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Controversial Figure Appointed to HHS to Study Discredited Vaccine Theory
A prominent individual within the anti-vaccine movement, who has reportedly influenced Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s views regarding a potential association between vaccines and autism, has been appointed to his department. This analyst will contribute to a study examining the long-disproven theory linking vaccine ingredients to autism, according to sources familiar with the situation. The appointment of this figure sparks immediate concern among public health officials and intensifies scrutiny around the department’s direction on vaccine safety research.
David Geier’s Background and Appointment
The newly appointed analyst, David Geier, is known for publishing numerous articles in medical literature that attempt to establish a link between mercury in vaccines and autism. Notably, in 2012, authorities in Maryland determined that Geier had been practicing medicine without proper licensing alongside his father, Mark Geier, who was a physician at that time.
Mark Geier’s medical license was also suspended by Maryland authorities following allegations that he endangered children with autism and exploited their parents, state records indicate.
Federal courts have previously dismissed the Geiers’ research on autism and vaccines as unreliable and inadmissible in legal proceedings.
Public Health Experts Express Alarm
David Geier’s new role within the government has reportedly shocked public health experts. These experts have already voiced apprehension regarding Mr. Kennedy’s decisions to cancel a longstanding vaccine advisory meeting and to reduce funding for initiatives focused on understanding vaccine hesitancy.
Furthermore, David Geier’s involvement in government-led research intensifies concerns that public confidence in vaccines could be further undermined. This is particularly relevant following Mr. Kennedy’s recent endorsement of questionable alternative treatments for measles amid a significant outbreak in Texas.
Dr. Christopher Beyrer, director of the Duke Global Health Institute, stated, “If we increase vaccine hesitancy and immunization rates decline further, we will observe more outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. The correlation is clear.”
Several experts commented that assigning David Geier to a vaccine safety study study could predetermine the results, drawing an analogy to a biased referee in a sports game.
Edward L. Hunter, former head of the Washington office of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, remarked, “One would assume the aim is to have an unbiased perspective.”
Concerns Over Study Objectivity
“This isn’t an unbiased perspective,” Mr. Hunter continued. “They have already disseminated their conclusions. Allocating resources to this endeavor seems unproductive. I am fairly certain they will arrive at the same predetermined outcome.”
An official from Mr. Kennedy’s Department of Health and Human Services declined to comment on the matter. Representatives from the White House also did not respond to requests for comment. David Geier did not respond to inquiries seeking comments.
Mary Holland, chief executive of Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine organization previously led by Mr. Kennedy until his presidential campaign, publicly praised David Geier on the organization’s website. She described him as “an exceptional researcher with extensive knowledge and expertise regarding mercury.”
(Federal authorities recently instructed the nonprofit to remove a fabricated C.D.C. webpage that suggested a connection between vaccines and autism.)
David Geier is currently listed in the Department of Health and Human Services directory as a “senior data analyst.” News of his appointment was initially reported by The Washington Post.
Re-examining Vaccine-Autism Link
Earlier in the month, federal officials announced intentions to conduct a comprehensive study to re-investigate a possible correlation between vaccines and autism. Mr. Trump has reportedly expressed support for H.H.S. officials seeking to revisit this topic, citing reported increases in autism diagnoses in children across recent decades.
Data from the C.D.C. indicates that approximately 1 in 36 children are diagnosed with autism in 11 states, compared to 1 in 150 children in 2000.
Many scientists attribute this increase, in part, to heightened awareness of autism and revisions in diagnostic practices among medical professionals, although genetic and environmental factors could also be contributing.
Senator Cassidy’s Stance
Mr. Kennedy’s confirmation by the Senate was largely attributed to securing the support of Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, chairman of the Senate health committee, who is also a medical doctor and a strong advocate for childhood vaccines.
Senator Cassidy has previously stated that further research into any alleged link between vaccines and autism would be a misuse of funds and a distraction from investigations into the “actual causes” of the rise in autism rates.
On Thursday, Senator Cassidy mentioned that he sought independent confirmation of David Geier’s role, beyond media reports. He noted having had breakfast with Mr. Kennedy that day but stated that this topic did not arise.
During his confirmation hearings, Mr. Kennedy referenced a study from a network of vaccine critics that he claimed demonstrated a link between vaccines and autism, in response to Senator Cassidy.
David Geier originates from a similar group of researchers, and along with his father, he played a significant role in shaping Mr. Kennedy’s views.
Kennedy’s Past Endorsement of Geier’s Work
Mr. Kennedy interviewed David Geier for a 2005 essay titled “Tobacco Science and the Thimerosal Scandal,” where he accused the C.D.C. of intentionally concealing vaccine data, using chapter headings such as “Conspiracy” and “The Cover-Up.”
Mr. Kennedy described the Geiers’ conviction that thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative formerly used in some vaccines, was linked to childhood autism. Thimerosal has since been removed from most childhood vaccines but is still present in certain flu shots.
In a Rolling Stone article titled “Deadly Immunity,” Mr. Kennedy credited the Geiers with being among a select few who accessed C.D.C. vaccine data. He asserted that they used this data to “demonstrate a strong correlation between thimerosal and neurological damage in children.” (The magazine later retracted the article without detailed explanation.)
Nearly a decade later, in his book “Thimerosal: Let The Science Speak,” Mr. Kennedy paid tribute to the Geiers, mentioning them approximately 250 times, referring to them as a “father-and-son team of independent medical researchers” who had “published extensively on the subject of thimerosal and its potential link to neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly autism.”
Mr. Kennedy acknowledged that the Geiers had become “controversial figures in the vaccine safety debate.”
“The Geiers have published no fewer than thirteen epidemiological studies of the associations between Thimerosal and health effects in U.S. populations, using accepted statistical practices,” Mr. Kennedy wrote in his book.
In a 2022 podcast, Mr. Kennedy attributed the Geiers’ research with demonstrating that vaccines “had no bearing on” the decline of infectious diseases over the decades. “It was entirely an illusion,” Mr. Kennedy stated, attributing the decrease to enhanced sanitation and nutrition.
Discrediting of Geier’s Research
The Geiers’ work has been repeatedly discredited by fellow scientists and in federal court rulings.
A comprehensive 2004 review by the Institute of Medicine, a distinguished body of doctors and researchers, investigated the purported link between vaccines and autism and criticized the Geiers’ studies. The review concluded that their research was flawed, “rendering their results uninterpretable.”
Specifically concerning a potential link to measles vaccines, the institute’s report stated: “The committee concludes that the evidence favors rejecting a causal relationship between M.M.R. vaccine and autism.”
Unlicensed Medical Practice Allegations
In 2011, the Maryland Medical Board accused David Geier of practicing medicine without a license alongside his father at a clinic in Rockville, Md., that treated children with autism.
One mother of a 10-year-old boy with autism reportedly questioned a directive from David Geier for 24 separate blood tests for her son.
Mark Geier, his father, lost his medical license in 2012. Case records indicate that both father and son promoted the theory that thimerosal caused autism.
State authorities found that the Geiers offered treatments involving puberty-blocking drugs and chelation, a procedure to remove heavy metals from the blood, to some patients. David Geier was fined $10,000.
Judges have rejected the Geiers’ attempts to serve as expert witnesses on vaccine safety in court. Records reveal that judges questioned the father-son team’s invoices for hundreds of thousands of dollars for expert services provided to a specialized vaccine injury court.
The judges cited David Geier’s lack of suitable qualifications, including a bachelor’s degree in biology, and raised doubts about his father’s credibility.
Judge George L. Hastings Jr. ruled in 2016 that David Geier was unqualified to provide expert testimony in a National Vaccine Injury Compensation court case.
Judge Hastings stated that Geier’s report “is neither beneficial nor relevant, because he is not qualified as an expert concerning the matters he discusses.”
Reviewing two Geier studies recently, Jeffrey S. Morris, director of biostatistics at the University of Pennsylvania, cited what appeared to be statistical manipulation that falsely suggested vaccines caused a rise in autism.
“Examining these two studies, they are so fundamentally flawed that I have serious reservations about the rigor of any study they might design,” he said, “to yield valid results.”
Concerns About Misallocation of Resources
Mr. Hunter, formerly of the C.D.C., suggests that allocating federal funds to a renewed study of a discredited theory would detract from potentially more valuable discoveries.
Since becoming health secretary, Mr. Kennedy has overseen budget reductions affecting research across various aspects of health care and disease. He recently announced a significant reorganization and workforce reduction from 82,000 to 62,000 employees.
“For me, the real tragedy is that amidst budget constraints, we are not increasing research into the actual causes of autism,” Mr. Hunter stated. “And for those concerned about vaccine-preventable diseases, this is a significant setback.”