In separate appearances on CNN and Fox News on Sunday, MAGA Republican President Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., outlined his plan to end all viral gain-of-function research around the world, beginning with a complete ban in the United States.
Citing unsubstantiated conspiracy theories and misinformation about research, Kennedy claimed:
“No good thing has ever come from gain-of-function research.”
To justify further cuts to scientific and medical research, Kennedy also said on Fox & Friends:
“Lyme disease almost certainly came from these experiments and is now devastating our country.”
“[Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)] came from a laboratory, which is now the biggest killer of children in our country.”
The article states that Kennedy’s claim about RSV is inaccurate.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), firearms have been the leading cause of death among children in the United States for several years. Accidents, including motor vehicle crashes and drowning, are also leading causes of death.
Among newborns and infants under 12 months old, RSV is not the leading cause of death. Premature birth, low birth weight, congenital abnormalities, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) account for more deaths. For children aged one to four, accidents, birth defects, and cancer are more common causes of death.
The CDC identifies RSV as the leading cause of hospitalization—not death—for infants under 12 months. The condition is highly treatable, with a survival and recovery rate of nearly 95%. By the age of two, almost all children in the United States have been infected with RSV. Approximately 300 children of all ages die from RSV each year, most often due to delayed or absent treatment.
The article notes that Kennedy also claimed the COVID-19 pandemic was “linked credibly to gain-of-function research.”
In response to Kennedy’s comments, United Kingdom infectious disease expert Dr. Neil Stone posted on X:
“Lyme disease did not come from a lab.”
“It’s so ancient it’s been found in 3,000 year old mummies.”
“RFK Jr talking nonsense as usual.”
He later added:
“First rule of propaganda.”
“There is no conspiracy theory too stupid to be believable.”
“People will believe anything.”
“Literally ANYTHING.”
The article states that many people outside Kennedy’s supporters criticized his comments and regarded them as dangerous.
While some supporters argued that Kennedy was correct, others responded by disputing those claims.
According to the Johns Hopkins Lyme Disease Research Center and the Bay Area Lyme Foundation, Lyme disease was first documented by European physicians in the late 19th century. It was recognized as a distinct disease in the United States during the 1960s, and the bacterium responsible for it, Borrelia burgdorferi, was officially identified in 1981.
The article suggests Kennedy may mistakenly view Lyme disease as a modern condition because it was not widely recognized when he was younger. However, it notes that genetic evidence indicates the bacterium existed long before it was formally identified.
According to Entomology Today, paleontologist and parasitologist Professor George Poinar Jr. identified ticks preserved in amber dating back approximately 15–20 million years that contained ancient bacteria. The article states this suggests the bacteria associated with Lyme disease predates humans and even the earliest hominids.
It also notes that Lyme disease was detected in the remains of a 5,300-year-old mummified human.
Regarding RSV, the article states that it is a naturally occurring human RNA virus that has circulated in human populations for at least 70 years. It was first isolated in 1956 from a child with a respiratory infection, and its origins likely extend much further back.
