As part of his new role as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Health and Human Services Department (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is calling for the elimination of two of the most traditional vaccines medical providers advise patients to receive.
Aaron Siri, the lawyer assisting Kennedy in choosing officials to help him lead the HHS, strongly advocates for eliminating the polio vaccine's approval. He is also petitioning the Food and Drug Administration (FAA) to withdraw its approval of the hepatitis B vaccine.
However, a Kennedy spokesperson told the New York Times that Kennedy was merely discussing the possibility and that no decisions were set in stone.
“Mr. Kennedy has long said that he wants transparency in vaccines and to give people a choice,” the spokesperson said.
Siri is also reportedly advocating for “pause distribution” of 13 other vaccines, including a combination of products for tetanus, diphtheria, and hepatitis A.
His law firm touts over 60 years of experience handling vaccine injury cases and a 90 percent success rate in securing exemptions from vaccine requirements for its clients.
Siri has praised Kennedy as a vital asset to the American health system, saying, “There’s nobody who’s been a greater asset to the medical freedom movement than him.”
However, Kennedy previously said he did not want to ban vaccines but rather inform Americans of their science-backed risks.
According to Katie Miller, a spokesperson for RFK Jr., he has not discussed his plans with any health nominees but "has long said that he wants transparency in vaccines and to give people a choice."
In an interview with TIME Magazine, Trump said he would have a"big discussion" with RFK Jr. about potentially ending childhood vaccination programs.