Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told CDC staff that the U.S. would have done better in the Covid outbreak by listening to alternative voices, speaking at a memorial for last year's shooting at the agency.
The Trump administration announced it will immediately release $600 million in congressionally appropriated funds for Gavi, the global vaccine alliance serving the world's poorest countries. The funds had been withheld due to unsubstantiated safety concerns raised by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Outside advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration narrowly voted to recommend broader access to several unapproved peptides popular in wellness circles, backing a push by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. despite objections from FDA career scientists about limited safety data and potential conflicts of interest among panelists.
The Trump administration has paused over $1 billion in federal Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota, with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. citing suspected fraud and noncompliance. The states must provide documentation to receive the withheld funds.
Trump administration's CDC director nominee Erica Schwartz drew frustrated reactions from senators during her July 15 confirmation hearing when she pledged to 'never betray the science' while simultaneously backing Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s actions, raising concerns about her willingness to protect the agency from political meddling.
The FDA and HHS are implementing sweeping reforms to speed up early-stage drug research in the United States, addressing concerns that pharmaceutical companies have increasingly moved clinical trials to countries like China and Australia. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the changes aimed at bringing investment back to the U.S.
The Trump administration plans to reclassify top NIH positions under Schedule F, making federal workers easier to fire and more politicized. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is spearheading the move.
Health officials under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. explored banning certain SSRI antidepressants as part of plans to reduce their use in the United States, sparking significant debate over medication safety and federal regulatory authority.
The Department of Health and Human Services has filed an appeal against a court ruling that halted many of RFK Jr.'s vaccine policy changes, marking the latest development in the lawsuit filed by the American Association of Pediatrics.
The federal autism committee met for the first time since HHS Secretary Kennedy fired most scientific experts and replaced them with activists and advocates, focusing on 'profound autism.'
Health Secretary RFK Jr. declared a public health emergency for Hawaii in response to severe weather events, providing federal healthcare providers and suppliers greater flexibility to meet emergency needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in the affected areas.
The CDC delayed publishing a study scheduled for March 19 that found Covid vaccines reduced urgent care and emergency visits by 50 percent and hospitalizations by 55 percent among healthy adults in 2025-2026. Acting CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya halted the report over methodological concerns despite it passing the agency's scientific review process and using the same observational methods the CDC has long employed for respiratory virus vaccines. The delay occurs under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who formerly chaired anti-vaccine group Children's Health Defense, called Covid shots the deadliest vaccine ever made, and directed the CDC to drop vaccine recommendations for children and healthy pregnant women. Public confidence has eroded, with only 41 percent of Americans believing Covid vaccine benefits outweigh risks according to a September 2025 YouGov survey.
The Environmental Protection Agency has designated microplastics as a potential drinking water contaminant requiring study, marking a significant regulatory step seen as appealing to the MAHA movement's focus on environmental health concerns.
