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Lyn Redwood

Lyn Redwood Biography – Early Life, Education, Family, Career & More

Profession: Nurse Practitioner
Nationality: American
Hometown: Tyrone, Georgia
Post Bio/Wiki *

Lyn Redwood is an American nurse practitioner and vaccine safety advocate who became one of the most recognized figures in the anti-vaccine movement. She is best known as President Emerita of Children’s Health Defense (CHD), the organization founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. With over 25 years of clinical experience in pediatrics and family medicine, Lyn moved into advocacy after her son’s autism diagnosis, which she linked to mercury in vaccines.

Over the years, she co-authored papers, testified before Congress, served on federal committees, and appeared in national media. In 2025, she made headlines again when she joined the CDC’s Immunization Safety Office under RFK Jr.’s leadership at HHS, a move that sparked major controversy because of her history of promoting debunked claims about thimerosal and autism.

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Lyn Redwood Wiki/Bio

FieldDetails
Full NameLyn Redwood
ProfessionNurse Practitioner, Vaccine Safety Advocate, Author
HometownTyrone, Georgia, USA
Current ResidenceGeorgia, USA
NationalityAmerican
LinkedIn IDLyn Redwood
Lyn Redwood
Lyn Redwood
Table of Contents
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Lyn Redwood Early Life

Lyn Redwood grew up in Georgia, Her path into healthcare eventually led her to become a nurse practitioner. Her activism began after 1999, when her son Will was diagnosed with autism. Believing that mercury exposure from vaccines was the cause, she shifted from clinical practice to advocacy. She calculated that her infant son had received mercury levels far above safety limits, an experience that shaped the rest of her career.

Lyn Redwood Education

Lyn Redwood earned both a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Community Health Nursing. Her training was focused on pediatrics and family medicine, and she worked in clinical practice for more than 25 years. Beyond her formal education, her expertise in vaccine safety came from her own research and work with advocacy groups such as SafeMinds.

Lyn Redwood Family Details

Lyn is married to her husband, Tommy, and together they have three children: daughter Hanna, son Drew, and son Will. Will’s autism diagnosis in 1999 had a profound impact on her life and advocacy. The family settled in Tyrone, Georgia, where Lyn also became active in community leadership, serving on the local city council and Board of Health for nearly two decades.

Lyn Redwood and Tommy Redwood, Kathleen Kennedy
Lyn Redwood and Tommy Redwood, Kathleen Kennedy (2017 Photo)

Lyn Redwood Career

Lyn Redwood’s career began in nursing, but she became widely known for her vaccine safety activism starting in 1999. In 2000, she co-founded SafeMinds, an organization focused on studying mercury exposure, and served as its Executive Director until 2016. She also helped launch the National Autism Association in 2003, serving as Director Emerita.

She testified before Congress in 2000 and 2004 about mercury in vaccines and went on to serve as a public member of the NIH Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (2007–2014). She was also involved in the Department of Defense Autism Research Program.

In 2016, Lyn became President of the World Mercury Project, which later became Children’s Health Defense (CHD) under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. She has since remained a key figure in the organization as President Emerita.

Her work has included co-authoring papers such as Autism: A Novel Form of Mercury Toxicity (2000), producing documentaries like Vaxxed II: The People’s Truth (2019), and making media appearances on shows like Good Morning America and ABC Nightly News.

In 2025, she was appointed to the CDC’s Immunization Safety Office as a special government employee by RFK Jr., now serving as Secretary of Health and Human Services. This appointment drew strong criticism from scientists and lawmakers, as she has continued to promote the debunked link between thimerosal and autism.

Career Milestones

MilestoneDetails
Son’s Diagnosis1999; inspired her vaccine safety activism
SafeMindsCo-founded in 2000; led until 2016
Congress Testimony2000 and 2004 on mercury in vaccines
Federal RolesNIH IACC member (2007–2014); DoD research program
CHD PresidencyPresident of World Mercury Project/CHD
CDC AppointmentJoined Immunization Safety Office in 2025
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Controversies

Lyn Redwood has been at the center of vaccine debates for over two decades. Her claims linking thimerosal to autism have been rejected by mainstream science and public health agencies. Despite thimerosal being removed from most vaccines since 1999, she has continued to argue that it causes neurological harm.

Her appointment to the CDC in 2025 under RFK Jr. drew bipartisan criticism. Senator Patty Murray and other lawmakers called the move “deeply disturbing,” warning that it could undermine vaccine confidence. At an ACIP meeting in June 2025, she presented on thimerosal but was later forced to correct errors after citing a nonexistent study, fueling criticism from scientists.

While her supporters view her as a determined advocate for families affected by autism, critics accuse her of spreading misinformation that risks public health.

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