Colorado lawmakers loosened school vaccine rules after RFK Jr. took over the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.

Question

Colorado lawmakers have quietly moved to shift the state’s school immunization requirements away from the recommendations of a prominent federal committee, in response to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. taking over the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Answer 1

For the most part, I would say this statement is false because of the fact that Colorado is leaning against the changes created by RFK. The main source "Colorado Sun" is the official new journal for Colorado and the article cited goes into a deep dive into the situation. RFK is a known anti-vaccine activist and has recently taken over more power in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services due to the recent election. His biggest controversy is his views on autism and the investigation he takes on vaccines to try and "find the cause" of autism through vaccinations. The Colorado Sun discussed the fear the Department of Education had with him coming into power and is trying to stabilize their vaccine laws to ensure children's safety. Though RFK has made some issues with his supporters by recently encouraging the MMR vaccine to ensure children's health, yet he also still claims to find the cause of autism by September so his presence in the political world is contradicting and sparks concern.

https://coloradosun.com/2025/04/09/colorado-school-vaccination-requirements-acip/

https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/04/07/nx-s1-5354900/hhs-rfk-endorses-mmr-measles-vaccine-stoking-supporters-fury

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj0z9nmzvdlo

Comments

Your comment about RFK Jr.'s statements is spot on. This is a subject that tends to get overlooked. You mentioned his recent encouragement of the MMR vaccine alongside his continued pursuit of a link between vaccines and autism. This inconsistency really undermines his credibility and makes it difficult to assess his true intentions.

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Your fact check about this claim is very concise and informative. You found reputable and valuable sources that show why you came to the conclusion of false. This is a very good fact check.

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I agree with your fact check but also want to point out that perhaps the original poster of this claim misinterpreted the article they linked with it. In essence, I found that the article linked directly opposes the claim, so maybe this is a case of misreading instead of deliberate misinformation-spreading. Even the link to the original posting in Bluesky is devoid of the claim that Colorado lawmakers are "loosening" school vaccine rules, which makes me wonder from where this claim originated. The linked article concludes that the bill which it discusses is supported by Democrats and opposed by Republicans, suggesting that the Colorado lawmakers are opposing RFK, a member of a Republican administration, and his policies, instead of following his recommendations. In any case, this claim is false, as you've determined.

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I see that you tried to make it clear that Colorado isn’t just following RFK Jr.’s example, which hurts the original claim. One thing that could use work is the fact that RFK both supports the MMR vaccine, which is a great point, but maybe explain how that impacts the reliability of the health policy.

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I like this comment although it could use some fact checking especially with RFK's role and claims that came with. It would be good to verify RFK's role in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and diving deeper into the Colorado sun article to better evidence.

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You do a good job of clarifying the distinction that RFK Jr's actions and policies are not fully dictating the actions being taken by Colorado law makers. When you state that he is a "known anti-vaccine activist" however, it would be good to support this with some sort of source or evidence.

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The Colorado Sun is a trusted local source so I thought it was a good choice. I also liked that you added state level opinions on RFK Jr.'s policies.  But I feel that you could give more proof to back up what you say that "Colorado is leaning against the changes created by RFK."  There is no clear link with those changes and RFK's federal policies in the article you cited it mostly talks about school vaccination requirements.

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This answer does an excellent job of explaining RFK Jr.'s newfound position and anti-vaccine beliefs and how Colorado's actions oppose his new ideas. The articles you cited are good credible sources, and add good insight into more background in this claim.

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I think you're on the right track identifying contradictions in RFK Jr.'s stance, especially with his MMR support, but I’d recommend being more precise with terminology. Saying Colorado is “leaning against RFK’s changes” feels vague—what changes? Since RFK hasn’t formally altered CDC policy yet, this is about anticipated influence, not existing federal mandates. Adding clarification here would tighten your fact check and boost credibility.

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Overall, I would say this statement is trending towards false, especially considering how Colorado is responding to RFK Jr.'s positions. The Colorado Sun—a trusted local news organization—provides in-depth reporting on the matter and covers how state officials are actively pushing back against the vaccine-related alterations RFK is notorious for. Even though he claims to be not anti-vaccine, RFK Jr. has a long record of promoting vaccine doubt, in this case, about the discredited link between vaccines and autism. His recent ascension to an even more influential position has sparked alarm, especially within the Department of Education, which is struggling to preserve vaccine mandates to protect children.

One of the most interesting things about this story is the way RFK Jr. is now publicly endorsing the MMR vaccine, which has alienated a lot of his followers. At the same time, he continues to claim he'll find the "cause" of autism by September, keeping his inflammatory stance alive. These contradictory messages make his stance confusing and difficult to pin down. I think that your sources actually do a good job of capturing this tension—especially the NPR and BBC articles. It would strengthen your argument even further if you made it clear if RFK Jr. is really in a formal role in the Department of Health and Human Services or simply influencing public opinion and policy from the outside. Either way, his activity is clearly raising concern and confusion on both sides of the question.

Answer 2

The claim that Colorado lawmakers are moving to shift the state’s school immunization requirements away from federal recommendations in response to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. becoming the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services is accurate and well-supported. The source of the claim is The Colorado Sun, a reputable nonprofit news outlet based in Colorado, which published a detailed article explaining that lawmakers amended House Bill 1027 to make the state less reliant on the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) when determining school vaccine mandates. This move was directly motivated by concern over RFK Jr.’s long history of vaccine skepticism and the potential for him to influence federal vaccine policy. The original reporting by The Colorado Sun has been corroborated by several other trustworthy sources. Rocky Mountain Voice confirmed the legislative changes and the reasoning behind them, referring to the amendment as a way to "RFK-proof" Colorado’s vaccine policies (https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/04/state-bill-rewrites-how-colorado-decides-school-vaccine-mandates/). Associated Press also reported that Kennedy has expressed intentions to reexamine the national childhood vaccine schedule, causing concern among public health experts (https://apnews.com/article/childhood-vaccines-schedule-kennedy-trump-hhs-4d5e6c52c602f5edbcd837748605e9d0). CBS News published an interview in which Kennedy confirmed significant changes at HHS that could affect vaccine oversight (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-sweeping-cuts-health-programs-employees-exclusive-interview/). The origin of the legislative push in Colorado appears to be local lawmakers acting preemptively, based on Kennedy’s appointment and his known views, to protect state-level vaccine requirements. Therefore, the claim is not only true but rooted in direct policy action responding to national political developments.

Comments

I really like the way you stated the facts of the article and response, and separated them from the indirect claims or assumptions of the same article and conflict. Within media, this separation can be extremely blurred and it can be hard to sift through information that is correct and information that is framed or displayed in a way favorable to the author. Secondly, by using credible sources like the Colorado Sun, I am able to understand the perspective of the people representing the Colorado school system as it relates to Robert Kennedy Jr.'s new policies and ideologies. Altogether, by reading your response to the claim, I was able to see the debate from a bird's eye view, and address it to form an opinion of my own based on what I now know is the complete truth, which is an increasingly difficult task as media production evolves.

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You did a strong job laying out the timeline and citing multiple sources. I agree the bill was clearly a response to RFK's ideology—but I think the phrase “in response to RFK Jr.” risks implying that lawmakers are following his lead rather than actively resisting it. Including a direct quote from lawmakers on their motivations could help clarify that this was more preemptive pushback than policy alignment.

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I think you are right and making good points. RFK Jr. is sending out some mixed messages and its confusing whether or not hes supporting the MMR vaccine. I would suggest that we be more clear in the timeline of his responses. Overall the connection is there and a you do a good job pointing out the impacts on public health and safety.

Answer 3

After doing research, this claim is false. Several government websites say that all of the necessary vaccinations are required for a student to attend school. As of June 2020, the Colorado legislature passed Senate Bill 20-163 for the purpose of improving immunization records in the state.

https://cdphe.colorado.gov/immunization/sb20-163

After reading further, there is a criteria for approval which include having a signature from the doctor that administered the vaccine, use of standard medical forms, and a goal for all children enrolled to be at least 95% vaccinated. 

Another subheading on the website also details which vaccines the student is required to have for enrollment. 

https://cdphe.colorado.gov/immunization/school-required-vaccines

Comments

I think you did well with finding credible sources and diving into the requirements of vaccines children need to have. Although It seems like this is what is currently the law and requirements, and the statement is saying that there is a shift. This makes me question that is it a law that is trying to be put in place and not already set?

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I find the sources that you pulled coming from the state governments website accurately go against the claim of this post. The government publication acts as a strong source that lays out the necessary binaries of the Colorado Department of Public Healths guidelines and rates of vaccination, showcasing that it is actually requiring and seeing higher rates of vaccination requirements among school-aged groups.

Answer 4

After looking into the evidence for this claim I can conclude this statement is false. After reading the source that's not what there claiming "the Colorado sun" is claiming that schools are moving away from federal laws and go more to state laws to avoid RFK jr. laws and regulations. after reading the full article you read in-depth Colorado is loosening laws about the state board following acip regulations not loosening vaccine regulations.  Democratic State Sen. Kyle Mullica says state legislators are looking at what they can do to combat any vaccine misinformation, while also ruling out a mandate. Colorado trying to combat vaccine rates in schools but not trying to make a mandate.

 https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/local-politics/colorado-childhood-vaccination-rates-rfk-jr-confirmed-health-official/73-0e632285-7c26-41f7-9070-86bee2efb6d7

https://coloradosun.com/2025/04/09/colorado-school-vaccination-requirements-acip/

Comments

Great answer and you have a credible source. Maybe next time could you explain the origin or at least give some more information about your source in your actual post? It will help with your engagement and credibility of your writing.

Answer 5

There has been no public change to vaccine regulations in Colorado schools. However, Governor Jared Polis has expressed support for RFK's vaccine views, stating in November 2024 that Kennedy "helped us defeat vaccine mandates in Colorado in 2019," there have been no official announcements or legislative actions indicating a shift in Colorado's immunization policies following Kennedy's federal appointment. (The Colorado Sun) 

Comments

I like that you chose to focus on the school system within your check, however, an article or some proof would have been a little helpful. I also like that you didn't choose whether this claim was false or true, but rather said it was misleading simply because the original author chose to talk about the school system and the regulations being placed upon them, but then went into political views rather than addressing the main issue. Overall, good job, but don't forget sources!

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I liked how clean and concise your response was. In the future, I would maybe try to find more than one source to back up your reasoning. Having two sources makes your claim even stronger. I would also explain what exactly makes The Colorado Sun reputable. A little bit more evidence would make this a stronger response. Other than that good job!

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Thank you for your comment. I like how you acknowledged that this claim was exaggerated, but the Governor does support RFK. I'm wondering if you could use another source to back up your claim next time.

Answer 6

The claim that Colorado lawmakers have shifted school immunization requirements away from federal recommendations in response to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services appears to lack direct evidence. While there are reports of legislative changes in Colorado regarding vaccine mandates, these changes are not explicitly tied to Kennedy's role. For example, a recent bill in Colorado aims to revise how school vaccine mandates are determined, but the connection to Kennedy's leadership is speculative. 

State bill rewrites how Colorado decides school vaccine mandates - Rocky Mountain Voice

Comments

I appreciate your analysis lending this claim to be speculative rather than evidence-based. I wonder if you could include another source determining other instances being/not being influenced by those in government to make a stronger counter-claim.

Answer 7

The claim that Colorado lawmakers have moved to shift the state's school immunization requirements away from federal recommendations in response to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s appointment as Secretary of Health and Human Services is accurate. Multiple credible sources, including the Colorado Sun and the Denver Post, claim lawmakers passed an amendment to House Bill 1027 giving the state more control over the vaccine requirements, instead of following the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices guidelines. Kennedy wanted state-level preemptive action instead of the power being in the federal vaccine policies. The claim is supported by local legislative discussions and trusted sources.

• https://coloradosun.com/2025/04/09/colorado-school-vaccination-requirements-acip/

• https://www.denverpost.com/2025/04/10/colorado-school-vaccine-rules-acip-kennedy/

Answer 8

This claim has some truth to it but there are some unclear portions. The Colorado lawmarkers have in fact ammended state law to reduce their reliance on the Advisory Committe on Immunization Practices (ACIP) when determining school vaccine requirements. While this change does coincide with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent appointment there is no evidence that the Colorado lawmakers enacted the amendment specifically as a response to his new role as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The timing does suggest that lawmakers may seek a safeguard on state immunization policies from potential federal shifts under Kennedy. https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/04/state-bill-rewrites-how-colorado-decides-school-vaccine-mandates/

Answer 9

After reading the source, I can be sure that this claim is false. Colorado is not making any changes to their immunization policies however, there is evidence showing that the governor does support RFK’s veiws.

Answer 10

In April 2025, Colorado lawmakers amended House Bill 1027 to adjust the state's approach to determining school immunization requirements. Previously, Colorado's Board of Health based its vaccine mandates on recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the CDC. The amendment changed this, allowing the Board to consider recommendations from multiple organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians, in addition to ACIP. ​This legislative change occurred shortly after Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, was appointed as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. Lawmakers expressed concerns that under Kennedy's leadership, ACIP's recommendations might become less reliable. By diversifying the sources for vaccine guidance, Colorado aimed to maintain consistent immunization standards regardless of potential shifts at the federal level. However, it's important to note that this amendment did not "loosen" vaccine rules in the sense of making them less stringent. Instead, it was a preemptive measure to preserve the integrity of Colorado's immunization policies amidst uncertainties at the federal level.

https://rockymountainvoice.com/2025/04/state-bill-rewrites-how-colorado-decides-school-vaccine-mandates/

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/29/colorado-vaccines-rfk?

 https://coloradosun.com/2025/04/09/colorado-school-vaccination-requirements-acip/

 https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/11/14/jared-polis-democrat-governor-rfk-jr-hhs?