Misinformation surrounding vaccines is on the rise across Europe as experts link lower vaccination rates to viral posts and political rhetoric. Credits: Shutterstock, Rattanasak Khuentana
With the measles incident reaching a 25-year high in Europe, experts say the rise of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is amplifying more than ever by social media as US health secretaries give new momentum to anti-vaccine stories.
According to researchers at Ripple Research, in the first three months of 2025 alone, posts connecting the vaccine with RFK JR had nearly 1 million interactions in French, German and Italian. Are you worried about the part? It turns out that more than half of the top posts spread false or misleading information.
How social media is driving vaccine suspicions across Europe
Ripple analyzed over 220,000 posts shared by 53,000 users between January and March. The surge in misinformation was seen after the RFK JR confirmation hearing, his oath and the resignation of official vaccine Dr. Peter Marks. Posts often repeat unreliable claims about the safety of JABs in Covid-19.
The timing didn’t get worse. Measles incidents have doubled in Europe, and the World Health Organization and UNICEF have called it the worst outbreak in decades. According to UNICEF’s Alexei Sevan, “We’ve seen a direct link between misinformation on social media and lower vaccination rates.”
And it’s not just skepticism, it’s the outcome. “Children are dying or have become serious issues like pneumonia or blindness,” he added.
When Fringe’s Belief Goes Viral: How Vaccine Misinformation Is In Mainstream
For years, the anti-vaccine view has been primarily in the fringes. Nowadays, people like RFK JR are playing a leadership role, so those ideas are entering the mainstream. Professor Heidi Larson of the Vaccine Trust Program told Euroneus:
Kennedy claims he is “professional safety” rather than anti-vaccine, but his comments have become ammunition for a conspiracy group. And “Even people who are confident in the vaccine are hearing the same suspicions over and over again,” Larson said.
On top of that, the fact that fact checking has returned to platforms like X and Meta and experts say we are now in dangerous territory. “It’s not just a few fraudulent posts anymore,” Larson said. “It’s a complete move.”
Beyond fact checking: Why a new approach is urgently needed
Larson argues that fact checks aren’t enough anymore. “This is another kind of challenge. These groups are organized, multilingual, fast-moving. You need fresh strategies to get real, reliable information.”
UNICEF’s research in France and Romania shows how deep this issue can become. Approximately 50% of parents say social media plays a role in vaccine decisions.
Meanwhile, scientists have emphasized that vaccines containing MMR JAB are safe and essential. Even RFK JR itself said the MMR vaccine was “the most effective way to stop measles.” Still, his mixed message is causing confusion. And experts fear that once planted, doubts will be difficult to eradicate.
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