RFK Jr. could hold massive influence over childhood vaccines as health secretary
Experts say Kennedy’s long history of anti-vaccine activism could translate into significant changes to childhood immunization policies in the U.S.
As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. meets with Senate Republicans on the Hill this week in an effort to secure his confirmation as secretary of health and human services, his biggest hurdle may be convincing them that he doesn’t hold extreme views on vaccines.
That could prove difficult, however, as Kennedy has spent decades publicly opposing vaccines, including making repeated false claims about vaccines being linked to autism and his involvement with Children’s Health Defense, a leading anti-vaccine group.
In recent days, concerns over how Kennedy might wield his influence as health secretary have grown. Last week, The New York Times reported that a lawyer for Kennedy who is reviewing candidates for jobs at HHS filed a petition to the Food and Drug Administration in 2022 to revoke approval of the polio vaccine. The petition, the Times said, was on behalf of the Informed Consent Action Network, an anti-vaccine group with ties to Kennedy.
On Monday, President-elect Donald Trump added to the controversy, saying during a news conference that he believes there are “problems” with vaccines and suggesting they may be linked to rising autism rates. Trump said, however, that he’s a “big believer” in the polio vaccine.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., a polio survivor and a potential key figure in Kennedy’s confirmation, fired a warning shot at Kennedy in a statement Friday.“Efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed — they’re dangerous,” McConnell said. The polio vaccine was approved in the U.S. in 1955, and it has prevented an estimated 20 million cases of paralysis in children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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