RFK Jr. Sought to Revoke Covid Vaccine Authorization in May 2021, Amid 140,000 Lives Saved

Jan 17, 2025, 10:00 PM

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominated by President-elect Donald J. Trump to lead the nation's health agencies, petitioned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2021 to revoke the authorization of all Covid vaccines. This request came during a deadly phase of the pandemic, when thousands of Americans were still dying weekly. Kennedy's petition, filed on behalf of the nonprofit Children’s Health Defense, argued that the risks of the vaccines outweighed their benefits and claimed that alternative treatments like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine were sufficient, despite these treatments having been deemed ineffective against Covid-19. At the time of the petition, the Covid vaccines were in high demand and considered life-saving, with estimates indicating they had already saved about 140,000 lives in the United States.