US Health Secretary alleges vaccine researchers in Denmark of spreading misinformation or propaganda
In a recent turn of events, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Secretary of Health, has faced criticism for attacking the Danish scientific community's vaccine research. Kennedy has called for the retraction of a large 2025 Danish study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, that analyzed data from 1.2 million Danish children and found no link between childhood vaccination, including vaccines containing aluminum, and 50 chronic health disorders[1][3][4].
The Danish researchers involved in the study have strongly rebuked Kennedy's attacks. Anders Hviid, the head of the Department at the State Serum Institute (SSI) and principal investigator on the study, stated that the results showed no indication that the small amount of aluminium used in childhood vaccines increases the risk of 50 different health outcomes during childhood[1].
Kennedy described the Danish study as "so deeply flawed it functions not as science but as a deceitful propaganda stunt by the pharmaceutical industry" and criticized Hviid for accepting funding from the Novo Nordisk Foundation[1]. However, Hviid and his team have stood firm, explaining that none of Kennedy's critiques were substantive and that it is impossible to address some of his main concerns due to the absence of unvaccinated Danish children and legal restrictions on releasing individual-level medical data in Denmark[1].
The Annals of Internal Medicine, a prominent medical journal, has also rejected Kennedy’s request to retract the study. Dr. Christine Laine, the journal’s editor-in-chief, affirmed there was no reason for retraction[1][4].
This is not the first time Kennedy has challenged established vaccine science and infrastructure. He has dismissed all members of the U.S. advisory vaccine committee, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and has a history of calling into question the safety and effectiveness of vaccines[5].
The Danish research study, which was first reported last month, found no association between aluminium in childhood vaccines and 50 different health conditions, including autism, asthma, and autoimmune diseases[2]. The findings of the study reaffirm the safety of Denmark's childhood vaccination program.
[1] The Washington Post
[2] SSI Press Release
[3] Annals of Internal Medicine
[4] The Lancet
[5] The New York Times
- The Danish researchers, in response to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s criticism, emphasized that their study found no indication that the small amount of aluminum used in childhood vaccines increases the risk of various health outcomes.
- In the face of Kennedy's allegations, the Annals of Internal Medicine, the journal that published the Danish study, affirmed that there was no reason to retract the research.
- Despite Kennedy's calls for a retraction, the Danish study, which found no link between aluminum in vaccines and 50 chronic health disorders, has reaffirmed the safety of Denmark's childhood vaccination program.
