RFK Jr.’s Misleading Line on the Chickenpox Vaccine

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Speaking earlier Congress, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert. F. Kennedy Jr. misleadingly claimed that Europe doesn’t vaccinate children against chickenpox due to the fact that a survey shows that erstwhile you do, “you get shingles successful older people.” While that is simply a theoretical concern, studies person not borne that retired — and parts of Europe bash vaccinate kids.

Appearing earlier the House Appropriations Committee connected May 14, Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine advocate, refused to definitively accidental erstwhile asked by Rep. Mark Pocan, a Democrat of Wisconsin, whether helium would vaccinate his children against measles.

“For measles? Probably for measles. What I would accidental is my opinions astir vaccines are irrelevant,” he replied. “I don’t privation to look similar I’m being evasive, but I don’t deliberation radical should beryllium taking proposal — aesculapian proposal from me.”

Kennedy besides deflected erstwhile asked astir giving the chickenpox vaccine.

“Again, I don’t privation to springiness advice,” helium said. “I tin archer you successful Europe they don’t usage the chickenpox vaccine specifically due to the fact that the preclinical proceedings shows that erstwhile you inoculate the colonisation for chickenpox, you get shingles successful older people, which is much dangerous.”

Kennedy’s assertion is partially close but doesn’t archer the full story. Some countries successful Europe, including Austria, Germany, Italy and Spain, do routinely vaccinate children against chickenpox. Others bash not, successful portion owed to concerns astir shingles. But determination isn’t beardown grounds that vaccinating children is causing a occupation for older adults.

We contacted HHS to inquire what Kennedy meant by “the preclinical trial” and whether helium was speaking of Europe arsenic a full oregon lone of definite countries, but we did not get a reply.

Photo by mmpile via Getty Images.

As we’ve explained before, some chickenpox and shingles are caused by the aforesaid virus, the varicella-zoster, oregon VZV, virus. Shingles is typically overmuch much terrible than chickenpox, and occurs erstwhile the microorganism reactivates arsenic a effect of declining immunity. This usually happens aboriginal successful life.

Some studies suggest that vulnerability to children infected with chickenpox boosts VZV immunity successful adults and reduces the hazard of shingles. This has led to the interest that vaccinating kids against chickenpox would region those exposures and temporarily rise the hazard of shingles successful older adults. Mathematical modeling based connected that premise projected that successful the archetypal 3 to 5 decades aft implementing regular chickenpox vaccination for children, the frequence of shingles would summation successful older people. After that, however, the complaint of shingles would drastically diminution since the hazard of shingles is higher successful radical people infected with chickenpox.

There isn’t, however, overmuch grounds that adults person been afflicted much by shingles arsenic a effect of pediatric chickenpox vaccination programs. Shingles did dilatory go much communal successful the U.S. implicit time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but the summation began earlier the chickenpox vaccine became disposable successful 1995 and did not escalate afterward. Recently, the bureau says connected its website, shingles rates person “plateaued oregon declined.”

Meanwhile, chickenpox cases person dropped by much than 97%, the CDC notes, with the vaccine estimated to person saved astir 2,000 lives and much than $23 cardinal successful costs by 2020. The chickenpox vaccine also greatly reduces the hazard of shingles successful children. And for adults disquieted astir shingles, fortunately determination is an effectual vaccine, which is recommended for radical 50 years and older.

Given the acquisition successful the U.S., arsenic good different countries, including Australia and Canada, a vaccine advisory committee successful the U.K. decided successful November 2023 to recommend the chickenpox vaccine for each children — a alteration from 2009, erstwhile it determined the vaccine was not outgo effectual due to the fact that the vaccine mightiness summation shingles cases successful middle-aged people.

“It was thought that removing assemblage circulation by vaccinating children would origin a problematic emergence successful shingles for arsenic agelong arsenic 20 years, but a caller semipermanent survey from the USA disproved that theory,” a press release announcing the caller determination explained. “This evidence, combined with caller probe from the University of Bristol that provided caller accusation connected the grade of chickenpox’s interaction connected children and the [National Health Service], opened the doorway for a UK-wide programme.”

The U.K. is slated to statesman specified vaccinations successful January 2026.

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