Trump administration vaccine policy and RFK Jr. health agency oversight
One page that accretes the verified record as the story develops. Every fact keeps its date and its sources.
RFK Jr. reportedly ordered measles deaths removed from CDC tally
Erica Schwartz deleted the deaths from the CDC website without objection.
Ars Technica reached out to HHS about the discrepancy between the public data and the internal database, and HHS did not immediately respond.
An internal CDC database called 'One CDC Data Platform' still includes the two deleted deaths.
RFK Jr. claims measles deaths may have been 'fabricated'; Shapiro spars with RFK Jr. over measles and vaccines
Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons said he did not believe there was enough evidence to confirm the two deaths were caused by measles.
Kennedy accused Shapiro and his office of fearmongering, misinformation, and weaponizing infectious disease fears for political gain.
Pennsylvania health officials confirmed two measles-associated deaths on Tuesday, both in unvaccinated individuals.
Trump administration pushes food transparency initiatives
The FDA reviewed tara flour and found that it did not meet the standard for GRAS.
Congress passed the Food Additives Amendment in 1958.
Taylor Hood is an Analyst of Healthy America Policy at the America First Policy Institute.
Senator calls for criminal investigation of RFK Jr after Guardian report
The 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa sickened thousands and killed 83 people, mostly children under five.
Senator Ron Wyden called for a criminal investigation into Robert F. Kennedy Jr. following Guardian reporting that indicated Kennedy lied during Senate confirmation hearings.
Wyden serves as the top Democrat on the finance committee.
Newly revealed documents indicate RFK Jr lied in Senate confirmation hearings
The Senate confirmed Kennedy on a 52-48 vote.
Kennedy was for years chair and chief legal counsel of the anti-vaccine group Children's Health Defense.
Two young children in Samoa died in July 2018 after being given an improperly mixed MMR vaccine.
“Secretary Kennedy’s visit to Samoa in 2019 was unrelated to vaccines. Any claim or insinuation based on these letters that Secretary Kennedy lied under oath or to Congress is not only false but outright defamatory.”
RFK Jr. questions Pennsylvania measles deaths report amid newborn measles death
Kennedy alleged on his official X account that the deaths may have been fabricated by one of the Governor's staffers.
The two measles-linked deaths are the first such fatalities in Pennsylvania in 35 years and the first US measles deaths reported in 2026.
The Pennsylvania measles outbreak has reached nearly 400 confirmed cases.
“Two more Americans are dead because RFK Jr. has spent his career promoting discredited claims, dangerous conspiracies, and quack cures. Instead of using his position as HHS secretary to provide clear advice to Americans on how to keep their children safe from the measles, he has used his megaphone to spread confusion and chaos — with deadly consequences.”
Pennsylvania reports two measles-related deaths as RFK questions whether they were fabricated
Shapiro joined a lawsuit earlier in 2026 against Kennedy's department's decision to scale back federal vaccine recommendations for children.
The forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsy did not feel the newborn's death was related to measles, according to Diamantoni.
Measles has no specific treatments, and vitamin A cannot prevent the disease and is not a cure.
HHS plans new FDA deputy commissioner roles for technology and drugs
Kyle Diamantas was most recently the deputy commissioner for food before stepping in as acting FDA commissioner in May after Marty Makary's resignation.
The other new position is for a deputy commissioner for drugs.
HHS did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Trump administration signals possible changes to childhood vaccine schedule
The public has until September 20 to comment on the HHS request.
In January, the Trump administration said it would reduce the number of vaccines recommended for children, but it was blocked in March by a lawsuit led by the AAP.
Trump's executive order called for breaking up the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into separate shots.
RFK Jr. may change vaccine recommendation categories
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is informed by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
The deadline to comment on the questions and ideas in the Request for Information is September 20.
The US health department is considering changing how vaccine recommendations are categorized and described.
CDC Reports Record Vaccine Exemption Rates Among US Kindergarteners
An executive order signed by Donald Trump called for the United States to decrease the number of routine childhood vaccines from 17 diseases to 11 and to separate the MMR vaccine into three distinct doses.
According to the World Health Organization, measles vaccination saved 59 million lives globally between 2000 and 2024.
CDC data indicated that measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates among kindergarteners fell by 0.1% between the last two school years to 92.4%.
“If we had a secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) who was an actual secretary of HHS instead of an anti-vaccine activist and science denialist, he would stand up in front of the American public and say, ‘Vaccinate your children.’ – please, vaccinate your children,”
Public Health Experts Criticize Trump Administration Vaccine Policy Review
Donald Trump signed an executive order instructing federal agencies to pare back vaccine recommendations.
The public was provided a 30-day window to submit comments on the notice.
The Trump administration sought feedback regarding whether different or additional vaccine recommendation categories should be adopted.
“Public input received in response to this notice will help inform consideration by the Department and the Task Force of whether the current category structure adequately serves the goals of scientific rigor, informed choice, and public trust,”
CNBC Reports on Public Vaccine Hesitancy Trends in the US
President Donald Trump signed an executive order suggesting the MMR vaccine be split into separate shots while alleging the combined vaccine is "quite lethal" and linking it to autism.
The U.S. reported 2,566 confirmed measles cases and 38 new outbreaks across 47 jurisdictions in a single year, marking a 35-year high.
CDC data indicates that U.S. kindergartner vaccination rates declined to around 92%, with nonmedical exemptions reaching a record 4.2% during the 2025-2026 school year.
“All of a sudden, vaccine science has become a political issue or a partisan issue in a way that we've never seen before, and it is really, really challenging to be part of the American public and not know which message to trust because we are seeing different messages come out from the government, from our healthcare providers, from different health authorities, and people really have to then decide,”
Guardian editorial criticizes Trump's MMR executive order
Andrew Wakefield was struck off as a doctor and now lives in Texas.
The individual measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines are not available and have not been widely used in decades.
Donald Trump stated that the combined MMR vaccine could be "quite lethal."
“beautiful, healthy, lovely, delicate little children”
Michigan Maintains Childhood Vaccine Requirements Despite Federal Executive Order
“It's really important for parents to turn to their pediatricians, the people who have been taking care of their children, who have their children's best interests at heart, who know the evidence. Vaccination shouldn't be political, but we live in a time when there [are] all kinds of signaling about health positions based on politics, and I think this is a great example about why that can be very dangerous.”
Former CDC adviser downplays kindergarten vaccination decline
Malone said the facts are not particularly alarming
Malone told Fox News Digital that the decline in kindergarten vaccination rates is nothing to be concerned about
Malone said measles cases are rising globally and that vaccination remains the most effective protection against infection
“The latest CDC data indicates a 0.1% year-in-year decline in the uptake or acceptance of the vaccine schedule among kindergartners. In certain contexts, the average across the United States shows roughly a 1% shift. Regardless, we are still talking about a very low single-digit lack of compliance with the CDC's recommended vaccine schedule,”
Former CDC advisor says decline in kindergarten vaccinations is not concerning
“The latest CDC data indicates a 0.1% year-in-year decline in the uptake or acceptance of the vaccine schedule among kindergartners. In certain contexts, the average across the United States shows roughly a 1% shift. Regardless, we are still talking about a very low single-digit lack of compliance with the CDC's recommended vaccine schedule,”
FDA approves first mRNA flu vaccine for older adults
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. canceled a federal campaign to encourage flu shots during a bad flu season.
Prasad was pushed out of the FDA at the end of April.
The FDA reversed Prasad's rejection the following week.
Republican senator slams CDC over autism and vaccines website
Cassidy has vowed to support Trump's surgeon general nominee, Erica Schwartz.
Cassidy said it has been firmly established that vaccines do not cause autism.
Cassidy chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
“We don't care enough about you to tell the truth. We want to continue to promote that which has been proven false, but we don't want to admit it, whoever we is.”
FDA reviews peptide injections favored by RFK Jr. and wellness influencers
Lawmakers call for CDC to track vitamin K shot refusals
No federal or state agencies track refusal rates or subsequent bleeding related to the vitamin K shot.
The HHS spokesperson said uptake of the vitamin K shot has declined in recent years as public trust in health care institutions has fallen, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Research shows babies who don't get the vitamin K shot are 81 times more likely than those who do to develop late vitamin K deficiency bleeding.