How Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s views on vaccines could impact Arizona

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is the new U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. Known for his controversial views on vaccines and the food industry, Kennedy faced hurdles during his confirmation hearings. He tried to distance himself from his anti-vaccine views.

Will Humble, Executive Director of the Arizona Public Health Association, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss the impact of Kennedy’s nomination for future policies and regulations.

Humble explained Kennedy’s cousin, Caroline Kennedy, sent a video to Congress calling Kennedy a predator and saying his views on vaccines alone should disqualify him.

Kennedy’s position puts him in charge of vaccination policies, Medicaid and 30% of the federal budget which he has little experience in such power, according to Humble. Kennedy is publicly against vaccinations which has raised concern in regards to children’s health and preventable diseases based upon immunizations.

“I’m speculating based on what I think his policies will be, but I don’t think it goes well for childhood immunization rates which means more likely outbreaks,” Humble said.

There are a list of concerns from Kennedy’s nomination that were brought up in conversation with Humble. Some of them were the silent responses from national health organizations of Kennedy’s nomination, federal health funding cuts and Kennedy’s thoughts on the FDA producing unhealthy additives. However Humble says “because we have the separation between state and federal government,” he is not too worried.

“You could be a disruptor in a good way, if you’re committed to using evidence to drive your interventions, your disruptive interventions. But when you disregard evidence and just disrupt for the sake of disrupting, that’s what’s damaging,” Humble said.