Independent Report – A major U.S. medical journal has firmly rejected a request from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to retract a large Danish study. The study, published in a reputable medical journal. Found no evidence that aluminum compounds in vaccines increase health risks for children. The editor of the medical journal confirmed to Reuters that despite the controversy. There is no scientific basis for withdrawing the study. This decision highlights the journal’s commitment to maintaining rigorous scientific standards and supporting well-conducted research. Even in the face of political pressure.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long been a vocal critic of vaccine safety. He has shaken up the federal government’s vaccine recommendation process since becoming health secretary. His skepticism about vaccines, especially those containing aluminum, is well known. Recently, Kennedy has been reported to consider launching a formal review of vaccines with aluminum ingredients. Claiming that these may be linked to autoimmune diseases and allergies. His public statements and calls for retraction of the medical journal’s published study reflect his ongoing efforts. To question mainstream scientific consensus on vaccine safety.
The Danish study, which was funded by the government of Denmark and published in July in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Used nationwide registry data from more than 1.2 million children over more than twenty years. The research did not find any evidence that exposure to aluminum in vaccines increased the risk of autoimmune disorders, allergic conditions, or neurodevelopmental problems in children.
Experts have praised the study as some of the best evidence currently available regarding the safety of aluminum in vaccines. Adam Finn, a UK-based pediatrician and vaccination expert at the University of Bristol, described the study as “solid” and based on “a massive dataset” with high-quality information.
In contrast, Kennedy called the research “a deceitful propaganda stunt by the pharmaceutical industry.” In a detailed opinion piece published on August 1 on TrialSite News—a website dedicated to clinical research—he accused the scientists who authored the study of intentionally designing it to avoid finding any harm. He urged the journal to “immediately retract” the study.
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However, Dr. Christine Laine, editor-in-chief of the Annals of Internal Medicine and a professor of medicine at Thomas Jefferson University, said there was no reason to retract the paper. She stated in an interview that while the journal planned to respond to criticism about the article on its website. It would not reply directly to Kennedy’s opinion piece because it was never submitted to the journal for review.
Anders Peter Hviid, the lead author of the study and head of epidemiology research at the Statens Serum Institut in Denmark, defended the study in a response published on TrialSite News. He stated that none of Kennedy’s critiques were substantial and firmly denied any suggestion of deceit. Hviid expressed that although vaccine safety studies often attract controversy—especially those concerning autism—he had never before been personally targeted by a political figure like Kennedy.
Kennedy’s criticisms included the absence of a control group, allegations that the study deliberately excluded certain groups of children. Such as those with the highest aluminum exposure—to hide possible links between aluminum and childhood health issues, and that the study did not release raw data for public review.
In reply, Hviid explained that some of Kennedy’s points related to study design choices that were reasonable to discuss. But he refuted the claim that the study was designed to avoid finding harm. He pointed out that the study’s design was inspired by earlier research led by Matthew Daley, a pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente Colorado. Which did find a possible link between aluminum and health problems. Interestingly, Kennedy cited Daley’s study in his own article.
Hviid also explained that there was no control group because in Denmark, only about 2% of children remain unvaccinated. This low percentage makes it difficult to create a meaningful comparison. Additionally, while data is available for qualified researchers. Individual-level data cannot be publicly released under Danish law due to privacy regulations.
Other notable vaccine skeptics, including members of Children’s Health Defense—a group Kennedy once led—have also criticized the study on the Annals website. However, TrialSite News staff defended the study for its large scale, transparency in sharing data, and government funding. They also acknowledged some limitations in the study’s design, which was a view shared by some independent scientists.
Dr. Laine noted that some of the concerns raised by Kennedy reflect acceptable scientific limitations, but these do not undermine the study’s conclusions. She emphasized that there is no evidence of scientific misconduct.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stated that the department had no additional comments beyond what Secretary Kennedy had already expressed.
In summary, despite calls from a prominent political figure to withdraw the research. The scientific community and the publishing journal stand by the study’s findings. This research remains one of the most comprehensive analyses to date demonstrating the safety of aluminum ingredients in vaccines for children.
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