RFK Jr's HHS Shakeup: Vaccine Fears, Funding Cuts, and Furor

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.

Robert F Kennedy Jr has dominated headlines over the past few days as his tenure as Health and Human Services Secretary under President Trump continues to spark significant controversy and policy upheaval. On July 25, both Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal reported that Kennedy is expected to remove all 16 members of the US Preventive Services Task Force, the advisory board that decides which preventive health measures—like cancer screenings and HIV prevention medications—are covered by insurance. Kennedy reportedly considers the panel too politically progressive. While a Health and Human Services spokesperson said no final decision has been made, insiders told NBC News that current task force members only learned of a cancelled meeting earlier this month without explanation, raising tensions and uncertainty. This comes just weeks after Kennedy abruptly fired all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel and replaced them with a smaller team including prominent vaccine critics as reported by FactCheck.org.

The British Medical Journal confirmed Kennedy’s recent move to ban thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative, from all influenza vaccines in the United States, citing the need to boost public confidence in immunization, a decision that has reignited longstanding debunked claims linking thimerosal to autism. While only about five percent of adult flu shots previously contained thimerosal, his announcement signals a broader policy direction embracing the skepticism Kennedy has long been associated with.

On July 23, Kennedy made a rare public appearance in Idaho, where local outlets captured him commending the state for its health initiatives and conservative-oriented public health approaches. This generated a modest uptick in positive mentions from right-leaning sectors of social media, while his critics, especially in medical circles, remain vocal about the potential risks of his widening changes to longstanding federal health policy.

In official agency communications and recent interviews, Kennedy has repeatedly denied that he intends to remove access to any vaccines, referencing his pre-confirmation promises as Secretary and attempting to allay public concern, an effort documented in both HHS and Instagram posts. Nevertheless, he faces pushback over his administration’s reported freezing or cutting of several billion dollars in federal science funding, with Kennedy insisting there have been no reductions in life-saving research or working scientists—a claim under scrutiny by independent analysts.

In HHS press releases, Kennedy has also pushed for sweeping reforms in the US organ transplant system, highlighting what he describes as a systemic disregard for the sanctity of life. His activities have sparked fierce debate about the direction of public health, from children’s vaccine schedules to the scope of medical research. The overall reaction has been deeply polarized, with Kennedy’s every move triggering a flurry of both support and outrage across online and traditional media platforms. No unconfirmed scandals or dramatic personal revelations have emerged in this most recent window, but insiders and observers agree the upheaval he has initiated will have significant, possibly enduring, biographical impact.

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