WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
once said there are no vaccines that are safe and effective. On Wednesday, he seemed to have changed his tune.
Across two Senate hearings, Kennedy noted that as health secretary, he funded the development of new vaccines, green-lit new shots for patients, asserted flu vaccines are preventive care, and even urged “every child to get the MMR,” a shot he previously suggested wasn’t safe. Last week, he acknowledged the shot could have saved the life of a child who died of measles.
Kennedy’s agenda continues to make waves across American health care, as his department pursues a broad crackdown on alleged fraud and seeks to upend Americans’ relationship with ultra-processed foods , all after major cuts across health agencies and a reworking of vaccine policy. But the about-face expands to a number of core MAHA issues — chemicals in food and the government’s relationship with industry among them.
Kennedy Jr.
publicly adopted a more moderate stance on vaccine-related issues compared with prior statements attributed to him.
Previously reported claims that "there are no vaccines that are safe and effective" were contrasted with his new public remarks endorsing certain vaccines and vaccination policies.
He also recently acknowledged that MMR vaccination "could have saved the life" of a child who died from measles.
health policy: pursuing extensive anti-fraud enforcement within the department, seeking to alter public consumption of highly processed foods, implementing cuts across health agencies, and revising vaccine policy.
Some MAHA leaders have reportedly expressed skepticism about the administration they supported, creating tension between retaining grassroots support and abandoning MAHA priorities deemed impractical or politically risky.