On Thursday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. used a Washington appearance to tell vaccine skeptics that their concerns now have a direct ally inside the White House. Speaking at a Children’s Health Defense conference, Kennedy pointed to changes in federal vaccine policy as evidence of the influence he says the movement now has.
The HHS secretary tells vaccine skeptics they have allies inside the Donald Trump administration
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s relationship with the group runs deep. He helped launch Children’s Health Defense about a decade ago and previously served as its chair and chief legal counsel. During his keynote address on September 17, he praised the administration’s work and told attendees, “You have a strong and steadfast friend in the White House.” He also said Donald Trump had asked him to investigate whether childhood vaccines could contribute to chronic disease (via AP News).
The secretary further highlighted Trump’s August 10 executive order changing the schedule for the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. The order calls for the three MMR doses to be administered during separate medical visits. According to PEOPLE, medical groups have criticized that change, arguing that extra appointments could create additional costs and make vaccination harder for families and providers.
Kennedy also pointed to a broader effort to reshape federal vaccine policy. He said the administration had changed how it responds to parents who question vaccination guidance and insisted, “We have not taken vaccines away from anybody.” His push to replace all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices with vaccine critics, however, ran into court opposition. A federal judge temporarily blocked those changes after finding Kennedy violated federal procedures.
Kennedy’s message came just one day after Trump’s Surgeon General nominee, Dr. Nicole Saphier, faced Senate questions about vaccines. Saphier said she did not believe childhood vaccines cause autism. “Humbly, I don’t know what causes autism, but I have not seen repeatable evidence that would suggest that vaccines cause autism,” she said.
