Keke Palmer Says There’s ‘A Lot of Elitism’ Around Parenting. Here’s What Bothers Her

Parenting advice usually comes with an unspoken assumption: that every family can follow it. Keke Palmer says that assumption is the problem. The actress and host, who has a 3-year-old son named Leo, argues that criticism of other parents’ car seats and kids’ meals ignores a basic fact. The ability to make the best choice for your child is often a luxury, not a moral test.

Palmer spoke with USA TODAY about online “mom-shaming,” which she says can pile unwanted criticism on parents without accounting for the resources or challenges they face. She sees “a lot of elitism around being a parent.” Palmer says she grew up in an impoverished area and knows what it is like to be mocked over a lunch when you live in a food desert with no fresh groceries nearby.

That lens shapes how she talks about health. Palmer is a pescatarian who lets her son eat a broader diet, and she says modeling healthy habits, from bike rides to taking time for herself, has changed how she treats herself. It also frames her latest project: a partnership with Sanofi to talk about protecting babies from RSV, a common respiratory virus that gets serious for some infants.

What RSV Is, and What the Antibody Shot Palmer Promotes Actually Does

Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common and easily spread virus that peaks in colder months. Most cases are mild, but severity is hard to predict. The CDC says RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization among infants in the United States, and about 2% to 3% of infants under 6 months are hospitalized with it each year. For a newborn, a cold-like illness can become a serious lung infection.

Beyfortus, made by Sanofi and AstraZeneca, is a preventive antibody, not a vaccine. The CDC recommends one dose for infants under 8 months who are born during or entering their first RSV season, and for some higher-risk children aged 8 to 19 months entering their second. The best timing is shortly before RSV season, which runs October through March in most of the country. Merck’s antibody Enflonsia is another option.

Parents also have a third route: a maternal RSV vaccine given during pregnancy, which the CDC counts as one way to protect a newborn. Most infants need only one of the three options. Which fits a given family is a conversation for a pediatrician or obstetrician. Palmer says her own conversation felt easy, and she acknowledges that is not true for everyone.

Black and Publicly Insured Infants Have Been Less Likely to Get the Antibody, Studies Show

Palmer’s concern about gaps in protection has support in the data. A study in Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics journal, tracked a large pediatric primary care network and found antibody uptake rose from 35% in the 2023-24 season to 67% the following season. Even so, infants with public insurance and Black infants remained significantly less likely to receive it. That means access improved overall while the gap did not close.

A separate analysis of the 2024-25 season reported by CIDRAP found 71.7% of infants were protected through either maternal vaccination or the antibody, with 42.5% receiving the antibody and 31.9% protected through a maternal vaccine. Coverage was 60.5% for infants born to Black, Middle Eastern, or North African women, versus 83.7% for infants born to Asian mothers. These are snapshots from specific studies, not national averages.

Palmer ties the gap partly to trust. She says she has a good relationship with her doctors, and that many Black and Brown communities do not always have that. Her advice is to ask questions, compare opinions from multiple doctors or people you trust, and use resources such as the drug’s own website. Researchers say the gaps call for targeted outreach. How that message is delivered matters as much as the message.

A Celebrity Partnership Is Not Medical Advice, and Palmer Herself Says to Get Multiple Opinions

Palmer’s message arrives through a partnership with a company that makes the product. That context is worth knowing. It does not make her message wrong, but it shapes what it is: a public awareness effort fronted by a famous parent. The medical facts come from the CDC and peer-reviewed research. The decision about a specific child belongs to that child’s doctor.

Palmer says she is not trying to scare anyone. She describes her approach as sharing what helped her family, then leaving others to decide, and she says every parent is doing what they believe is best. That framing matches her broader point about online parenting culture, where she says people prove each other wrong instead of getting the best information. She says she tries to fill in that gray space on her podcast.

The most useful line in the interview may be the simplest: get more than one opinion. It applies to the tips of influencers, to the criticism of strangers online, and to a celebrity-backed health message alike. Palmer argues that shaming parents helps no one. She also offers the test that applies to her own advice. Ask questions, compare sources, and let a pediatrician, not the feed, help make the call.

This article is general information, not medical advice; a child’s pediatrician can explain RSV prevention options and timing for your family.