Health advocates are weighing support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s food and nutrition ideas while warning that his vaccine policies could undo public health progress.
Matthew Perrone reports for The Associated Press.
In short:
- RFK Jr., President Trump's nominee for health secretary, has proposed banning food additives, making school lunches healthier and addressing ultraprocessed foods, ideas long championed by public health groups.
- Kennedy's discredited anti-vaccine stance and plans to weaken regulations from the Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health raise alarm among experts who fear lasting harm to public health infrastructure.
- His confirmation faces opposition from both parties, with concerns about his vaccine policies and ability to execute his ambitious food system reforms.
Key quote:
“What we have is a bunch of good things that are very unlikely to happen weighed against a bunch of bad things that are very injurious but are much more feasible.”
— Dr. Peter Lurie, Center for Science in the Public Interest and former FDA official
Why this matters:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s mix of advocacy for food reform and outspoken opposition to vaccines presents a deeply polarizing public health conundrum. His proposals for overhauling the food system, such as reducing pesticide use, promoting regenerative agriculture and improving food quality, tap into widespread concerns about diet and environmental health. However, Kennedy’s promotion of anti-vaccine rhetoric has sparked alarm in the medical community, which warns that such views threaten decades of progress against preventable diseases.
