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Kennedy Teams With Justice Department to Overhaul Federal Vaccine Injury Program

Kennedy says the overhaul will target favoritism and corruption in vaccine compensation; critics warn it risks undercutting confidence in immunization programs.

U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at the National Governors Association meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S., July 26, 2025. REUTERS/Isaiah J. Downing/File Photo
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attends a press conference at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, DC, on June 23.
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Photo by Thirdman on Pexels.com

Overview

  • On July 28, 2025, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a formal partnership with the Justice Department to reform the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
  • Kennedy has criticized the program as plagued by “inefficiency, favoritism and outright corruption” and pledged to streamline claims adjudication.
  • UC Law Professor Dorit Reiss and other public health experts argue the effort serves an anti-vaccine agenda and could erode trust in vaccine safety oversight.
  • The VICP reform is the latest in Kennedy’s vaccine policy shifts that include dismissing and replacing CDC advisers with known skeptics and suspending a $1 billion U.S. pledge to GAVI.
  • Health officials warn that sweeping changes to compensation, advisory panels and global funding priorities may weaken established public health safeguards.