Trump Presidency
RFK Jr. Sparks Vaccine Policy Uproar: COVID Shots Restricted, Experts Warn of Outbreak Risks
In just six months as Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has set off a firestorm of debate in the medical and scientific community. His sweeping changes to vaccine policy — including restricting COVID-19 shots, canceling major mRNA research contracts, and overhauling federal health panels — have experts warning of long-term public health consequences.
COVID Shots Limited for Kids and Pregnant Women
In May, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the CDC would no longer recommend COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children and pregnant women, citing “a lack of clinical data” on booster strategies. This shift marks a stark departure from scientific consensus, which has consistently supported COVID vaccines as safe and effective.
Public health officials fear this could lead to reduced vaccination rates and heightened risks during future outbreaks.
Sweeping Changes at the CDC
In June, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP), calling it a “clean sweep” to restore confidence in vaccine science. The newly appointed members include individuals with anti-vaccine views and signatories of the controversial Great Barrington Declaration, which advocated letting COVID spread among young people to achieve herd immunity.
Critics worry the new panel could dramatically alter the nation’s routine childhood immunization schedule, undermining decades of public health progress.
I’m leading a team at @HHSGov, along with @EDSecMcMahon, targeting the woeful lack of nutrition education in medicine. We can reverse the chronic disease epidemic simply by changing our diets and lifestyles, but to do that, we need nutrition to be a basic part of every doctor’s… pic.twitter.com/GFOYE5RuYm
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) August 27, 2025
Funding Cuts and Research Rollbacks
This month, RFK Jr. canceled $500 million in federal contracts for new mRNA vaccine development, redirecting funding toward “safer, broader platforms.” Scientists argue that this decision jeopardizes future pandemic preparedness and stifles breakthroughs in vaccine technology.
Additionally, Robert F. Kennedy revived a childhood vaccine safety panel long championed by anti-vaccine groups and endorsed removing thimerosal — a mercury-based preservative already largely phased out — from flu shots, a move critics call symbolic but misleading.
Autism Registry and Liability Shifts
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pledged to investigate autism’s “root causes” and create a national autism registry, despite overwhelming research disproving any link between vaccines and autism. He is also considering overhauling or eliminating the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, a system that protects vaccine makers from liability while compensating families. Experts warn that dismantling the program could expose manufacturers to costly lawsuits, potentially driving them out of the vaccine market.
HHS officials defend Robert F. Kennedy’s actions as “bold, thoughtful steps” to restore trust and transparency. But with measles outbreaks already testing public health systems, critics argue Kennedy’s approach could roll back decades of progress in protecting Americans from preventable diseases.
