How a Kennedy became a ‘superspreader’ of hoaxes on COVID-19, vaccines, 5G and moreRobert F. Kennedy Jr. was once an acclaimed environmentalist, but his anti-vaccination advocacy and conspiracy theories have made him a magnet for misinformation in the pandemicIn 2014, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a problem. No one was listening to him.
Despite being the nephew of the 35th president and part of America’s most famous family, Mr. Kennedy Jr. couldn’t persuade U.S. senators to take seriously his concerns about thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative once used widely in childhood vaccines.
Some, such as Bernie Sanders, took his meetings. But ultimately the politicians brushed off his claims that thimerosal caused autism. “I’m completely … alone on this,” the 66-year-old told a reporter from the Washington Post that year.
RFK Jr. – as he is known – is isolated no longer.
The anti-vaxxer, once lauded as a hero because of his decades-long work as an environmental lawyer, has amassed a groundswell of support on social media and is one of the world’s top “superspreaders” of medical misinformation.
An analysis by the news organization Tortoise of more than 145,000 Facebook and Instagram posts containing examples of verified misinformation shows that on both platforms Mr. Kennedy Jr.’s posts have achieved a greater level of impact than anyone else’s.
Who are the super-spreaders? A graphic guide
Like other conspiracy theorists, he has gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic by adapting his anti-vaccine messages to fit the crisis, firing off false allegations against Microsoft founder Bill Gates and about the safety of 5G telecom networks. Since February, Mr. Kennedy Jr.’s social-media support has tripled from 229,000 followers to 665,000 today.
In a rare interview, Mr. Kennedy Jr. was combative.
Speaking from his home in Los Angeles, he accused Facebook and Instagram of censoring him. He attacked the fact-checking platforms that have found many of his posts to be untrue, claiming that they act to protect the interests of Big Pharma. He was resolute in his position that he was protecting public health.
“Does it trouble me that people are angry at me? No, it does not. That’s what I signed on for,” he said.
Mr. Kennedy Jr.’s transformation is symbolic of a broader shift in the United States.
Once-fringe ideas have been promoted to millions of Americans by a President who has given a warm reception to conspiracy theories and is intent on sowing mistrust and confusion.
Donald Trump himself used to be an enthusiastic supporter of the disproven claim that vaccines are linked to autism, and during the pandemic, he has been derided by the medical and scientific community for advocating the use of bleach and ultraviolet light as a cure for coronavirus. In July, Mr. Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr., tweeted a video of a doctor claiming falsely that hydroxychloroquine is the cure for COVID-19. By some estimates, the video was viewed by 20 million people.
These claims are having a measurable effect on public health. Last year, the U.S. suffered its worst measles outbreak in a generation owing to a drop in the number of children receiving the MMR vaccine. The same year, the World Health Organization listed vaccine hesitancy as one of the top 10 threats to global health.
Now, as almost 200,000 have lost their lives to coronavirus in the U.S., a study by two academics has found that 23 per cent of Americans would not be willing to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
During the worst public-health emergency in a century, the stakes could not be higher.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-robert-f-kennedy-jr-medical-misinformation/ De ambientalista a anti-vacinas. Já agora, ele é advogado.