As Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the stand during Wednesday’s confirmation hearing as President Donald Trump’s nominee for the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, many of his past statements were called to question, particularly surrounding the safety and efficacy of vaccines.
The hearing touched on the role of Medicaid and Medicare, pricing reform, pharmacy benefit managers, abortion access, medical research funding and more in a wide-ranging discussion. But Kennedy’s high-profile stance on vaccines often floated to the top as illustrative of the candidate’s stark divide from the position of the agency he’s been tapped to lead.
Senators grilled Kennedy regarding past statements he made as an anti-vaccination activist, referring to books he has published, appearances on popular podcasts and his founding of the…