As a reader of this newsletter, you’re no doubt aware of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his… unique approach to running the Department of Health and Human Services. But you might not have kept up with every step in his whirlwind seven months leading the agency.
So let’s review his tenure so far, starting with the actions and statements on vaccines that U.S. News has been tracking since Kennedy took office. Then we’ll preview some of his potential next moves.
Vaccines, Vaccines, Vaccines
Kennedy, who insists he isn’t anti-vaccine, has toed the line between backing vaccination as a preventive public health tool and making statements or overseeing developments that threaten to undermine that tool.
The secretary promised during his confirmation process he wouldn’t make any changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel that develops vaccine recommendations for Americans. He broke that in a big way, firing every member of the panel and bringing in an array of vaccine skeptics.
The panel in question isn’t necessarily a household name – the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices – but it typically holds a lot of sway over vaccination policies in the U.S. and helps determine what shots insurers will cover.
Not so much this year, though.
Following Kennedy’s overhaul of the committee, the national trade association representing the health insurance industry said insurers would cover all the shots the ACIP recommended as of Sept. 1 – before actions from the revamped panel. So your updated COVID-19 shots and flu vaccines will be covered if you have one of these insurers.
But that didn’t stop the hand-picked committee members from reining in COVID-19 shot recommendations, which could make it harder for people on other private insurance to get the shot, and its availability could differ by state.
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What Else Has Kennedy Done?
It’s not just vaccines, though that is a lot of it. Just sticking with injections, we’ve seen many changes:
- He pulled contracts and cut funding for 22 mRNA vaccine development projects totaling nearly $500 million.
- He fired the CDC director, who said she was cut because she wouldn’t preemptively approve recommendation from the new vaccine committee.
- He ended a rule that incentivized hospitals to report vaccination rates among their staff.
Kennedy is also making a push for healthier eating, saying ultraprocessed foods are a “driving factor” in what he calls the childhood chronic disease crisis. We broke down steps by states to follow Kennedy’s push here. The push has led to some particularly stark pivots in red states, like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott going from mocking a Michelle Obama healthy food push to backing similar goals from Kennedy.
And don’t forget Kennedy’s comments on autism. He announced studies to find the cause of autism, which he previously pledged would be completed by last month. During an event in September, Kennedy stood behind President Donald Trump as he said without evidence that taking acetaminophen, commonly known as Tylenol, during pregnancy was linked to autism. And Kennedy vowed further research into the (debunked) link between vaccines and autism.
