It's been less than two weeks since Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent vaccine skeptic, was confirmed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
But he's already making moves that could affect immunization uptake and policy in the U.S. HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on those efforts.
That's not much of a surprise. Kennedy has long made misleading and false statements about the safety of shots. He has claimed they are linked to autism despite decades of studies that debunk that association.
Kennedy is also the founder of the nonprofit Children's Health Defense, the most well-funded anti-vaccine organization in the U.S. In a government ethics agreement in January, he said he stopped serving as chairman or chief legal counsel for the organization as of December.
Kennedy tried to distance himself from those views during his Senate confirmation hearings, claiming that he isn't "anti-vaccine" and would do nothing to make it "difficult or discourage people from taking" shots for measles and polio.
Sen. Bill Cassidy from Louisiana, who was considered one of the biggest Republican swing votes, eventually backed Kennedy's nomination after receiving assurances that the Trump administration would not dismantle the nation's vaccine safety systems or alter government recommendations for immunizations.
But his track record so far suggests otherwise.
Here's what has reportedly happened with vaccines under Kennedy so far:
We'll continue to follow the fate of the nation's approach to vaccinations. Stay tuned for our updates.
Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Annika at [email protected].
Latest in health-care tech: Oracle submits formal application to join TEFCA
Oracle on Monday announced it has formally submitted its application to join a new federally-backed medical network called the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, or TEFCA.
The network aims to standardize the legal and technical requirements for sharing patients' data, which is a notoriously complex process. Health-care data is siloed and protected by laws like Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, so exchanging this information on a large scale is no easy task.
TEFCA was launched in late 2023 and falls under the purview of an office in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Oracle had previously announced its intention to join TEFCA in October.
Oracle acquired the medical records giant Cerner for about $28 billion in 2022, and the company has been working to revamp its technology in recent years. Joining TEFCA is a "natural next step" for Oracle, Seema Verma, executive vice president of Oracle Health and Life Sciences, told CNBC in an October interview.
"This builds on our long-standing leadership in driving interoperability to increase industry-wide efficiency and to help ensure patients retain control over their own data," Verma said in a statement Monday.
The main groups that participate in health-data exchanges through TEFCA are called qualified health information networks, or QHINs. These networks have to get approved and their participation is voluntary.
As of Tuesday, eight organizations, including Oracle competitor Epic Systems, have been recognized as designated QHINs for TEFCA exchange.
If Oracle is approved to join TEFCA, it would help expand the exchange's reach and could further bolster its credibility. Oracle's network would support the sharing of data like X-Rays and MRIs that are not traditionally available through other exchanges, the company added.
It's not immediately clear if or when Oracle's application will be approved.
Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Ashley at [email protected].
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