RFK Jr Says Vaccine Contains 'Aborted Fetus Debris'

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Newsweek

Published May 01, 2025 at 7:09 AM EDT


Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pushed discredited claims that the MMR vaccine contains "a lot of aborted fetus debris." He made the remarks during a town hall event on Newsnation on Wednesday, saying this "debris" was the reason many religious groups don't get vaccinated.

Why It Matters

The claim comes amid a serious measles outbreak in Texas that has already claimed the lives of two children in a Mennonite community with low vaccination rates. Kennedy Jr., who has long faced criticism over his comments about vaccines, has vowed to investigate the childhood vaccine schedule. Despite this, in March, Kennedy Jr. wrote an op-ed for Fox News, urging parents to "consult with their healthcare providers to understand their options to get the MMR vaccine" but he also reiterated his long-held position that vaccination is a personal choice.

What To Know

Kennedy Jr. made the aborted fetus comments after being questioned about his position on vaccines, which some have criticized for being unclear.

He praised the United States' response to its outbreak and then said: "There are populations in our country, like the Mennonites in Texas, who are most afflicted and they have religious objections to the vaccination - because the MMR vaccine contains a lot of aborted fetus debris and DNA particles, so they don't wanna take it." "So we oughta be able to take care of those populations when they get sick," he said, "and that's something that the CDC has not done."

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/rfk-jr-robert-f-kennedy-jr-vaccine-aborted-fetus-2066618

[Chasstev365]

1. Bat Shit Crazy

How many drugs did he do in his youth? The man seems drug addled.

[tonekat]

44. He obviously liked Low-Rent drugs. N/T

[FSogol]

48. I work at a factory manufacturing man-sized butterfly nets. Soon we'll be chasing Bobby around so he can get some help!

[ShazzieB]

50. Bat shit crazy? Definitely.

How many drugs did he do? A LOT.

Drug addled would actually explain a lot about him!

[hlthe2b]

2. Merck and GlaxoSmithKline should IMMEDIATELY file a lawsuit against him personally.

IMMEDIATELY.

[LiberalArkie]

3. eggxactly

[cadoman]

11. ultimately the immortalized cell lines used in production are from a fetus

They don't come from thin air. Lung samples such as HEK293 are collected from fetuses and are stored in a manner that can create plentiful quantities of these cells.

During the vaccine production process, the immortal cells are used to grow the virus, and the virus undergoes a filtration process afterwards. No filtration process is 100% so logically it is fair to say there is some "debris", but not of a sufficient quantity for religious objections to carry any weight.

[hlthe2b]

14. That is such an exaggeration of the process, you should be ashamed.

I am off to work a 16 hour shift so that will have to be my response for now, but you know NOTHING about vaccine development so as to spout that exaggeration of the process today. I'd bet you couldn't even tell me which vaccines are modified live virus versus so-called "killed" virus versus mRNA, versus vector vaccines, nor could you tell me the differences. I am appalled. But, the anti-vaxxers will take that horrific exaggeration to the bank--as though fetuses are being constantly aborted and collected for vaccine development, so congrats on promulgating that obscene implication--whether intentionally or not.

Your demonization and horrific exaggeration undoubtedly would extend to Henrietta Lacks, the African American woman whose cervical cancer DNA unknowingly provided the world with the first breakthrough in cancer research. Yes, her contributions did advance the use of cell lines in cancer, AIDS, and polio vaccine research, but would you applaud the racists who now claim the drugs and other advances must be shunned because a black woman's DNA originated the process? REALLY?

Keep it up, and all scientific advancement, prevention, and public health will be lost, and we will regress to the time when disease killed most of us before the age of 30. I, for one, will be content to leave this ignorance behind after dedicating my life's work to the former--to try to promote health for all.

[obamanut2012]

20. Well said, and factually said!

[Hekate]

34. Thank you, hlthe2b

[bcbink]

38. Thank you

I did not know.

[cadoman]

40. what did you feel I exaggerated?

I never said all vaccines needed fetal tissue cell to be created (they don't).

The idea that fetuses are "constantly aborted" is something you brought up that you seem to believe I implied. The fetuses needed for vaccine production are so small in quantity that it's only worth mentioning for the sake of completeness and honesty. Though frankly I don't know why anyone would object to human tissue use in healthcare as long as it's done voluntarily and humanely..

I said that after they were collected that plentiful samples could be created (implying a lack of regular need for new fetuses).

Vaccine are one of the greatest healthcare inventions in history. To speak frankly about how they are made is not demonization of the products. It spurs far more distrust to engage in emotional appeals, exaggeration, and/or misdirection to conjure the misunderstanding that no fetal cells are used in the production of any vaccines, or that once a single fetal cell suspension is created that it's no longer a "part of a fetus", or that a purification process can ever be 100%.

[hlthe2b]

41. I find your excuses disingenuous as hell. Innuendo is not scientific truth.

[IronLionZion]

22. This hospital has an explainer for the common misunderstandings and misconceptions

https://www.chop.edu/vaccine-education-center/vaccine-safety/vaccine-ingredients/fetal-tissues

Why are fetal cells used to make some vaccines?
Viruses reproduce in cells, so to grow viruses for a vaccine, one of the necessary “tools” is a type of cell in which the virus will grow. Viruses will not grow in just any cell type, so one of the first things a scientist needs to do is to figure out what cells the virus will infect in the lab. Because viruses infect people, human cells are a good place to start checking.

The most important benefit offered by using fetal cells was that they were isolated from the sterile environment of the womb. This meant the cells would not be infected with other viruses, and the vaccine produced in these cells would not inadvertently introduce any other viruses.

Do vaccines contain parts of fetuses or fetal cells?
In order to grow viruses in the lab, cells need to be made into single cell suspensions, meaning they can no longer be grouped together in the form of tissues or organs. As such, vaccines do not contain “parts of fetuses.”

[yardwork]

4. No words.

[IronLionZion]

5. RFK Jr contains brain worms and heroin

[BigMin28]

24. Also marinated

In fluoride all his life. He says it causes stupidity. Bobby is eaten up with it.

[EYESORE 9001]

6. ...

I hope sane people are preparing a rebuttal to this codswollop.

[BumRushDaShow]

19. This one needs the "triple"

[mdbl]

7. What a dumbass.

[travelingthrulife]

8. How do these MAGAs stay so stupid? I am sure he has had mRNA technology explained to him many times.

[SARose]

9. Do vaccines contain parts of fetuses or fetal cells?

In order to grow viruses in the lab, cells need to be made into single cell suspensions, meaning they can no longer be grouped together in the form of tissues or organs. As such, vaccines do not contain “parts of fetuses.”

Vaccines also do not contain fetal cells. Once the vaccine viruses are grown in the cells, the next step in the manufacturing process is to purify the vaccine viruses away from the cells and substances used to help cells grow. If you have ever picked blueberries, you can think of this part of the process as similar. While you are picking, you might get some of the blueberry plant — stems, leaves and even branches — in your berry bucket, but to use the berries, you remove all of those things, so your pie contains only the blueberries (and any other ingredients you choose to add).

This purification part of the process is important for two reasons. The first, and perhaps most obvious, is the manufacturing reason. From a manufacturer’s perspective, an efficient process that results in the purest possible product makes the final product easier to characterize. However, as consumers, the second, and more important, reason matters more. A pure product will not introduce unnecessary components that could trigger immune responses or affect us in other ways.

Snip

More

This horse pucky is the reason so many in my immediate family refused the vaccine. Pffttt

[hlthe2b]

15. Of course not. The poster upstream who suggested otherwise should read your post.

[HereForTheParty]

10. The MMR vaccine is made using fetal cells

as are some other major ones - chickenpox, COVID-19, hepatitis, and rabies.

That said, he's trying to whip up some nonsense about babies being murdered to make vaccines and we somehow need to accommodate the crazies. You wonder how many people will see his comments and avoid vaccines for themselves and their children.

[cadoman]

13. we are still using HEK293 nearly 60 years on

We will not need a new version for a long time still. The industrial processes are very good and there are a LOT of cells even in a small lung. Also the gestation length needed doesn't really spill over into the commonly understood "late-term" abortion so the candidate pool of available fetuses would be very large, and of course in many places overseas folks are more sensible & willing about all this.

[hlthe2b]

16. Human or specifically fetal cells/DNA are NOT contained in these vaccines after purfication processes.

The role of human cell lines is so upstream in the ORIGINAL development of cell line "growth media" that this is damned irresponsible to suggest.

Beyond the point that the implication is that fetuses are being continually harvested for manufacture and that is exactly what some want you to think.

[cadoman]

42. why do you believe it's problematic if fetuses are "harvested" (I'd prefer the term "donated")

If a woman chooses to receive legal abortive healthcare and wants to donate the tissue to science, shouldn't that be permitted?

Why are you implying there's anything wrong with using fetuses for research and/or the manufacture of life-saving medicines? Aren't you the one who is in fact demonizing this by shaming people for talking about it?

[hlthe2b]

43. Absolute bullshit deception, but it gets the RW and antivaxxers stirred up if that is your intent.

And I cannot know for sure, but it certainly seems like it may be.

[cadoman]

45. wish we could have had a discussion but fair enough

The RW and antivaxxers are already stirred up. They have the leadership positions at the Department of Health, CDC, FDA, etc. Vaccine skepticism is on the rise. Battling them over semantics is not going to be fruitful because they are closer to the levers of semantic control than we are right now.

You think you can state--hard stop--that vaccines don't contain "fetal parts", but then you have to go into an analogy about picking blueberries to explain how you're absolutely certain all the "parts" are removed? How is that persuasive in this environment, especially when every blueberry tray has stems in it? Hint: It's not.

The average christofascist considers fetal cells to be fetal parts. Otherwise the FAQs would just state: no human or animal fetuses are used in any stage of the production of the vaccines. It's silly to think you can wordspin around that. It's more important to reach the secular independents who aren't raging about women's health and get them into a zone where they think of it more like organ donation or cadaver part extraction. i.e. Something useful that we were going to throw away but through the gift of science we can use to save lives.

I appreciate your work and hope your methods of persuasion work better than mine, because you are in a position to sway a lot more people. I long ago gave up on persuading the christofascists and focus more on the secular now.

[hlthe2b]

46. There is a saying based on a morsel of truth and that is that every drop of water includes the urine and

sweat and other bodily chemicals from humans and other animals, an entire world away-- over time, from that of the world's creation. Same as your silliness with DNA residue in among the most highly purified compounds the world has ever seen developed. But, just enough truth in the first example, because water via condensation and rain and flooding and flow patterns over time is a finite resource, so...

Go wrap yourself in circles. I'm not playing. But any RW XIAN friends will probably pay you to spew forth. But, think about that the next time you hear about an unvaccinated child dying from measles pneumonia (whose parents were convinced that vaccines are impure and in direct conflict with their religion as a result), as you split the infinite hairs in your argument.

[mountain grammy]

12. Fucking lunatic!

[Martin68]

17. That's a blood libel.

[mwb970]

18. Oh for God's sake.

[sinkingfeeling]

21. Prove it, moron.

[70sEraVet]

23. All you have to do, to ease the consciences of those worried about ...

the use of fetuses in vaccines, is to convince them that the only fetuses used were those that would have eventually become undocumented immigrants.
Sarcasm, of course.

[Javaman]

25. every morning, someone with a calm voice, must go into his bedroom to wake him up only to...

find him muttering to himself and drawing the walls with his feet.

[Pinback]

26. Ah, so that bulge in my leg must be a little baby!

So glad to have an explanation!

[Moostache]

27. We need new chants at rallies...

I'm kinda tired of "This is what Democracy looks like..."
I suggest pictures of RFK, JR. and the Trump crime family with the caption: "This is what INSANITY looks like."

[Hekate]

36. HEY HEY BOB K ! HOW MANY KIDS WILL YOU KILL TODAY ?

I made it up weeks ago, in hopes it would spread. It hasn’t, yet. I like yours, too.

I got bored with “this is what democracy looks like” 20 years ago, when there’s nothing else.

[Orrex]

28. At the height of the covid oandemic...

I did a job at a small church in western PA. A conference call was going on, during which one of the participants talked about the Covid vaccine containing aborted fetal tissue, with a number of other participants agreeing that they’d heard the same thing.

Did a job there about two months ago, and the pastor and a parishioner were still talking about fetal tissue in the Covid vaccines.


It’s an article of faith for these ignorant fuckhead kkkultists, and every one of them could drop dead tomorrow and leave the world no poorer.

[Nigrum Cattus]

29. I'm pro 'Aborted Fetus Debris'

Turns out smack is even worse than I thought.
He should start using again

[JustAnotherGen]

30. That's Malpractice and Disinformation

This is another one who can't die soon enough.

[wolfie001]

31. Before the worm finished with his brain and died, he was pro-Choice

True story.

[MayReasonRule]

32. Observe That RFK's Eyes Are Varied Shades Of Brown From Day To Day...

It would seem it depends upon how full of shite he is on any particular day...

[durablend]

33. His brain contains "aborted fetus debris"

[LudwigPastorius]

35. Never get your science from a guy who chainsawed the head off of a dead whale so he could take it home.

[Hekate]

37. No kidding. Bob K is just evil, and a disgrace to his father's name.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

39. So let existing humans die from preventable diseases!

[marble falls]

51. 'Aborted Fetus Debris', RFK Jr's nickname from Prep School.

[rsdsharp]

52. Hmmm.

Measles vaccine 1963

Mumps vaccine 1967

Rubella vaccine 1969

MMR vaccine 1971

Abortion legalized in this country 1973.

Yeah, that tracks, Bobby, you drug addled, worm eaten nitwit.