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January 21, 2026<\/p>\n
2 min read<\/p>\n
Add Us On Google<\/span>Add SciAm<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n RFK, Jr.\u2019s assertion that his voice condition is linked to the flu shot is not based in science, experts say<\/p>\n The U.S. secretary of health and human services told USA Today that he believed the flu jab was a \u201cpotential culprit\u201d for his spasmodic dysphonia that he could not \u201crule out\u201d<\/p>\n By Jackie Flynn Mogensen edited by Claire Cameron<\/span><\/p>\n A medical assistant administers a flu vaccine to a patient. So far this season, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the virus has caused at least 18 million illnesses and 9,300 deaths.<\/p>\n Longtime vaccine skeptic and U.S. secretary of health and human services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., reportedly believes routine influenza vaccines may have triggered his spasmodic dysphonia\u2014a neurological condition that affects the vocal cords and a person\u2019s ability to speak. But the claim, made in a wide-ranging recent interview with USA Today, is unsupported by evidence, experts say.<\/p>\n Kennedy told the outlet that he stopped getting his annual flu shot in 2005. \u201c[Spasmodic dystonia is] why my voice is so screwed up,\u201d Kennedy said, describing the vaccine as a \u201cpotential culprit that I cannot rule out. I can\u2019t prove it.\u201d<\/p>\n The comments are \u201cone more assault on vaccine confidence,\u201d says Robert Hopkins, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. \u201cWe do not have any known linkage between flu vaccine and voice disorders like this.\u201d<\/p>\n If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.<\/p>\n The exact causes of spasmodic dysphonia are unclear; experts suspect different brain areas may be involved and that the condition may have a genetic component.<\/p>\n The Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, meanwhile, says that there is \u201cno evidence\u201d that vaccines cause the condition. \u201cIn contrast, preliminary research suggests certain vaccinations may actually be protective against certain forms of dystonia,\u201d the organization states.<\/p>\n An analysis of several common flu vaccine brands by MedPage Today found that only one, FluLaval, has dysphonia listed as a potential side effect. That vaccine was approved for use in the U.S. in 2006, after Kennedy said he stopped getting the flu shot. The Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n Listing dysphonia as a possible side effect of that vaccine, Hopkins says, \u201cmeans that there was at least one voice disorder during clinical trials.\u201d That doesn\u2019t constitute proof that dysphonia is linked to the vaccine, he says.<\/p>\n Kennedy\u2019s comments have come amid a particularly severe flu season in the U.S.: so far in the 2025\u20132026 season, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the virus has caused at least 18 million illnesses and 9,300 deaths, including at least 32 children. According to the CDC, an estimated 90 percent of vaccine-eligible children who died of flu this season were not fully vaccinated.<\/p>\n Flu vaccines, like most medications, can cause side effects, but many have been in use for decades and are safely administered to millions of people every year. \u201cThe body of scientific evidence overwhelmingly supports their safety,\u201d the CDC states.<\/p>\n \u201cFlu vaccines are our best tool to reduce everyone\u2019s likelihood of ending up with a severe flu or complications from the flu,\u201d Hopkins says.<\/p>\n If you enjoyed this article, I\u2019d like to ask for your support. Scientific American<\/span> has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been a Scientific American<\/span> subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm <\/span>always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.<\/p>\n If you subscribe to Scientific American<\/span>, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.<\/p>\n In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can’t-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world’s best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.<\/p>\n There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you\u2019ll support us in that mission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" January 21, 2026 2 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm RFK, Jr.\u2019s assertion that his voice condition is linked to the flu shot is not based in science, experts say The U.S. secretary of health and human services told USA Today that he believed the flu jab was a \u201cpotential culprit\u201d for his spasmodic<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42474,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[22379,4255,613,154,516,8041],"class_list":{"0":"post-42473","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-science","8":"tag-dysphonia","9":"tag-flu","10":"tag-heres","11":"tag-linked","12":"tag-science","13":"tag-shot"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=42473"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42473\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/42474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}On supporting science journalism<\/h2>\n
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