HHS to require placebo testing of all new vaccines, raising questions about approval of updated Covid-19 shots
CNN23 hrs
Kennedy's Vaccine Testing Overhaul Sparks Medical Debate
Above: U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a Cabinet meeting April 30, 2025. Image copyright: Jim Watson/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Right narrative
Placebo-controlled trials are the gold standard in scientific testing and are essential for truly understanding vaccine safety. Current testing methods leave significant gaps in our knowledge about potential long-term effects. The only way to determine if a pharmaceutical product is safe is through rigorous double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.
Left narrative
Requiring placebo testing for vaccines for well-understood diseases is unnecessary and potentially harmful to public health. This policy, which obviously continues Kennedy's cynicism about vaccines, could delay critical jabs, leaving vulnerable populations unprotected from preventable diseases. Existing vaccine safety monitoring systems are effective.