Inside RFK Jr.’s vaccine push

Kennedy and aides rewrite decades of policy within months.

One Essential Read One Essential Read Recommended by Kate Turton, Newsletter Editor Inside RFK Jr.’s push to dismantle decades of US vaccine policy   Robert F. Kennedy Jr ascended to the role of health secretary in 2025. REUTERS/Callaghan O'Hare "He's an anti-vaccine activist. That's who he is. That's who he's been for 20 years." Those were the words of Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, who spoke to Reuters along with 16 current and former Trump administration officials about US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  Since becoming health secretary Kennedy has pushed through some of the biggest changes to US vaccine policy in decades – and sought to go much further than previously known to dismantle the status quo. He's been aided in these efforts by his closest adviser Stefanie Spear, and Aaron Siri, one of the most prominent advocates challenging American health agencies and vaccine makers over alleged injuries.  Read the special report   Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters' website   Reuters One Essential Read is sent three days a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here. Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here. This email includes limited tracking for Reuters to understand whether you’ve engaged with its contents. For more information on how we process your personal information and your rights, please see our Privacy Statement. Terms & Conditions   © 2026 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036