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- Vaccine access concerns dominate Kennedy hearing
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced a contentious three-hour Senate Finance Committee hearing on September 4, where lawmakers pressed him on vaccine policy and public health decisions.
The impact: Both Republicans and Democrats voiced concerns about the CDC's recent changes and the potential long-term effects to public health in the US.
Key hearing takeaways
During the hearing, there was bipartisan support for robust patient access to vaccines. Kennedy faced repeated questions focused on vaccine efficacy, and senators further scrutinized his decisions to:
- Fire former CDC Director Susan Monarez, PhD.
- Replace all members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
- Revoke FDA emergency use authorizations for the COVID-19 vaccines.
What they're saying: Kennedy pushed back on critics, pledging transparency and requiring placebo-controlled trials for vaccine approvals to "restore trust."
- However, Kennedy also repeated debunked claims about the MMR vaccine being linked to autism, promising to release more information about what causes autism later this month.
After reading messages from constituents who couldn’t get shots, Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA), commented that new policies were effectively denying patient access to COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy disputed Dr. Cassidy’s claim.
- The exchange showed lawmakers are listening to their constituents.
- CAP members can connect with their lawmakers through our advocacy programs, such as PathNET.
What's next: ACIP meets September 18–19 with new members picked by Kennedy to make new recommendations on vaccine policies.