{"id":15478,"date":"2025-12-26T16:20:53","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T22:20:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/?post_type=jtf_topics&p=15478"},"modified":"2025-12-31T16:30:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T22:30:22","slug":"what-is-the-deal-with-placebo-trials","status":"publish","type":"jtf_topics","link":"https:\/\/www.voicesforvaccines.org\/es\/jtf_topics\/what-is-the-deal-with-placebo-trials\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the deal with placebo trials?"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row source=”” text=”Clinical Trials” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes” google_fonts=”font_family:Abril%20Fatface%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” link=”” css=”.vc_custom_1708910874436{border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 1px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 1px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”The Claim:” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text css=””]Public figures, including\u00a0HHS Secretary<\/a>\u00a0Kennedy Jr. and some politicians and social media accounts, shared the idea that childhood vaccines in the U.S. were never tested in long-term,\u00a0placebo-controlled trials. Their posts and interviews helped the claim spread widely on platforms like Twitter\u00a0and in news stories. This idea was mentioned in ACIP meetings, public hearings, and\u00a0across social media in 2025, making it a common talking point among anti-vaccine groups and influencers.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”The Facts:” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text css=””]A placebo is something used for comparison in a study. Many people think a placebo must always be saline (salt water), but that is not always true. An\u00a0inert placebo<\/strong>\u00a0(like saline) has no active ingredients.<\/p>\n

An\u00a0active control<\/strong>\u00a0may contain something already known to be safe, like another vaccine or vaccine\u00a0ingredients<\/a>\u00a0such as stabilizers or adjuvants (ingredients that help the vaccine work better). These added ingredients make sure that the person getting the vaccine or placebo cannot tell which one they actually received. If they could tell, it might change how they describe their symptoms to the scientists in charge of the trial<\/p>\n

Both types are accepted in science, depending on the situation. And despite what some people claim, many childhood vaccines were tested using saline placebos, including vaccines for:<\/p>\n