Dr. Eric Ding’s Journal

A little-known federal program keeps childhood vaccines on the market in the United States. If it collapses, all routine vaccines could disappear entirely. RFK Jr. is targeting the single program that allows vaccine manufacturers to create products for the US market without fear. And he’s doing it secretly by taking over the relatively-unknown commission that’s in charge of overseeing this program.

The other night, a Jimmy Kimmel Live sketch with actor Noah Wyle went viral, and it made me think. It had the star of The Pitt parody medical conspiracies circulating in MAHA circles and from RFK Jr. Check it out: The humor works by showing how silly it would be to listen to an actor instead of a real doctor. The comedy lowers your defenses and prompts you to think a bit more critically about where you get your information from.

An enormous discovery hiding in plain sight is forcing scientists to rethink what vaccines actually do to the human body, and it carries massive implications for aging, dementia, heart disease, and the future of public health. A growing body of peer‑reviewed research now suggests that vaccines recommended for older adults may provide benefits beyond preventing infection.

Last night, federal health officials announced sweeping changes to the US childhood vaccine schedule. At RFK Jr.’s direction, the CDC cut six vaccines from its recommendations for all children, effective immediately. RFK Jr.’s iron grip on our health care system is entering authoritarian territory, and he’s unilaterally turning his anti-vax obsession into federal policy. It’s not about safety, it’s about control.

2025 has been an alarming year for public health. The federal government has embraced anti-vax ideology and has begun dismantling the childhood vaccine protections that built one of the greatest medical success stories in US history. This shift did not happen by accident. It followed a series of deliberate decisions driven from the top by one committed anti-vaxxer: RFK Jr. As HHS secretary, RFK Jr. spent 2025 laying the groundwork to destabilize the US vaccination system.

This week, the Washington Post dropped a bombshell: RFK Jr.’s handpicked chair of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) told reporters that the panel plans to vote to end universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth. This would be the biggest change to the childhood schedule in decades. Let’s be clear: this isn’t about “simplifying” the schedule. It’s about dismantling a proven public health intervention in the name of anti-vax ideology.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. just folded. After months of fanning the flames of baseless fear about Tylenol and autism, he stood before the press last week and admitted that there’s “not sufficient” evidence to claim that Tylenol causes autism. Translation: Trump’s top health official just walked back one of the most reckless claims to come out of this administration.

Donald Trump is at it again - spreading reckless health disinformation that could put pregnant women and babies at risk. This week, he posted on Truth Social telling pregnant women not to use Tylenol, and advising parents against giving it to their children. This is not only wrong, it’s dangerous. Let’s set the record straight. When it comes to fever in pregnancy, Tylenol (acetaminophen) is the only real option.

For years, scientists debated a tough question: does Tylenol (acetaminophen) in pregnancy cause autism? There have been studies in the past that showed a small connection, so this is worth examining carefully. The problem was, the studies that show a connection between Tylenol and autism were small and uncontrolled. They weren’t high enough quality studies to answer the question.

Last week was the debut of RFK Jr.’s handpicked vaccine advisory panel - and their first moves show exactly how dangerous this experiment is going to be. Instead of protecting public health, the committee immediately started adding new barriers that make it harder for Americans to get routine vaccines. And they’ve turned what used to be an evidence-driven scientific forum into a megaphone for conspiracy theories. They stripped away parental choice on MMRV.