RFK Jr’s pick to review Covid vaccines authored misleading research, experts say

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 8 min read 100% complete by Stephanie KirchgaessnerMarch 10, 2026 at 12:00 PM

AI Summary

long article 8 min

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s appointment of MIT professor Retsef Levi to review Covid-19 vaccine safety is drawing criticism. Experts are questioning Levi's research, citing misleading findings and a potential pre-determined agenda. Levi, who is not a physician or vaccine expert, is a member of the US health department’s vaccine advisory committee (ACIP). Concerns are rising that Levi and others appointed to ACIP could seek to roll back recommendations on who should receive Covid-19 vaccines, despite evidence supporting their safety and efficacy. Levi defends his research as factual and rigorous, but scientists point to flaws in his studies, including one linking vaccination rates to cardiac arrests in Israel, which was refuted by health officials.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

The Lancet 50% MIT 50% Dr Sharon Alroy-Preis 60% United States 60% Israel ×260% US health department 70% ACIP ×380% Robert F Kennedy Jr ×290% Retsef Levi ×695%

Keywords

covid-19 vaccines 100% vaccine safety 80% misleading research 70% retsef levi 70% acip 60% vaccine advisory committee 50% public health 50% scientific standards 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.60

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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covid-19 vaccines vaccine safety misleading research retsef levi acip vaccine advisory committee public health scientific standards

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