2025 Marked by Upheaval at U.S. Health Agencies Under Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The year 2025 will be remembered as one of the most turbulent in the history of U.S. health agencies, as President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. aggressively pursued a conservative overhaul of the nation’s healthcare bureaucracy. Their “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda, aimed at reshaping public health priorities and cutting costs, triggered widespread controversy and upheaval across agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Kennedy’s approach involved sweeping workforce reductions and budget cuts, with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reporting over $13 billion in anticipated contract savings as part of efforts to “maximize efficiency and productivity.” In his May budget statement to Congress, Kennedy emphasized a new focus on combating chronic illness by prioritizing “safe, wholesome food, clean water and the elimination of environmental toxins.” However, critics from major medical organizations and former agency employees described the resulting environment as chaotic, marked by plunging morale and diminished agency effectiveness.
One of the most contentious moves came in June when Kennedy dismissed all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), replacing them with appointees who shared his skepticism toward vaccines. The ACIP, which sets vaccine recommendations for the United States, saw the inclusion of figures such as Martin Kulldorff, a biostatistician and former Harvard Medical School professor known for his opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Kulldorff, who co-authored the controversial “Great Barrington Declaration,” was joined by others who had served as expert witnesses in lawsuits challenging vaccine manufacturers, including Robert Malone, a vocal critic of mRNA vaccines.
Kennedy defended the new panel as committed to “evidence-based medicine” and “gold-standard science,” asserting that none were “ideological anti-vaxxers.” Yet, their decisions sparked fierce pushback. In June, the ACIP voted to recommend flu vaccines free of the preservative thimerosal, despite extensive research confirming its safety, a move opposed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Later in September, the committee voted against recommending COVID-19 vaccines for individuals under 65, leaving the decision to personal choice after consultation with healthcare providers. This shift, led by another new member, Retsef Levi of MIT, was criticized for undermining public health efforts.
Further controversy arose when the ACIP changed longstanding vaccine guidelines for children. The committee voted to separate the measles/mumps/rubella and varicella vaccines for children under four, a decision opposed by the American Medical Association, which warned it could confuse parents and reduce vaccine uptake. In December, Kennedy promoted Kulldorff to chief science officer for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), praising his role in transforming ACIP into a body that delivers “gold-standard science.”
The upheaval extended to hepatitis B vaccination policies. The ACIP voted 8-3 to end the decades-old recommendation of vaccinating newborns automatically against hepatitis B, a practice credited with reducing childhood infections by 99% since 1991. Instead, the committee recommended delaying vaccination until two months of age for infants born to mothers testing negative for the virus and advocated for individualized decision-making on whether to start the vaccine series at all. Public health experts have expressed alarm, warning that this policy change could reverse hard-won gains in controlling the disease.
These policy shifts reflect a broader challenge to established scientific consensus, with Kennedy’s HHS emphasizing parental rights and questioning long-accepted vaccine safety data. The administration’s actions have raised concerns about the impact on public trust and the effectiveness of disease prevention programs.
For more on vaccine policy and public health guidelines, see the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the Department of Health and Human Services. The Food and Drug Administration continues to monitor vaccine safety, while the American Academy of Pediatrics remains an active voice in pediatric health advocacy. These developments underscore a year of profound change and debate within the U.S. public health landscape.
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