The Lab-Leak Cascade: RFK Jr.'s Bold Claim That Lyme, COVID, RSV, HIV, and Even the Spanish Flu Escaped from Research

In a sweeping and controversial stance, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has directly linked a series of modern and historical pandemics to laboratory and vaccine research.

He asserts that a "cascade" of diseases—including Lyme disease, COVID-19, and the rising threat of RSV in children—originated from labs. Going even further, he cites controversial theories suggesting the 1918 Spanish Flu and the HIV/AIDS pandemic are also the products of medical research programs.

While acknowledging these are subjects of intense debate, he positions the available evidence as "strong" and concludes that the catastrophic risks of such research fundamentally outweigh any "marginal benefits."

This bold indictment of modern virology underpins his pledge to end gain-of-function research globally. A provocative thesis that challenges the very foundations of public health.