Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has once again sparked debate over vaccine mandates, questioning the rationale behind administering the Covid-19 vaccine to children—a group he says was never at serious risk from the virus.
Speaking in a recent interview, RFK Jr. took a direct swipe at both the pharmaceutical industry and federal health agencies, labeling the recommendation to vaccinate children against Covid-19 as “dubious from the beginning.”
“Kids had almost no risk for Covid,” he stated emphatically. “So why are we giving this to tens of millions of kids when the vaccine itself does have profound risk?”
Kennedy pointed to data from Pfizer’s own clinical trials, claiming that it revealed troubling results. “There were about 23% more deaths in the vaccine group than the placebo group,” he said, describing this as a red flag that was ignored in the rush to authorize and recommend the vaccine.
He also compared his stance to that of former President Donald Trump, highlighting that Trump has expressed opposition to mandatory vaccinations. “President Trump doesn’t believe that anybody should get mandatory vaccines,” Kennedy said, aligning their positions on medical freedom.
The controversial candidate—who has long questioned the safety and ethics of certain vaccine policies—stopped short of announcing a formal policy change. However, his comments strongly suggest that, if elected, he would challenge current CDC guidelines and potentially reverse the vaccine mandate for children.
This statement adds fuel to a topic that continues to divide Americans, especially as schools and institutions revisit their health policies in a post-pandemic era. Whether Kennedy’s remarks will translate into political momentum remains to be seen, but one thing is clear—he’s not backing down from one of the most polarizing public health debates of our time.
