Overview

• The U.S. is grappling with its most severe measles outbreak in decades, with over 700 confirmed cases and multiple deaths, particularly among unvaccinated individuals.
• HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has publicly endorsed measles vaccination, a notable departure from his prior anti-vaccine rhetoric, but continues to frame vaccination as a personal choice.
• Kennedy's promise to determine the cause of autism by September has been widely criticized by experts, including former FDA official Peter Marks, as unrealistic and misleading.
• Sweeping workforce cuts and restructuring at federal health agencies under Kennedy's leadership have raised concerns about diminished capacity to manage public health crises.
• Critics argue that Kennedy's actions and messaging, including promoting vaccine-autism links, undermine scientific consensus and public trust in vaccines.