Kennedy was confirmed February 13, 2025 in a 52-48 Senate vote after heated debate over his position on vaccines.
The son of a former US senator and nephew of former president John F. Kennedy has spread debunked claims linking vaccines to autism and led an activist group that amplified multiple false claims about Covid-19 vaccines.
Following his confirmation, Kennedy said he was "not going to take away anyone's vaccine," while also asserting: "We lack comprehensive safety studies on nearly all vaccines."
Kennedy has dismissed critics who say he is anti-vaccine, claiming his views were mischaracterized and insisting he was advocating for "common sense" policies.
"Vaccines should be tested, they should be safe, everyone should have informed consent," he said.
Kennedy has been previously quoted as warning of a vaccine-linked "holocaust" and his nonprofit Children's Health Defense group raised millions of dollars as it spread misinformation about Covid-19 and other vaccines.
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A nurse prepares the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine at the Rockland County Health Department in Haverstraw, Rockland County, New York in 2019 (AFP / Johannes EISELE)
Nonetheless, numerous studies and scientific experts point to the life-saving properties of vaccines, suggesting Kennedy's comments are largely false or misleading.
A 2024 study in The Lancet (archived here) concluded that routine vaccinations over the past 50 years had saved 154 million lives, mostly...
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