Health Secretary will ensure all new vaccines undergo placebo testing

HHS Secretary RFK Jr. plans overhaul of vaccine testing, report says

Robert Besser
05 May 2025, 23:30 GMT+10

Health Secretary will ensure all new vaccines undergo placebo testing

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to change how vaccines are tested, according to a report from The Washington Post this week
The change would mean that all new vaccines must undergo tests, in which some people get the real vaccine and others get a harmless substance (a placebo)
The department did not explain when, how, or to which vaccines the new rules would apply

WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to change how vaccines are tested, according to a report from The Washington Post this week.

The change would mean that all new vaccines must undergo tests, in which some people get the real vaccine and others get a harmless substance (a placebo). The results would then be compared.

"This is a big change from how things were done before," a spokesperson for the department told the newspaper.

The department did not explain when, how, or to which vaccines the new rules would apply.

Reuters said the department didn't respond to their questions outside regular working hours.

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