RFK Jr wants all new vaccines to have placebo controlled trials, meaning that some kids may get a fake version of a vaccine during the clinical trial. Many vaccines already have had placebo controlled trials such as the COVID-19 vaccine in 2020. Newer vaccines that are built off of previous ones such as combination vaccines like MMR, updated boosters for influenza or COVID-19, or adding serotypes to previous pneumonia (streptococcal pneumoniae) vaccines use active-comparator and immunobridging studies which are safe and scientifically valid methods to make sure they are safe and effective.

Should ALL new vaccines be tested against a placebo? Not always! Here’s why that can be unethical:

If a proven vaccine already exists, giving someone a placebo means withholding protection and putting them at risk. That’s a clear violation of medical ethics.

Ethical trials require clinical equipoise, meaning that there is real uncertainty about which option is better. No one should be deliberately left vulnerable to serious illness.

Placebo-controlled trials can be dangerous when safer alternatives already exist.

Forcing placebo use across the board isn’t science—it’s recklessness disguised as “gold standard science.”