RFK Jr. resurrects an old antivax half-truth about “saline placebos” in randomized controlled trials of vaccines
The article debunks the antivaccine misinformation campaign by Aaron Siri and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. They cast doubts on the safety and efficacy of vaccines by contesting the use of placebos in clinical trials.
Siri misrepresents the toxicity of vaccine ingredients, using the example of sodium phosphate, whose harm at high doses is misleadingly extrapolated to the minuscule amounts used in vaccines. His deceptive tactics also extend to other vaccine components like polysorbate-80.
However, safety sheets for these substances refer to risks with substantial doses, not the tiny amounts found in vaccines.
The article also emphasizes the importance of ethical considerations in clinical trial designs, which sometimes requires using existing vaccines as controls instead of saline placebos.
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