Fluoride, vaccines and food dyes are part of RFK Jr.’s plan to ‘Make America Healthy Again.’ What do experts think?

On By Littum

President-elect Donald Trump said that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would have a “big role in health care” within his administration and that he would allow Kennedy to “get lost” in his appointed position and “do pretty much whatever he wants.” And on Wednesday, Kennedy said he would cut “ entire departments” of the Food and Drug Administration. But what does that mean for the American people? Here’s what you need to know about the former presidential candidate’s ideas on health and what experts think about them.

Kennedy told MSNBC on Wednesday that he has “never been anti-vaccine,” but his track record suggests otherwise. He took up a position in 2015 as president of an organization called Children’s Health Defensewhich puts vaccines as its first concern on its website. The organization questions the health, safety and effectiveness of childhood vaccines and has filed lawsuits alleging that children have been harmed by vaccinations. Kennedy has also reinforced false claims that vaccines cause autism, and was considered one of the “Disinformation Dozen” responsible for spreading 65% of false claims about gunfire online from the Center for Countering Digital Hate.

He now insists that he is not “going to take away anyone’s vaccines” and will “make sure that the scientific safety studies and efficacy studies are out there and that people can make individual judgments about whether that product is going to be good for them. “

This personal choice approach may sound benign, but it doesn’t work very well when applied to infectious diseases. When people decide whether to get their children or themselves vaccinated against an intangible, eradicated disease such as measles or polio, “it’s a catch-22,” Dr. George Benjaminexecutive director of the American Public Health Association, tells Yahoo Life. “The reason why you don’t see that disease is that (people are) vaccinated, and that’s enough herd immunity around you, that if someone gets the disease, it doesn’t spread.”

The number of childhood vaccinations has already fallen below the recommended levels for herd immunity against diseases such as measles and whooping cough (also known as whooping cough) in many states, as the proportion of parents choosing not to have their children vaccinated via exemptions has increased. And as fewer children have been immunized, more outbreaks of these diseases have appeared. “While it is critical for people to have access to accurate safety information and to make informed decisions, … allowing broad individual opt-outs may lead to a weakening of these societal protections.” Dr. Jerome Adamswho served as surgeon general during Trump’s first term, Yahoo Life reports. Currently, each state sets its school vaccine requirements, but they are based on recommendations from federal health authorities.

According to the latest available data from Center for Disease Control and Health Preventionapproximately 63% of the US population received fluoride in their drinking water by 2022. Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in certain foods and helps promote strong bones and teeth. Dentists treat teeth with fluoride, and the mineral is found in most toothpastes. Its addition to drinking water is credited with reducing cavity rates by between 25% and 35% for both children and adults.

Fluoride was added to the American community’s water supply in the 1940s. In the many decades since, fluoride has become conspiracy theory and misinformation fodder. Days before the election, Kennedy repeated unproven claims that “fluoride is an industrial waste linked to arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders and thyroid disease” on X. He also said that “on January 20, the Trump White House will advise all US water systems to remove fluoride from public water.”

Kennedy walked back that claim in his MSNBC interview Wednesday, saying he would not force anyone to remove fluoride from drinking water. But, he added, “I think the sooner it goes out the better,” and suggested he would warn water districts of their “legal responsibilities” if they chose to leave fluoride in their water systems.

In practice, fluoridation is a practice dictated by state and local governments. “While the federal government can set recommendations, it cannot directly mandate or prohibit the use of fluoride in public water systems,” Adams says. But, he adds, the White House and the secretary of health and human services can influence local policies through funding allocations, recommendations and public announcements. Eliminating fluoride entirely, as Kennedy claims the White House will do, “could cost the United States billions in additional health care costs because of the increased need for dental care,” Adams says.

Kennedy promised in a statement Wednesday to give “entire departments” of the FDA. Specifically, he called out the “nutrition department,” which he says is “not protecting our kids. Why do we have Froot Loops in this country that (contain) 18 or 19 ingredients, and you go to Canada and there’s three?” (For what it’s worth, Kennedy acknowledged that only Congress has the authority to eliminate federal agencies).

While Kennedy did not explain why this was a top issue for him in his MSNBC interview, he wrote in September a video on YouTube that sheds some light on the subject. Referring to Cap’n Crunch cereal and Doritos, he opined that “it’s no coincidence that Americans die earlier than Canadians or Germans or Japanese or Koreans or Australians or most other comparable countries,” referring to rising rates of obesity and cancer. To be clear, there is no evidence that food dyes or additives themselves are deadly or cause cancer, although researchers are investigating the relationship between highly processed foods, obesity and disease.

“While RFK Jr. raises some valid concerns about the ingredients and additives in our food supply, particularly the use of artificial food colors and preservatives, the broader proposal to eliminate regulatory departments such as the FDA’s Division of Nutrition is misguided,” Adams says. “With regard to food additives, while there is increasing public concern about certain ingredients, many of these concerns are being addressed through existing regulatory processes. The The FDA regularly reviews the safety of food additives based on new science and research.”

Kennedy’s stated goal is to “Make America Healthy Again,” but can he achieve it? Most health policies, including water fluoridation and vaccine requirements, are under the purview of state and local governments. But if Kennedy’s beliefs are translated into policy or messages, there could be real consequences. The hope, however, is that the incoming administration will “prioritize the welfare of the public,” Adams said.