6 takeaways from RFK exclusive. No to flu shots, seed oils, yes to meat in diet.

WASHINGTON – Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the public face of U.S. health policy, revealed in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY his personal views behind the government actions he pursues as secretary of health and human services.

Kennedy explained why he stopped getting annual flu shots in 2005, as the department reduced the number of vaccinations recommended for children. But he said he’s read favorable studies about ivermectin treating respiratory ailments, even if the Food and Drug Administration hasn’t approved it for treating COVID-19.

As the department published new dietary guidelines, Kennedy revealed he eats only meat and fermented foods. He also described his personal concerns about seed oils but said they haven’t been scientifically validated yet.

And he described his health concerns about cellphone towers as the department embarks on a study of electromagnetic radiation.

“My job as HHS secretary is to tell the truth to people and then to let them make up their own minds,” Kennedy said. “But for an agency like this to be effective, it has to have public credibility.”

Here are six takeaways from the interview Jan. 16 with USA TODAY for the series “Extremely Normal:”

Kennedy concerned flu shots are why his voice is ‘so screwed up’

Kennedy, 72, said he stopped getting flu shots because of his concerns about side effects, including suspicions about what damaged his voice. He got the annual shots through the mid-1990s but gave them up for good in 2005 as he became more aware of possible side effects.

Kennedy’s speech often sounds strained and broken from a condition called spasmodic dysphonia, also called laryngeal dystonia. He said he couldn’t prove a flu vaccine caused his condition, but that it was one potential reason.

“That’s why my voice is so screwed up,” Kennedy said. “Do I know whether that was caused by my annual flu shot? I have no idea. It’s a possibility. It’s a potential culprit that I cannot rule out. I can’t prove it.”

His comments came the same month as the department revised its childhood immunization schedule to recommend four fewer vaccines. Use of the vaccines against rotavirus, influenza, meningococcal disease and hepatitis A changed to shared decision-making between parents and health care providers.

Groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians and the American Public Health Association asked Jan. 19 to update a lawsuit filed in July against Kennedy and the department over vaccination policy.

The health groups contend Kennedy downgraded six different vaccines in “a drastic overhaul” and “without following the evidentiary-driven, and legally required processes for issuing recommended vaccine schedules in the United States.”

Kennedy says he eats only meat and fermented foods

Asked about his diet, Kennedy sticks to a few categories. Such foods include yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut and sourdough bread. Fermentation helps preserve food and aids in digestion.

“I eat, you know, only meat or fermented foods,” Kennedy said.

His comments came the same month the department issued new U.S. Dietary Guidelines, with recommendations for people to eat more protein and less sugar and ultra-processed foods. He called the new guidelines the “most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in history.”

“As secretary of Health and Human Services, my message is clear: eat real food,” Kennedy said.

American Medical Association President Bobby Mukkamala praised the new guidelines for “spotlighting the highly processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages and excess sodium that fuel heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other chronic illnesses.”

Kennedy says ‘personal concerns’ about seed oil don’t justify federal policy yet

Kennedy said he has concerns about seed oils so he doesn’t consume them and advises children not to have them. But he said those are personal restrictions rather than government recommendations because “the science isn’t quite there yet.”

“I have personal concerns,” Kennedy said. “But the critique of seed oils has not been scientifically validated.”

Cooking oils such as canola, corn and sunflower have been criticized for breaking down in cooking to become toxins that can cause inflammation and weaken the immune system.

But scientists at the American Heart Association say the concerns might be blamed on the ultra-processed foods are part of, rather than the oils themselves, and the oils are healthier to cook food in than butter or lard.

Kennedy calls cellphone radiation ‘a major health concern’

Kennedy elaborated on the health concerns about cellphone towers by citing “more than 10,000 studies” documenting ill effects from electromagnetic radiation including cancer, tumor growth and DNA damage.

“Generally speaking, electromagnetic radiation is a major health concern,” Kennedy said, when asked for his concerns about 5G towers. “I’m very concerned about it.”

The department launched a study Jan. 15 on cellphone radiation, aiming to identify gaps in knowledge about electromagnetic radiation.

But the World Health Organization found no justification for health concerns after commissioning a review where experts from nine countries analyzed 63 studies on cellphones and cancer dating from 1994 through 2022. The review was published in Environmental International, a scientific journal, in September 2024.

“The researchers found no connection between cellphone use and brain cancer,” the WHO said.

Cell providers’ 5G networks promise faster connections but have long been the target of skeptics who say they have negative health effects. USA TODAY has previously debunked online claims that 5G is dangerous.

Kennedy says ivermectin works against respiratory illness even if FDA hasn’t approved it to treat COVID-19

Kennedy remains a fan of ivermectin for combating respiratory diseases, even though the FDA hasn’t approved its off-label use for treating COVID-19.

Kennedy said he has seen more than 100 studies indicating that it works against a number of diseases, “but it works specifically against respiratory infections.”

Ivermectin, which originated as a treatment for horse parasites, gained traction on social media during the pandemic as an option for treating coronavirus.

But the FDA hasn’t formally approved it as an effective treatment for COVID-19. A 2022 study found no effect in improving COVID symptoms.

Kennedy repeats he’s not running for president in 2028

Kennedy again denied he is running for president in 2028, after Trump completes his second term.

“No,” he said succinctly, when asked if he was running.

He has said people speculating about him running are part of a “smear campaign” against his and the president’s agenda to Make America Healthy Again.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: RFK outlines personal and policy concerns with USA TODAY. 6 takeaways