Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is demanding answers from the science journal Toxicology Reports after it removed a vaccine-related paper that had addressed sudden infant death. According to reporting on the matter, Kennedy sent a letter dated June 11, 2026, to the journal’s editor-in-chief, Lawrence H. Lash, questioning why a 2021 study—described as dealing with vaccines and sudden infant death—was taken down. The journal’s editors removed the paper earlier this spring after concluding it was seriously flawed and could harm patients, posing a risk to public health.
Public health advocates and other observers have criticized Kennedy’s action, characterizing his letter as an attempt to pressure or influence the journal’s editorial decisions. The criticism centers on the idea that a government official demanding explanations could be seen as intimidation, even as the journal’s stated basis for removal focuses on the study’s identified methodological problems. The dispute is ongoing, with attention on the journal’s prior review and its handling of the paper, as well as Kennedy’s request for further clarification.
