US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Demands Explanation from Journal Over Vaccine‑SIDS Paper Removal

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote to Lawrence H. Lash, editor of the journal Toxicology Reports, requesting a detailed explanation for the removal of a 2021 paper that analyzed VAERS reports of sudden infant deaths after vaccination. The letter, posted on X, asked the journal to identify the experts consulted, describe the review process and respond by June 25.

The paper, titled “Vaccines and sudden infant death: An analysis of the VAERS database 1990–2019 and review of the medical literature,” was authored by Neil Z. Miller and suggested statistically significant patterns linking vaccines to SIDS, though it stopped short of claiming causation. Elsevier and the journal said the study was removed because its conclusions were not supported by the methodology and could pose a risk to public health. Critics accused Kennedy of using his position to intimidate the journal, while HHS officials defended the request as a legitimate inquiry rather than censorship. The dispute has revived debate over scientific transparency, vaccine‑safety research and the balance between free speech and public‑health responsibility.