RFK Jr. declares war on “corrupt” medical journals controlled by Big Pharma, announcing government scientists will be banned from publishing in established publications like The Lancet and JAMA.
Key Takeaways
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to prohibit federal scientists from publishing in major medical journals he claims are corrupted by pharmaceutical industry influence.
- The government will develop NIH-backed journals to publish taxpayer-funded research, potentially establishing a new standard for medical publishing.
- Kennedy has removed COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women, working with NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary.
- The initiative is part of the broader Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda, seeking to restore trust in medical institutions after pandemic-era policies.
- Critics warn this approach could isolate American research and undermine scientific credibility.
Breaking from Big Pharma’s Influence
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has unveiled a sweeping plan to reform how government-funded medical research is published, directly challenging what he describes as corruption in prestigious medical journals. Kennedy’s initiative targets publications like The Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine, and JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), which he claims have fallen under the influence of pharmaceutical companies. This bold move represents a fundamental shift in how federal scientific research will be disseminated to medical professionals and the public.
“We’re probably going to stop publishing in the Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and those other journals, because they’re all corrupt,” said Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Creating Government-Backed Alternatives
Rather than relying on established journals, Kennedy proposes developing government-run publications through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The secretary believes these new journals would gradually gain credibility and recognition, potentially becoming the gold standard for medical research publication. According to Kennedy, the current system effectively allows private interests to control which government-funded research reaches the medical community, creating a conflict of interest that undermines public health priorities and scientific integrity.
“It is anointing you as a good, legitimate scientist,” Kennedy said, describing how publication in current major journals functions as a system of validation that he believes has been compromised by pharmaceutical industry funding.
Reforming Vaccine Recommendations
The journal publication reform comes alongside significant changes to vaccine policy, particularly regarding COVID-19 vaccines. In a joint announcement with NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, Kennedy has removed COVID-19 vaccines from the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women. This policy change represents a direct challenge to previous health guidelines and reflects the administration’s skepticism about certain vaccine recommendations issued during the pandemic.
“I couldn’t be more pleased to announce that as of today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC recommended immunization schedule,” said Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Supporting this decision, NIH Director Bhattacharya added: “That ends today. It’s common sense. That’s good science.” This statement underscores the administration’s position that previous vaccine recommendations may have been influenced by factors beyond strict scientific evidence, a view central to the MAHA initiative’s mission to restore trust in health institutions.
Concerns and Criticism
Critics of Kennedy’s approach warn that isolating government scientists from established peer-reviewed journals could marginalize American research and potentially harm public health. Some medical experts express concern that creating separate publication channels might politicize science and undermine the credibility of government research. Harvard Medical School assistant professor Adam Gaffney has been particularly vocal about potential consequences of this policy shift.
“Banning NIH-funded researchers from publishing in leading medical journals and requiring them to publish only in journals that carry the RFK Jr. seal of approval would delegitimize taxpayer-funded research,” said Adam Gaffney, public health researcher and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.
The Broader MAHA Initiative
Kennedy’s medical journal reform is part of the comprehensive Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda, which aims to address chronic disease problems and investigate potential links with factors such as ultra-processed food consumption and vaccination practices. The recently released MAHA Commission Report focuses especially on improving children’s health in the United States, where chronic disease rates have been rising for decades. These policy changes align with President Trump’s broader vision of reforming federal agencies and challenging established institutional practices.
The initiative represents one of the most significant overhauls of scientific publication policy in generations, potentially redefining how medical research is validated and disseminated. As these changes unfold, their impact on American medical research, public health guidelines, and the global scientific community remains to be seen, but the administration remains committed to its goal of restoring what it views as scientific integrity to medical research and publication.
