[REVISION HISTORY]

RFK Jr. HHS leadership, vaccine policy & CDC turmoil

Updated 15 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-31 17:28 UTC → 2026-09-06 23:45 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Since his April 2026 appointment, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has reshaped U.S. health governance, installing acting heads at the CDC, NIH, FDA and the Surgeon‑General’s office. He issued rules on ultra‑processed foods, capped SSRI prescriptions, banned added sugars in hospital meals, tightened food‑additive safety, revised the ACIP charter, dismissed the Preventive Services Task Force leadership and, on June 30, terminated all COVID‑19 emergency‑use authorizations through 2027. Kennedy’s July 27 risk‑benefit reassessment of the Pfizer‑BioNTech COVID‑19 vaccine argued that the headline 95 % efficacy figure rested on a narrow endpoint and short follow‑up, and highlighted a modest excess of adverse events. He paired this analysis with a pledge to ban direct‑to‑consumer pharmaceutical advertising. The measles resurgence has become a focal point. By August 2026, the U.S. recorded over 2,370 confirmed cases—the highest in 35 years—with approximately 93 % of patients being unvaccinated. Kennedy has urged parents to vaccinate, citing the vaccine’s 97 % effectiveness, while denying personal responsibility for the surge. However, during a Fox News town hall, Kennedy drew criticism for downplaying the risks, referring to recent measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania as ‘so-called measles deaths’ and suggesting that infectious diseases are used to create fear. He argued that foodborne illnesses cause significantly more annual deaths than infectious diseases. Public health experts have challenged these assertions, noting that the rarity of measles deaths is a direct consequence of high MMR vaccine coverage. On 5 August, the Senate confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz as CDC director by a 51-44 vote. ~~Schwartz inherits a workforce that has lost approximately one-quarter~~ On 3 September, Kennedy directed the CDC to ~~one-third of~~ remove two measles-related deaths in Pennsylvania from its ~~staff due~~ online tally, questioning if the disease contributed to ~~a massive reduction~~ the fatalities despite previous state assessments. CDC Director Schwartz reportedly implemented the directive without objection. The American Public Health Association described this interference in ~~force initiated~~ state and local health department conclusions as ‘unheard of’. Additionally, Kennedy appointed Lt. Col. Theresa Long as a senior medical military adviser to investigate claims of COVID-19 vaccine-related deaths among U.S. Army service members, targeting 2,544 deaths and 55,000 adverse effect reports recorded in ~~April 2025.~~ VAERS.

Versions

Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.