President-elect Donald Trump's appointment of vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary has sparked fears among public health experts as childhood vaccination rates continue to decline nationwide, The Hill reported.
Kennedy has consistently expressed doubts about vaccine safety as he founded the anti-vaccine group Children's Health Defense. In 2023, he stated, "There's no vaccine that is safe and effective." Experts worry that Kennedy's influence in a leading health role could amplify misinformation and further erode public confidence in vaccinations.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that fewer than 93% of kindergarteners had all state-required vaccines in the 2023-24 school year, a notable drop from 95% in 2019-20. The rise in nonmedical exemptions, now at 3.3%, underscores growing hesitancy.
States like California and Texas have reported exemption rates surpassing 5% in some school districts, raising concerns about localized outbreaks of infectious diseases like measles and whooping cough.
Public health experts attribute the decline to multiple factors, including pandemic-related disruptions to routine checkups and the spread of vaccine misinformation. Michael Cappello, a pediatric infectious disease expert at Yale, noted that "intentional misinformation and disinformation" have led to "a tragic deterioration in trust of public health expertise."
Since the 1970s, mandatory school vaccinations have been a cornerstone of U.S. public health policy, credited with reducing outbreaks of highly contagious diseases. Experts warn that reversing these mandates could spark the return of preventable illnesses in schools where children are in close contact.
Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, criticized Kennedy's nomination, stating, "We do not think that somebody who has been the source of so much death and disability amongst the nation's children should have any seed of prominence in the health world."
Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, echoed these concerns, warning, "If school mandates were eliminated, I think you would see major resurgences of these highly contagious, infectious diseases."
Vaccination requirements vary by state, with some providing medical, religious, and personal exemptions. However, most public health leaders emphasize the importance of maintaining strict vaccination policies to protect children who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.
Local health departments are critical in enforcing these policies. Cappello stressed that "vaccination requirements are managed at the local level" and urged schools to work closely with them to ensure compliance.
"Even if the Feds decide to recommend or not to recommend, parents will make their own decisions," said Bebi Davis, principal of Princess Victoria Kaiulani Elementary School in Hawaii.
"Everyone involved in carrying out the health and well-being of children should stand up loud and clear that we need to protect these children, and vaccines do offer that protection," Offit said.