Vaccine skeptic RFK Jr named as new US health secretary

Robert F Kennedy Jr, anti-vaccine activist and one of President Donald Trump’s most controversial Cabinet picks, will serve as the US’s new health secretary.

The Senate voted 52-48 to confirm Kennedy as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday morning.

Only Senator Mitch McConnell, a polio survivor who has advocated for vaccines, broke from his Republican colleagues and voted against confirming Kennedy.

During his intense confirmation hearings, Kennedy denied being anti-vaccine and instead called himself ‘pro-safety’.

‘I believe that vaccines play a critical role in health care,’ he told senators.

However, Kennedy for years has pushed false claims to discourage vaccine use, making him one of the most prominent anti-vaccine voices in America.

McConnell shortly after Kennedy was confirmed stated: ‘Individuals, parents, and families have a right to push for a healthier nation and demand the best possible scientific guidance on preventing and treating illness.

‘But a record of trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding trust in public health institutions does not entitle Mr Kennedy to lead these important efforts.’

Kennedy’s confirmation demonstrates Trump’s vast influence over the GOP majority in the Senate.

Republican lawmakers have confirmed a handful of Trump’s controversial nominees including former Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defense secretary and ex-Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence.

Kennedy will lead a department that includes several critical federal agencies the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Food and Drug Administration.

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