Robert F Kennedy believes his voice disease was caused by a reaction to the flu vaccine, according to Joe Rogan.
The podcaster and friend of the new health secretary said Kennedy ‘used to take a flu vaccine every year’ but ‘developed this voice problem… he believes is a vaccine injury.’
Kennedy, 71, suffers from a condition that causes the muscles in the voice box to involuntary spasm, leading to a croaky, strained and shaky voice.
There is no evidence the flu shot can lead to the disorder, spasmodic dysphonia (SD), which is caused by damage to the part of the brain that controls muscle movements.
The condition appears to run in families — Kennedy’s sisters, Kerry and Rory, also struggle with vocal issues.
Kennedy himself has acknowledged there is no proof of a connection between the flu vaccines and SD, he said last year he viewed the shot as ‘at least a potential culprit.’
Rogan brought the issue up during his latest podcast episode with actor Woody Harrelson.
VAX ATTACKS: Rogan said Robert F Kennedy believes his voice disease was caused by a reaction to the flu vaccine
SHOCKED WOODY: The actor
Rogan said: ‘People dismiss him because his voice is hard, it’s hard to listen to sometimes.’
Harrelson replied: ‘Yeah that condition he has, you’d think there’d be some way for them to address it, but I don’t know.’
Rogan then added: ‘He believes that condition came from the flu vaccine. It’s a side effect of flu vaccines, he used to take the flu vaccine every year.’
An audibly shocked Harrelson replies: ‘Oh. I didn’t know that.’
Rogan goes on: ‘And so he developed this voice problem and he believes its a vaccine injury, which is very ironic.’
Harrelson responds. ‘Wow. I didn’t know that.’
There have been a small number some reports of people developing voice changes after receiving vaccines.
However, there is no strong scientific evidence that proved that vaccines directly cause spasmodic dysphonia.
The condition is believed to be related to neurological factors, and most cases develop gradually over time rather than suddenly after a vaccine.
There is some evidence that heroin and other hard drugs can affect the brain and nervous system, which might contribute to voice problems or muscle control issues.
Kennedy has admitted he was addicted to heroin for 14 years and has said treatment for addiction and substance abuse would be a priority in his new role as head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
RFK – who is the new head of HHS – has acknowledged there’s no evidence to back it up
Experts estimate SD affects around 30,000 people in the US, to varying degrees.
Kennedy was diagnosed in 1996 after receiving countless emails and letters from people who heard him on TV or radio shows.
The condition is typically diagnosed with fiberoptic nasolaryngoscopy, which uses a small lighted tube through the nose to examine the vocal cords, and videolaryngostroboscopy, which looks at vocal cord vibration.
Experts believe it is caused by abnormalities in the basal ganglia, a part of the brain controlling muscle movements.
It could also be due to dysfunction in the cortico-laryngeal pathway, which connects the brain to the vocal cords.
It’s unclear how Kennedy may have developed the condition or if the parasite found in his brain in 2010 damaged the parts of his brain that control his voice.
Recommended treatments include speech therapy and counseling, as stress can exacerbate symptoms, as well as Botox injections to relax muscles in the larynx.
