With the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services, U.S. public health policy is set to face unprecedented challenges.
Kennedy’s longstanding skepticism toward vaccines—a critical achievement in public health—is a clear indicator of his disregard for evidence-driven decision-making.
He has publicly doubted vaccines’ safety and efficacy, despite overwhelming scientific consensus on their role in preventing diseases and saving millions of lives. He believes adding fluoride to optimal levels in drinking water causes a litany of health problems (without providing evidence) even calling for water systems to stop adding fluoride (he calls it a poison).
He has spread several conspiracy theories including claims that Wi-Fi causes cancer and school shootings are caused by antidepressants.
Kennedy’s reliance on personal beliefs rather than verified data could have serious implications for public health policies. The HHS is responsible for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of medical interventions and overseeing agencies like the FDA, CDC and CMS.
With Kennedy at the helm, these agencies may face pressures to adopt policies grounded in ideology rather than science, endangering the progress made in controlling infectious diseases and advancing medical safety and public health standards.
The Dangers of Implementing Project 2025′ Public Health Proposals – AZ Public Health Association
Not all of Kennedy’s ideas lack merit—his proposal to improve SNAP’s nutritional impact by limiting purchases to healthier foods is a reasonable initiative that could positively affect health outcomes for low-income families. Proposals like restricting sugary beverage purchases with SNAP benefits could help combat diet-related diseases (note, however, that HHS does not run the SNAP program.
RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary? Why It Could Mean the End of Evidence-Based Public Health Policy – AZ Public Health Association
At a time when public health needs strong, evidence-driven leadership, Kennedy’s history raises concerns. His confirmation will likely lead to policies that reduce trust in established health measures, with dangerous consequences for FDA regulations and the broader health and healthcare landscape at CDC and CMS. Public health policy should be rooted in science, not ideology, and with Kennedy as Secretary of HHS, that foundation is at risk. Not just at risk actually. In peril.
AZPHA absolutely opposes his confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
