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RFK Jr. driving a major vaccine safety inquiry

scienceMay 11, 202615100

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is directing a multi‑million dollar federal inquiry into vaccine safety inside his department while publicly toning down his longtime criticism at the White House's request. The probe installs epidemiologist Martin Kulldorff as chief science officer and explicitly reexamines debunked hypotheses linking vaccines to autism and thimerosal toxicity. Public health officials warn the study's methods and leadership could produce findings that policymakers or litigants might misuse, and Kennedy has said he wants "sufficient science" to lay groundwork for lawsuits. The outcome matters because altered federal guidance or new legal challenges could affect national immunization programs, outbreak control, and public trust in routine vaccines.

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