President Kennedy said he could not prove that the flu shot damaged his speech, but believed it was a “potential culprit.”
RFK Jr. hasn’t had a flu shot since 2005. Here’s why:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hasn’t had a flu shot since 2005 and blamed the vaccine for his voice condition.
WASHINGTON – Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told USA TODAY that he stopped administering the flu shot in 2005 over concerns about side effects, including suspected damage to the voice.
Kennedy, 71, said he got a flu shot every year until the mid-1990s. But he said he stopped taking them permanently in 2005 as he became more aware of possible side effects.
President Kennedy’s speeches often sound strained and choppy due to a condition called paroxysmal dysphonia, also known as laryngeal dystonia. He could not prove that the flu vaccine was the cause of his symptoms, but said it was one potential reason.
“That’s why my voice is a mess,” Kennedy said on Jan. 16 in an exclusive interview for USA TODAY’s series “Extremely Normal.” “Do I know if it’s because of the flu shot I get every year? I don’t know. It’s possible. I can’t rule out a potential cause. I can’t prove it.”
The Dystonia Medical Research Foundation says the vaccine does not cause the condition and can actually prevent some forms of dystonia.
This anecdote is one reason President Kennedy is pushing for more research into vaccine side effects. He said that even after vaccines were approved with warnings, the extent of side effects and the number of people who would suffer from them remained unclear.
“We should have that data, but we don’t,” Kennedy said.
He denied being against vaccines.
“I’m never anti-vaccine. I’ve said that thousands of times,” Kennedy said. “My concern is that we need to do proper safety testing of the vaccines so that people understand the risks and so do we.”
