In congressional hearings on WednesdaySen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) directly confronted anti-vaccine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s rejection of the germ theory — the unquestioned scientific idea that specific pathogenic microbes cause specific diseases. After Kennedy defended his illegal views, Senator Bill Cassidy fact-checked and refuted Kennedy’s denialist arguments in real time.
The exchanges are a rare occasion in which Kennedy’s rejection of the germ theory has been raised in such a high-profile public setting, in this case a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. With no background in science, medicine or public health, Kennedy is known as an ardent anti-vaccine activist and purveyor of conspiracy theories. But his startling rejection of the cornerstone theory in biomedical science is largely underreported.
As Ars Technica reported last yearIn his book 2021, Kennedy wrote openly about the denial of the germ theory The real Anthony Fauci. Here, Kennedy denigrates the germ theory as a tool of pharmaceutical companies, scientists, and doctors to promote the use of modern medicine. Instead of accepting the germ theory, Kennedy posits a concept similar to the wasteland theory, in which disease is not caused by germs, but by an imbalance in the body’s internal “terrain.” These imbalances are said to be caused by poor nutrition and exposure to environmental toxins and stressors. (In his book, Kennedy mistakenly labels this the “miasma theory,” but this is a different theory that suggests diseases are caused by breathing in bad air, vapors, or fumes. This idea was replaced by the germ theory, and the area theory never gained widespread acceptance.)
Kennedy’s adoption of the relief theory over the germ theory is central to his priorities in the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, which promoted healthy diet and lifestyle concepts and clean living. As health secretary, Kennedy focused on updating federal dietary guidelines, focusing on whole foods (and the amount of saturated fat) while decrying artificial ingredients and additives. He regularly posts videos of himself working out on social networks. And with a previous career as an environmental lawyer, he has long fought against environmental pollution. Kennedy and his MAHA movement have lobbied heavily against chemical pollutants and pesticides, especially glyphosate (although Kennedy has recently taken a back seat to the issue and now supports increased weed killing in line with Trump’s policies).
