Healthy Returns: HHS Secretary RFK Jr. is making early moves that may affect vaccine access

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It’s been less than two weeks since Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic, was confirmed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. 

But he’s already making moves that could affect immunization uptake and policy in the U.S. HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on those efforts. 

That’s not much of a surprise. Kennedy has long made misleading and false statements about the safety of shots. He has claimed they are linked to autism despite decades of studies that debunk that association. 

Kennedy is also the founder of the nonprofit Children’s Health Defense, the most well-funded anti-vaccine organization in the U.S. In a government ethics agreement in January, he said he stopped serving as chairman or chief legal counsel for the organization as of December.

Kennedy tried to distance himself from those views during his Senate confirmation hearings, claiming that he isn’t “anti-vaccine” and would do nothing to make it “difficult or discourage people from taking” shots for measles and polio. 

Sen. Bill Cassidy from Louisiana, who was considered one of the biggest Republican swing votes, eventually backed Kennedy’s nomination after receiving assurances that the Trump administration would not dismantle the nation’s vaccine safety systems or alter government recommendations for immunizations.

But his track record so far suggests otherwise. 

Here’s what has reportedly happened with vaccines under Kennedy so far: 

• Childhood vaccination schedule review – In his first speech to staff, Kennedy said last week that he will review the childhood vaccine schedule despite earlier pledges not to do so. He promised that a new “Make America Healthy Again” commission would investigate vaccines, pesticides and antidepressants to see if they have contributed to a rise of chronic illness in the U.S. Trump formed that commission last week in an executive order. Though Kennedy did not directly call for changes to the vaccination schedule, he made it clear that the committee will investigate issues, including childhood vaccinations, that “were formerly taboo or insufficiently scrutinized.”

• CDC vaccine promotional campaign halted – The CDC was ordered to shelve some promotions it created for a variety of vaccines, including a campaign touting seasonal flu shots, according to multiple outlets. HHS’ assistant secretary for public affairs informed the CDC that Kennedy wanted advertisements that promote the idea of “informed consent” in vaccine decision-making instead, STAT News reported last week. Informed consent refers to a process in which patients are given important information, including possible risks and benefits, about a medical procedure or treatment. It comes amid a brutal flu season in the U.S. that is still ongoing. 

• Plans to remove some CDC, FDA advisors – Kennedy is preparing to remove members of the external committees that advise the Food and Drug Administration and CDC on vaccine approvals and other key public health decisions, Politico reported last week. He reportedly plans to replace members who he perceives to have conflicts of interest, though it is unclear how many people will be outed or when. That’s part of a broader effort to limit what he has criticized as undue pharmaceutical industry influence over the government’s health agencies. Kennedy will likely target the CDC’s advisory committee on immunization practices – or ACIP – which plays a critical role in setting U.S. vaccine policy. He is also examining other outside panels, such as those that advise the FDA. 

• First CDC advisory panel meeting postponed – The first ACIP meeting since Kennedy was sworn in has been postponed to “accommodate public comment in advance of the meeting,” according to several news outlets. The panel of advisors meets three times a year to weigh the pros and cons of newly approved or updated shots. The ACIP helps the CDC make recommendations for states and insurers on what vaccines to cover, including childhood immunizations. It’s unclear if Kennedy was directly behind the delay of the meeting, which was originally scheduled for Wednesday through Friday. HHS officials did not share when it will be rescheduled. 

We’ll continue to follow the fate of the nation’s approach to vaccinations. Stay tuned for our updates. 

Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Annika at [email protected].

Oracle on Monday announced it has formally submitted its application to join a new federally-backed medical network called the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, or TEFCA. 

The network aims to standardize the legal and technical requirements for sharing patients’ data, which is a notoriously complex process. Health-care data is siloed and protected by laws like Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, so exchanging this information on a large scale is no easy task. 

TEFCA was launched in late 2023 and falls under the purview of an office in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Oracle had previously announced its intention to join TEFCA in October. 

Oracle acquired the medical records giant Cerner for about $28 billion in 2022, and the company has been working to revamp its technology in recent years. Joining TEFCA is a “natural next step” for Oracle, Seema Verma, executive vice president of Oracle Health and Life Sciences, told CNBC in an October interview.

“This builds on our long-standing leadership in driving interoperability to increase industry-wide efficiency and to help ensure patients retain control over their own data,” Verma said in a statement Monday. 

The main groups that participate in health-data exchanges through TEFCA are called qualified health information networks, or QHINs. These networks have to get approved and their participation is voluntary.

As of Tuesday, eight organizations, including Oracle competitor Epic Systems, have been recognized as designated QHINs for TEFCA exchange. 

If Oracle is approved to join TEFCA, it would help expand the exchange’s reach and could further bolster its credibility. Oracle’s network would support the sharing of data like X-Rays and MRIs that are not traditionally available through other exchanges, the company added. 

It’s not immediately clear if or when Oracle’s application will be approved.

Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Ashley at [email protected].