years old.
The vaccine reduced polio cases by more than 99 per cent since 1988—preventing around 20million people from becoming paralysed.
It comes as the health chief outlined plans to ban synthetic food dyes from the US food supply as part of a broader move to chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes.
In response, the company behind Kraft Mac and Cheese and Heinz Tomato Ketchup, Kraft Heinze, announced it will remove artificial colours from its products by 2027.
The company said nearly 90 per cent of its US products are already free of artifical colours or synthetic dyes.
But they have also pledged to not launch any new products with artificial colours in the US effective immediately.
Other products that use these dyes include Kool Aid, Crystal Light, MiO, Jet-Puffed marshmallows and Jell-O (a gelatine dessert).
