US Health Secretary RFK is systematically undermining vaccine confidence globally 

Despite insisting at confirmation hearings that he's not anti-vaccine, Robert F Kennedy Jr has sowed doubt about science, limited access to vaccines, and halted research funding

US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has a history of questioning the need for childhood vaccines and repeatedly spreading health misinformation from non-peer-reviewed outlets. Picture: Melissa Majchrzak/AP

Vaccines are one of the greatest public health success stories of all time. Over the past 50 years, they’ve saved an estimated 154m lives. But in the US, both access to vaccines and public trust in them are being systematically undermined — not by conspiracy theorists online, but from within the highest levels of government.

In February, Robert F Kennedy Jr — long associated with vaccine misinformation — was confirmed as US health secretary. Despite being pressed during his senate confirmation hearings, Kennedy insisted he was not anti-vaccine and pledged to maintain scientific standards.