RFK Jr. is winning MAHA's vaccine war

RFK Jr. is winning MAHA’s vaccine war
In choosing a leading vaccine critic to run the CDC, the HHS secretary continues to endanger public health

By Heather Digby Parton
Columnist
Published February 19, 2026 6:45AM (EST)


(Salon) The news, when it was reported Wednesday afternoon by the New York Times, was just the latest in a series of blows to America’s public health, but it has the potential to be among the most serious: A so-called “fringe epidemiologist” will soon be serving as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control. As head of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya has done lasting damage by helping to gut millions of dollars in vital biomedical research; he will continue to serve in that role while simultaneously heading the CDC.

....(snip)....

The news capped a year in which Kennedy has wrecked the nation’s public health, along with its premier medical science institutions, by firing or pushing out veteran researchers, scientists and physicians; stacking agencies with hand-picked vaccine skeptics; failing to prevent and treat a rapidly growing measles outbreak; and promoting quack theories about disease prevention.

....(snip)....

The centerpiece of the secretary’s Make America Healthy Again agenda is his war on vaccines, something he promised during his confirmation hearings he would not pursue. In a year’s time, Kennedy has replaced medical experts with vaccine skeptics and is withdrawing the CDC and FDA vaccine recommendations for both children and adults. HHS stopped supporting mRNA research, which looked to be a game-changer in public health. The move resulted in Moderna pulling back from stage three trials for vaccines targeting multiple sclerosis and other diseases after the FDA rejected the company’s flu vaccine for dubious reasons. (After significant backlash, the decision was reportedly reversed.)

Such policies will inevitably lead to sickness and deaths. In fact, they already have; the U.S. is experiencing a measles outbreak that will likely result in the nation losing its status as having eradicated the disease. ...................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2026/02/19/rfk-jr-is-winning-mahas-vaccine-war/