Overview

• Investigations by NOTUS and AFP found the MAHA report cited at least seven studies that do not exist and included broken links and incorrect author attributions.
• White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said citation mistakes were due to formatting errors, announced an updated version, and defended the report’s substantive value.
• Observers including Retraction Watch’s Ivan Oransky suggest the errors bear hallmarks of AI-generated content and highlight a lack of traditional scientific review.
• Critics point to Secretary Kennedy’s longstanding promotion of vaccine-safety doubts as heightening alarm over the report’s calls to reassess the childhood immunization schedule.
• The administration has requested a $500 million boost in congressional funding for the MAHA initiative despite ongoing questions about its research foundation.