U.S. health secretary Kennedy launches new push on vaccine injuries
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has launched a new federal initiative to document and study health issues reported after vaccinations. The program includes a new NIH clinic and updated reporting systems, drawing criticism from public health experts concerned about vaccine skepticism.
Why it matters
This initiative represents a significant shift in federal health policy under the current administration, potentially impacting public trust and immunization rates.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week launched an agency-wide effort to study and document any health problems reported after vaccination, the Department of Health and Human Services said on Thursday.
The initiative is the latest step by Kennedy, who spent years questioning vaccine safety and founded an anti-vaccine group before taking office, to reshape federal immunization policy. The American Academy of Pediatrics says childhood vaccines are studied in placebo-controlled and comparison-group trials and monitored for safety after approval.
The federal Vaccine Injury Table lists 14 compensable injuries across 16 vaccine types under the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, a no-fault system in which claimants file against the government, not vaccine makers. Since 1988, it has awarded roughly $5 billion across about 12,300 injury and death claims.
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