Summary
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s appointment as head of the Department of Health and Human Services has reignited concerns over his vaccine-skeptic views.
Kennedy, who has previously promoted debunked claims linking vaccines to autism and criticized COVID-19 vaccines, is seen by experts as a “vaccine cynic” undermining trust in vaccine safety.
Health officials worry his leadership could worsen declining vaccination rates, already linked to rising measles and whooping cough cases.
Experts fear Kennedy’s influence may lead to unqualified leadership appointments at health agencies and deepen vaccine hesitancy among parents.
Doctors and nurses worried they will have to grow a spine and do things the ways their forbears did in order to help their patients. Precious few of mine, or my wife and kids’ doctors, have been interested in doing any more than the bare minimum they could, both to stay out of trouble, and moreso to keep from getting in trouble(mostly, having to expend any effort to ensure insurance paid them).
It sucks that last bit goes with the job description, but this “the system mostly works”-state we’ve been in for decades was both a fluke and a lie, where healthcare is concerned .