AXIOS November 26, 2024
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could use Health and Human Services’ vast bureaucracy to put a distinct stamp on vaccine policy, drug approvals and food regulation if he’s confirmed. But with so many legal requirements and bureaucratic layers baked into the process, it’s hardly a foregone conclusion he will.
Why it matters: Experts say RFK Jr.’s public calls for more transparency and vows to shore up the trustworthiness of federal health agencies may translate into more requests for vaccine safety data and into appointing like-minded individuals to advisory panels that could influence coverage of drugs, services and devices.
- They also say it could result in shifting public health funding to chronic disease or environmental health and away from infectious disease,...