Wave of Anti-Science Legislation Threatens Public Health Protections
More than 420 anti-science bills targeting vaccines, milk safety, and fluoride have been introduced in state legislatures across the United States this year, representing an organized campaign to undermine longstanding public health protections. This coordinated effort, linked to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his allies, seeks to roll back century-old safeguards that have protected American communities from preventable diseases and health risks. The legislation threatens to reverse decades of public health progress as vaccination rates decline and preventable diseases make concerning comebacks.
A concerning wave of anti-science legislation is sweeping through statehouses across the United States, threatening to dismantle fundamental public health protections that have safeguarded American communities for generations. According to an Associated Press investigation, more than 420 bills targeting vaccines, milk safety, and fluoride have been introduced this year, representing an organized, politically sophisticated campaign to enshrine conspiracy theory-driven agendas into law.
The Scope of Anti-Science Legislation
The legislative assault spans most states, with around 30 bills already enacted or adopted in 12 states. The effort represents a systematic attempt to strip away protections built over a century that are integral to American lives and society. The movement has gained significant traction through connections to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his Make America Healthy Again agenda, which masks anti-science ideas while promoting goals such as making food more natural or reducing chemicals.
Vaccine Legislation Under Attack
Anti-vaccine bills constitute the majority of this legislative wave, with 350 bills introduced from various angles. These include measures barring discrimination against unvaccinated people, creating criminal offenses for vaccine harm, requiring blood banks to test for evidence of vaccinations, and instituting vaccine waiting periods. At least 26 anti-vaccine laws have been adopted in 11 states this year, reflecting a significant shift in legislative priorities.
Organized Campaign and Political Connections
The legislative push is supported by at least four national groups connected to Kennedy: MAHA Action, Stand for Health Freedom, the National Vaccine Information Center, and the Weston A. Price Foundation. These organizations maintain close ties with Kennedy's network, with MAHA Action being run by people close to him, including his longtime book publisher Tony Lyons and former campaign staffer Del Bigtree. The groups employ sophisticated political tactics, including sending alerts, organizing phone campaigns, flooding lawmakers' inboxes and social media, holding Zoom calls with activists nationwide, and sending members to testify in statehouses.
Impact on Public Health
The consequences of this anti-science movement are already becoming apparent. Vaccination rates continue to fall, allowing infectious diseases like measles and whooping cough to make comebacks. Experts warn that global vaccine efforts have saved more than 150 million lives since 1974, while community water fluoridation has dramatically reduced cavities since 1945, and milk pasteurization has saved millions from foodborne illness. The erosion of these protections threatens to reverse decades of public health progress.
Looking Forward
As this organized campaign continues to gain momentum in state legislatures, public health experts and concerned citizens are raising alarms about the potential consequences. The movement represents a fundamental challenge to evidence-based public health policy and threatens to undermine the social contract that protects vulnerable populations. The outcome of this legislative battle will have profound implications for American public health for generations to come.
