Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. overhauls vaccine panel, issues screen‑time warning, fires preventive task force

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made several high‑profile changes to federal health policy. He issued a revised charter for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, scaling back earlier demands for specific expertise and emphasizing a “balanced range of scientific, clinical and public health expertise” after a federal judge blocked his prior appointments.

In a separate move, the HHS surgeon‑general’s office released a new advisory on children’s screen use. The advisory warns that excessive screen time can harm sleep, mental health and physical activity, and it recommends limits of no screen time for children under 18 months, under one hour per day for those under six, and up to two hours per day for ages six to 18. It calls on parents, schools, providers and policymakers to adopt tools and policies to reduce screen exposure.

Kennedy also dismissed the two top leaders of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a panel that issues evidence‑based recommendations on screenings and preventive care. Their removal leaves the task force without leadership as it delays key draft recommendations on issues such as alcohol screening, cervical‑cancer self‑swabs and perinatal‑depression counseling.