Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faces criticism over vaccine and avian flu policies

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing criticism from medical groups and lawmakers regarding his impact on public health policy. Reports indicate that his anti-vaccine views contributed to the shelving of an Agriculture Department plan to respond to avian flu, a move causing concern as wild bird migration begins.

Amid a measles crisis, Kennedy has proposed a new billing code to pay doctors for collecting information on vaccine injuries. This proposal has drawn condemnation from organizations including the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American Nurses Association, who argue it could create perverse incentives and a false perception of causality.

Additionally, a sixth measles death has been reported in Pennsylvania, though the CDC has reportedly refused to acknowledge several previously reported deaths. Concerns have also been raised regarding the continued funding of a hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau that health experts describe as unethical.