Between May 2 and 4, information spread on Facebook (1, 2, 3), claiming that Dr. Anthony Fauci, former head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, admitted that inadequate research had been conducted on the safety of childhood vaccines. Users shared a screenshot of an article titled “Fauci admits none of the 72 mandatory childhood vaccines were ever safety tested.”
Identical information was also disseminated by Russian-language Facebook accounts in December of last year.
It is not true that Anthony Fauci admitted childhood vaccines do not undergo proper safety testing. Dr. Fauci himself denied this claim. The source of the misinformation is The People’s Voice, a U.S. publication known for spreading conspiracy theories. The article does not provide any evidence of Fauci making such an admission. Instead, it cites a public statement by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who claimed that Fauci’s attorney admitted the lack of relevant studies.
On December 3, 2024, The People’s Voice published an article titled “Fauci admits none of the 72 mandatory childhood vaccines were tested for safety.” However, the outlet does not provide any evidence supporting Fauci’s alleged confession and bases its claims solely on public remarks of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Robert Kennedy gave a speech on May 6, 2023, at Hillsdale College, which The People’s Voice uses as the article’s main source. In his speech, Kennedy said that he had long argued none of the 72 mandatory vaccines for children had undergone safety testing. Fauci, according to Kennedy, denied this and promised to send him the relevant studies, but Kennedy said he never received them. As a result, Kennedy sued Fauci. The article does not include the claim that Fauci admitted inadequate research was conducted on childhood vaccines. However, it includes Kennedy’s claim that Fauci’s attorney told him that they do not have studies on the safety of mandatory childhood vaccines.
Anthony Fauci denies the claim that he acknowledged the 72 mandatory vaccines for children had not been properly tested for safety. In written communication with the U.S. fact-checking platform Lead Stories, he stated that this claim is not true. Additionally, a spokesperson for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said, “All vaccines for children and adults that are licensed in the United States are supported by well-controlled clinical trials that have established their safety and effectiveness, and the FDA continues to monitor their safety using different surveillance systems after they are marketed.”
In the U.S., vaccines are initially studied by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They primarily test new vaccines on animals. After this, the FDA conducts the next stages of testing, which can include human participants. Clinical trials for vaccines typically involve three phases: safety assessment and dosage determination (involve 20 to 100 volunteers), monitoring side effects and immune response (hundreds of volunteers), and evaluating the vaccine’s effectiveness (thousands of volunteers).
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is known for his anti-vaccine views, which are often criticized by the scientific community. He has repeatedly claimed that vaccine safety is not properly verified, and advocated for placebo-controlled testing of vaccines. A placebo is an inactive substance that looks and tastes the same, and is given the same way as, the active drug being tested. As for a placebo-controlled trial, it usually involves two groups: one receives the placebo and the other the test drug. By comparing the results of the two groups, researchers determine the new drug’s effectiveness and side effects. Kennedy’s view is criticized (archived) by scientists. Health experts say placebo control is a well-known method in medicine, and vaccines for new pathogens are often tested this way. However, they argue Kennedy’s push to use this method for already-approved vaccines is both unethical and unclear. Specifically, they point out that participants in placebo trials do not receive existing, proven vaccines. Furthermore, experts stress that vaccines do undergo appropriate testing, and radical policy shifts could undermine public trust in already approved vaccines.
While in office, Anthony Fauci was frequently targeted by disinformation campaigns. Such claims were usually related to his activities. Myth Detector has fact-checked a number of suspicious claims about him.
About the Source:
The People’s Voice is an internet TV outlet known for spreading conspiracy theories and suspicious claims. It was founded in 2013 by David Icke, a former BBC sports commentator. In a 1991 press conference, Icke declared himself “the son of God” and claimed the world would soon end. Over the years, he developed numerous conspiracy theories. His key belief is that the world is ruled by a shape-shifting lizard illuminati. The People’s Voice routinely publishes false information, as Myth Detector has verified multiple times.
One of the Facebook users spreading the claim about Fauci is Tamuna Tamo, who writes about health-related topics and has previously shared false information. Myth Detector has also fact-checked several of her posts.
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