The Senate’s Thursday confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic, to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has provoked strong criticism from public health experts, who fear it will damage public health and undermine confidence in science and medicine.
Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a former advisor to the CDC and FDA, expressed deep concern, stating, “It’s a disheartening day for America’s children and public health to have a science denialist, conspiracy theorist, and anti-vaccine activist lead the nation’s top public health agency. Senators who supported his confirmation should be ashamed.”
Kennedy, 71, a controversial nominee of President Trump, has a history of disseminating medical misinformation, angering many experts. His past promotion of the debunked link between vaccines and autism, along with other contentious claims about vaccines and infectious diseases, drew significant scrutiny during his confirmation hearings. Senators questioned his inconsistent views on various issues and his previous advocacy of controversial theories, such as his claims that Lyme disease and COVID-19 were engineered bioweapons. He also appeared unfamiliar with certain aspects of HHS responsibilities, sometimes confusing Medicaid and Medicare. Despite this, he was confirmed 52-48, with only Senator Mitch McConnell, a polio survivor, opposing him among Republicans.
Public health experts initially voiced alarm when Trump nominated Kennedy in November. As HHS Secretary, Kennedy will oversee agencies such as the CDC and FDA.
A primary concern revolves around Kennedy’s influence on vaccine policy. While attempting to distance himself from his prior anti-vaccine statements, claiming to be “pro-safety” rather than “anti-vaccine,” and asserting that the Trump administration wouldn’t remove vaccines from the market, experts remain unconvinced. They fear Kennedy might appoint individuals to the FDA and CDC who could hinder or revoke vaccine approvals, thereby limiting access and eroding trust in a crucial public health tool.
Dr. Rob Davidson, an emergency physician and executive director of the Committee to Protect Health Care, which circulated a petition signed by over 22,000 physicians urging the Senate to reject Kennedy, expressed worry about Kennedy’s response to emerging diseases like H5N1 (avian flu). He also criticized Kennedy’s past calls for halting infectious disease research. Davidson described Kennedy as “a dangerous individual for public health,” emphasizing the gravity of having a leader of the vaccine skepticism movement head the U.S. government’s public health agency.
“I think a lot of lives are at risk potentially because of this person running this agency,” Davidson added.
Experts also harbor concerns about Kennedy’s potential actions regarding abortion. Despite past pro-choice statements, Kennedy has since voiced anti-abortion views, agreeing with Trump that “every abortion is a tragedy” and advocating for state-level control over abortion policy.
His ambiguous responses during hearings about mifepristone, an FDA-approved abortion medication recently challenged legally, raised further concerns. Kennedy stated that Trump had asked him to “study the safety of mifepristone” and that the President hadn’t yet decided on its regulation. Davidson worries that under Kennedy’s leadership, HHS and the FDA might restrict mifepristone’s availability.
One area where Kennedy has received some qualified support is his focus on food policy. He has outlined a plan to “Make America Healthy Again,” including banning certain food additives and chemicals, and reforming regulations and subsidies to reduce the consumption of ultra-processed foods.
Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and director of the at Tufts University, believes Kennedy and the Trump administration could potentially address the pressing issue of food-related chronic diseases. While hopeful Kennedy will prioritize this, he expressed disappointment with Kennedy’s insufficiently clear answers regarding his anti-vaccine stance during the confirmation hearings. Mozaffarian felt Kennedy missed an opportunity to address the controversy and focus on the widespread agreement about problems with the current food system.
Many health experts remain skeptical about Kennedy’s commitment to meaningful food and nutrition reforms, believing his other controversial stances overshadow any potential positive impact in this area.
Experts fear Kennedy could worsen public distrust in science and medicine, viewing his confirmation and the support he received as evidence of this growing trend.
An epidemiologist and founder of the newsletter stated, “Today marks growing mistrust in institutions, the power of the changing information landscape, and the blurring of lines between truth and falsehoods. Navigating this new world requires a different approach. I’m most concerned about the rhetoric, the sowing of doubt, and the confusion we’ll all face.”
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