RFK Jr's brain worm: plausible, but no excuse for decades of harm he's caused

RFK Jr's anti-science disinformation campaign has been long and lucrative

Before we get into it: no one, and I mean no one, should be seriously considering voting for this man for President. He is single-handedly one of the most harmful individuals to our modern society, and, quite frankly, needs to put his tail between his legs and crawl off into the distance.

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And yet, Robert F. Kennedy Jr (RFK Jr) was recently in the news again when it was revealed that he supposedly had a parasitic worm in his brain - and mercury poisoning back in 2010 during divorce proceedings.

The irony of the man who undermined the safety of thimerosal in vaccines (which is metabolized to low toxicity ethylmercury) announcing he had methylmercury poisoning from consuming an excess of seafood… well that’s something.

If you want to read more about mercury and vaccines, head here.

RFK Jr. is the son of Bobby Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy and has benefited from this name recognition. He is a perfect example of notoriety giving the perception of expertise. Before we get into his decades of disinformation, let’s cover his claims of a “brain-eating worm,” which, while plausible, needs to be weighed against his history of pathological lies.

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RFK Jr’s parasitic worm conveniently appeared during divorce proceedings when he was trying evade alimony.

His health issues were revealed during divorce proceedings from his second wife Mary Richardson Kennedy back in 2012. The mercury poisoning and brain worm were used to suggest he had a cognitive impairment which was “diminishing his earning power,” so that he wouldn’t have to pay his ex wife as much in alimony. If you are aware of RFK Jr’s history of lying for his benefit, you can understand why I am suspicious of this.

The recent headlines across media outlets have stated that no one has viewed his actual medical records, so there is no verification of these issues. But let’s assume that there was a real parasitic worm cyst, just for educational purposes:

The most likely candidate would be Taenia solium, commonly referred to as pork tapeworm. In the case of RFK Jr’s claim, he supposedly had a clinical manifestation called neurocysticercosis.

I know a lot of media outlets are saying this was a result of him eating undercooked pork during his international travels, but that’s unlikely. That would be primary hosting, when you consume larvae in undercooked pork from an infected pig. Those larvae develop into adult tapeworms in your intestines, a condition called taeniasis, which is often asymptomatic.

No, to get parasitic cysts in the brain, you have to ingest eggs of Taenia, called secondary hosting. Ingestion of eggs occurs through fecal-oral route: consuming contaminated water or food that had feces containing eggs from an infected animal (pig, another human, etc). After ingestion, the eggs hatch into larvae in the intestine, which migrate through the intestinal wall and spread to other sites in the body.

If the larvae make their way into the central nervous system, they can form fluid-filled sacs called cysticerci. These cysts grow to a certain degree, but then are generally restricted. They don’t develop into an adult tapeworm, but can cause cysticercosis, and, if in the brain, neurocysticercosis.

Did a worm really eat RFK Jr’s brain? Probably not.

RFK Jr claims that his brain worm caused cognitive decline over a period of years, and that his doctors said it “ate” part of his brain.

The most common symptom of neurocysticercosis is seizures: these can be focal seizures or tonic-clonic seizures. Focal seizures can lead to symptoms like confusion, loss of consciousness, etc., whereas tonic-clonic seizures are the ones you see portrayed on TV - also called grand mal seizures. Other symptoms can include headaches, weakness, and cognitive impairment, as a result of the cysts putting pressure on whatever region of the brain they are found in. Cysticercosis is one of the most common causes of seizures worldwide, and is more common in developing nations due to lack of sanitation practices to ensure access to clean water.

Let’s be clear: cysticerci don’t “eat someone’s brain” so you can understand my skepticism. In addition, neurocysticercosis typically does not spontaneously resolve, as RFK Jr is suggesting. Elimination of cysts requires treatment with anti-parasitics like albendazole or praziquantel, and sometimes corticosteroids to reduce brain swelling. In more severe cases, it can even require surgery.

So: did RFK Jr actually have a brain cyst? Who knows? But, based on his life of lies and the convenient timing to avoid alimony payments, I am suspicious.

However, this is a great segue into his history in the public eye, causing irreparable harm to our society.

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While some may know RFK Jr. as a vocal anti-vaccine activist, many don’t know that his anti-science activism is far deeper and widespread than that and makes him millions of dollars every year.

I might argue that RFK Jr. has singularly caused more harm to public health, science literacy, and our ability to develop and implement beneficial and life-saving scientific technologies than any other individual on the planet.

RFK Jr’s foray into anti-science activism began under the guise of environmentalism in the 1980s.

He got his JD in 1982, and was sworn in as the assistant district attorney in Manhattan, but was fired when he failed the bar exam (meaning he could not practice law). He was then arrested for heroin possession, and, as part of his probation from a drug rehab center, he volunteered with National Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

A note: many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have the appearance of advocating from the environment but are deeply rooted in anti-science rhetoric. It is problematic because these NGOs could do a lot of good with the money they bring in, but instead, propagate misinformation and don’t actually implement measures that can help the planet.

He started working with Riverkeeper in 1984, formerly Hudson River Fisherman's Association (HRFA), an NGO that lobbied heavily against modern energy technologies like hydroelectric power and nuclear power, both viewed by scientific experts as being sustainable and environmentally-friendly methods of energy generation. While there, he was a prolific litigator, suing pretty much any company that he personally deemed to be harmful. Did some of what he did regarding pollution benefit society? Sure.

But it laid the groundwork for the public perception of him as a champion of the environment, when in reality, he propagates chemophobia and disinformation.

In 2000, he formed his own law firm, Kennedy and Madonna, which aimed to sue companies under the guise of pollution. It was during that time that his foray into anti-chemical rhetoric expanded beyond pollution.

Starting that same year, RFK Jr also adopted the fallacy that vaccines cause autism, coinciding with Andrew Wakefield’s fraudulent MMR and autism “study” in 1998. At this point, RFK Jr. has a prominent public persona, and the perfect platform to spread claims about the “harms” of chemicals to our health.

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RFK Jr. fomented anti-agricultural disinformation (and made a lot of money from it).

Before we get into the more well-known history, let’s talk about his work in the anti-technology and agriculture space.

I’ve discussed glyphosate previously and the misinformation around it, but I bet a lot of you don’t know that RFK Jr was the orchestrator behind many of the lawsuits alleging links between glyphosate and cancer, when he was working for Morgan and Morgan. Aside from the fact that lawsuits are not scientific evidence, this fed right into his other anti-science beliefs.

RFK Jr. spouts anti-GMO rhetoric that has no science to support it.

RFK Jr. perpetuates falsehoods about the risks of genetic engineering technology and downplays data behind them. True to form, he relies on fear-mongering as opposed to empirical evidence, exploiting the risk perception gap among the public.

He has lobbied against implementation of GE technology, which would actually improve the sustainability of agriculture and reduce environmental impact of farming. These myths that he fabricates erode public trust in biotechnology that could actually help solve environmental challenges he publicly claims to care about. This cognitive dissonance as it relates to genetic technologies is not unique to him, but certainly gets a visible leg up when he circulates it.

RFK Jr. propagates lies about conventional pesticides and promotes organic farming.

RFK Jr’s anti-pesticide messaging extends beyond glyphosate; he promotes falsehoods about the harms of [PESTICIDES], all of which are based in anti-chemical messaging.

He advocates for blanket bans of chemicals he deems harmful without evidence while promoting organic farming. He demonizes synthetic pesticides, yet fails to understand basic chemistry and toxicology while promoting organic farming methods, which still uses plenty of pesticides, many of which are more ecologically damaging.

RFK Jr fails to understand that organic farming is more energy intensive, uses more land for the same yield, and, in a world where we exceed 8 billion people, is not a sustainable path to feed the planet. His lobbying activities undermine science-based regulations and hinders development and implementation of modern science tools that could improve sustainability and stability of our food supply.

While RFK Jr. didn’t create the term “factory farming” he was responsible for popularizing to demonize conventional agriculture, while simultaneously extolling industrial organic agriculture. The irony? Large scale organic farms are indistinguishable from large scale conventional farms when considering animal welfare.

His anti-science beliefs converge with the founding of Children’s Health Defense.

In 2016, around the time he was railing against modern science and technology as it pertained to agriculture, he founded Children’s Health Defense (CHD), which is viewed by scientific experts across all fields to be one of the most prominent and harmful disinformation organizations.

Because, why not? He is making millions every year filing frivolous lawsuits against other corporations, why not expand the reach and exploit people’s concern for their health and well-being?

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Operating under the guise of advocating for children's health, Children’s Health Defense spreads dangerous falsehoods that endanger children’s health instead.

CHD is directly responsible for eroding trust in safety and benefit of vaccines and instilling fear about other topics such as fluoride, foods, over-the-counter medications, and more. Claims made by CHD and RFK Jr have been repeatedly disproven by the body of scientific evidence.

However, just like his current political tactics, he undermines actual scientific experts and regulatory agencies through fear-laden and emotionally charged articles, filled with clickbait and unfounded statements.

CHD brings in millions of dollars each year through concerted attacks on science and public health. The profits fund the subsequent distribution of disinformation and filing of unsubstantiated lawsuits with no scientific basis.

If you go to the CHD website, it is FILLED with the same fear-laden claims I am debunking all the time. Where do you think many of the people on social media get this misinformation from in the first place? Yep, Children’s Health Defense.

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RFK Jr. is considered one of the biggest sources of anti-vaccine disinformation.

CHD is one of the biggest perpetrators of anti-vaccine ads around the world. CHD and RFK Jr work alongside other prominent anti-vaccine activists to target public health initiatives, spread misinformation, and profit off of it. Disinformation from CHD is a primary culprit for declines in routine vaccination rates and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illness.

RFK Jr. accelerated the adoption of the myth that vaccines are linked to autism, particularly among his celebrity connections here in the US, starting as far back as 2000. He also claimed that thimerosal, an antimicrobial, was to blame for autism.

RFK Jr. exploited anti-vaccine and anti-biotech messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic. He made million spreading COVID-19 disinformation and was banned from social media due to the dangers of his lies. CHD brought in nearly $16 million in 2021 alone by exploiting the pandemic to spread COVID-19 disinformation.

RFK Jr is one of the Disinformation Dozen and a Pandemic Profiteer, individuals who, globally, who exploit anti-vaccine disinformation and make the most money off it.

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RFK Jr is single-handedly to blame for the deaths of countless children.

Anti-vaccine fallacies spread by RFK Jr contributed to a 2019 measles outbreak that sickened thousands and killed 82. In July 2018, two infants in Samoa died after measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations as a result of medical error: MMR doses were mixed with anesthetic instead of water.

RFK Jr used this tragedy as an opportunity to spread lies about MMR vaccines. He traveled there to meet with other anti-vaccine activists and discourage vaccination. MMR vaccine rates in Samoa plummeted from 74% in 2017 to 31% 2018 due to this messaging. If you recall from my piece on measles, the lower the vaccine rates, the higher the risk of outbreaks.

A measles outbreak began in October 2019. RFK wrote to the Samoan Prime Minister urging him to halt vaccine mandates and undermine the importance of MMR vaccines.

By the end of the outbreak in December 2019, when 94% of the population had been vaccinated:

• 3% of Samoa was infected

• 20% of infants under 1 year got measles

• 1 in 150 babies died

• and 91.4% of deaths were in kids <15.

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RFK Jr. consistently spreads health disinformation and makes millions off it.

Even his own family condemns his actions and behaviors. RFK Jr. propagates numerous other dangerous anti-science fallacies, bigoted beliefs, and conspiracy theories:

• He denies HIV causes AIDS but rather, a 'gay lifestyle' and using poppers (amyl nitrite) are the cause.

• He denies germ theory of disease and insists infectious diseases aren't a threat to our health.

• He claims vaccine research is to blame to the 1918 flu pandemic and for HIV.

• He asserts the water supply is filled with chemicals that are turning kids trans.

• He has spread the myth that 5G & Wi-Fi break down the blood-brain barrier to leak ‘toxins’ into the brain and cause cancer.

• He states vaccines cause allergies & chronic illness, in addition to them causing autism and being dangerous.

• He claimed Bill Gates was going to insert tracking chips in COVID-19 vaccines to link to your bank account.

• He alleges a myriad of substances are 'toxic' and are causing chronic illnesses and cancer without evidence.

• He argues mass shootings are linked to anti-depressants.

None of these are true.

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Andrew Huberman, Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, and Aaron Rodgers are all buddies with RFK Jr.

In news that will surprise almost no one, RFK Jr. and Andrew Huberman work out together at Gold’s Gym. Andrew Huberman also publicly commented that he was looking forward to RFK Jr. being platformed by Joe Rogan, again. And yes, RFK Jr has reciprocated, publicly amplifying Huberman’s content during his political machinations.

Aaron Rodgers publicly rejected science-based vaccines and espoused homeopathic nosodes during the COVID-19 pandemic. And Rodgers, who has no qualifications aside from being a public figure, is on RFK Jr’s shortlist for VP candidates in his ongoing 2024 Presidential run.

All of these individuals, plus Elon Musk, publicly targeted scientist-physician Dr. Peter Hotez, who has put his personal safety on the line defending evidence-based science as a vaccine researcher and science communicator for decades.

Dada Vaswani, an Indian spiritual leader, said it well:

Beware of the company you keep. See that you associate with the right type of people.

RFK Jr. has had a long and decorated history of propagating anti-science disinformation and making money off of it.

He is not a friend to the environment, he does not care about your health or the health of your family, and he is not someone to be trusted.

He is one of the greatest dangers to public health and science and everyone must be aware of this.

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Thanks for joining in the fight for science! 

Thank you for supporting evidence-based science communication. With outbreaks of preventable diseases, refusal of evidence-based medical interventions, propagation of pseudoscience by prominent public “personalities”, it’s needed now more than ever. 

Your local immunologist,

Andrea