VIDEO: How RFK Jr's Policies Are Impacting Our Health: What We Can Do To Protect Ourselves

The video captures more than a talk on science. It is a reminder that the health of a democracy depends on the health of its public understanding. If you could not attend, the full discussion is available here:

When Misinformation Becomes Policy

The October 15 forum organized by Indivisible Boca Raton focused on a question that is no longer abstract: what happens when misinformation moves from the internet into public policy?

Dr. Vasiliki Papadimitriou, a Boca Raton pediatrician, and Jane, a retired social worker, joined us to unpack the medical and social fallout of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s rise as a political figure. His campaign has gained momentum by framing science as suspect, and his statements on vaccines, antidepressants, and public health have already influenced public opinion in ways that put lives at risk.

Dr. Papadimitriou explained how Kennedy’s claims, such as vaccines causing autism or the standard immunization schedule being unsafe, contradict decades of peer-reviewed research. She described how pediatricians spend valuable time calming fears rooted not in science but in social media echo chambers. That time, she noted, is time not spent on care.

Jane drew a parallel from her decades of experience in social work, where she has seen how fear and stigma isolate families who need help the most. When public figures repeat falsehoods about antidepressants or therapy, they drive people away from treatment and toward shame.

Throughout the night, the panel returned to one point: misinformation does not just confuse people. It shapes policy and shifts what the public believes is normal. When a candidate claims the FDA, the CDC, and decades of research are all corrupt, it invites citizens to treat opinion as evidence.

Both speakers agreed that trust cannot be restored with force. It has to be earned through conversation, transparency, and accountability.

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