RFK Jr.'s Miasma Theory of Health Is Spreading
3 days ago
- #germ-theory
- #pandemic-preparedness
- #public-health
- NIH officials propose improving baseline health (diet, exercise) as pandemic preparedness, diverging from traditional pathogen-focused strategies.
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promotes a dismissal of germ theory, emphasizing immune system fortification over vaccines and blaming poor nutrition/environment for disease.
- Experts criticize the idea that general health alone can combat pandemics, citing historical examples (1918 flu, smallpox, HIV) where healthy individuals were severely affected.
- Kennedy misuses 'miasma theory' (historically about bad air causing disease) to frame his nutrition/toxin-focused approach, opposing germ theory.
- Germ theory explains pandemics via novel pathogens spreading unchecked; vaccines remain the safest way to acquire immunity at scale.
- Bhattacharya and Memoli’s argument misrepresents current pandemic strategies, which include surveillance, partnerships, and healthcare capacity alongside research.
- HHS under Kennedy has cut funding for vaccine research, prioritizing environmental/nutritional interventions over biomedical tools.
- Public health should address both environmental factors and pathogens, not treat them as mutually exclusive.